| No. 57 | |||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1958-03-20)March 20, 1958 (age 67) Pahokee, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 243 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Pahokee | ||||||||||
| College | Pittsburgh (1977–1980) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1981: 2nd round, 51st overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Rickey Anderson Jackson (born March 20, 1958) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL) for theNew Orleans Saints (1981–1993) and theSan Francisco 49ers (1994–1995). He led the team'sDome Patrol linebacker corps while playing with the Saints. In 1997, Jackson was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.[1] Jackson won aSuper Bowl ring with the 49ers inSuper Bowl XXIX one year before retiring. On February 7, 2010, Jackson was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame, the same day hisNew Orleans Saints wonSuper Bowl XLIV
Jackson's first name was originally spelled "Ricky"; he says he changed it himself in high school.[2] He played football and basketball atPahokee High School in Pahokee, Florida.[3] He made 188 tackles and caught 21 passes for eight touchdowns as atight end. In 2007, he was named to theFlorida High School Athletic Association's All-Century Team, consisting of the top 33 players in the 100-year history of high school football in Florida. Jackson's nickname, "City Champ", came from his days at Pahokee; he has variously said that he chose the name himself or was given it because of his performance on the field.[2][4]
Jackson was known as "the other end" at theUniversity of Pittsburgh due toHugh Green's presence on the team. He also played with other future NFL players including centerRuss Grimm, guardMark May, tackleJimbo Covert, defensive backTim Lewis, defensive linemanBill Maas, receiverDwight Collins, and quarterbackDan Marino. Although overshadowed by Green,[5] as a junior in 1979 Jackson was a second-team All-East selection and named an honorable mention All-American by theAssociated Press andThe Sporting News. As a senior in 1980, he was a second-teamAll-American selection and a first-team All-Big East selection. Pitt's defense was ranked number one nationally in 1980.
Jackson ended his college career with 290 tackles, 166 of them unassisted. He also finished with 21 sacks, four passes defended and three interceptions. As a freshman, he had 15 tackles and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. As a sophomore, he made 27 tackles (21 unassisted) and five sacks. In 1979, he had 111 tackles (47 unassisted) and four sacks and recovered two fumbles. In 1980, he led the team with 137 tackles (87 solo), had 12 sacks, broke up four passes, recovered four fumbles and intercepted a pass. Following a game againstArmy in 1980, in which Jackson recorded 12 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, and a blocked punt, he was named theSports Illustrated Player of the Week. In the same year during the game againstPenn State, he was chosen theABC/Chevrolet Player-of-the-Game.
Jackson made 14 tackles in the PittsburghGator Bowl win and played in theSenior Bowl; he was a team captain. He was the MVP of theEast-West Shrine Game. In 2022, he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame.[6] On April 30, 2023, Jackson graduated from Pitt'sCollege of General Studies with hisBachelor of Arts insocial sciences.[7]
Selected in the second round of the1981 NFL draft (53rd overall) from Pitt, Jackson was a member of the first draft in New Orleans under head coachBum Phillips. He played in all 16 games his rookie season and was named to the NFL All-Rookie team. In 1983, he was first-team All-NFC, the first of seven seasons in which he would receive post-season honors in the NFL, including being selected six times for thePro Bowl (in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, and 1993). Jackson was a four-time first-team All-Pro and a two-time second-team All-Pro selection. He was a member of the Saints' famed "Dome Patrol", a four-man linebacking corps named by theNFL Network as the best in NFL history.
In his 13 seasons as a Saint, Jackson missed only two games, a result of an automobile accident in 1989. He played the remainder of the 1989 season with his jaw wired and wearing a special helmet, still managing to accumulate7+1⁄2 sacks during the year.[8]
In 1994, Jackson joined the 49ers. He won his only Super Bowl with the 49ers that year. He retired from the NFL following the 1995 season.
Jackson recorded 10 or more sacks in six different seasons and led the NFL in fumble recoveries in 1990 and 1991. He finished his career with 136 (eight unofficial in 1981) sacks and eight interceptions, which he returned for 68 yards. In his first year as a finalist in 2010, Jackson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, one day before the Saints wonSuper Bowl XLIV. His bust was sculpted byScott Myers and unveiled at the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 7, 2010. He is the first member of the Hall of Fame to be inducted primarily for his contributions as a Saint.
On his retirement following the 1995 season, Jackson held the following NFL records.[9]
At the end of the 1993 season, his final season with New Orleans, Jackson held the following Saints records.[9]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| NFL record | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 1981 | NO | 16 | 16 | 125 | – | – | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1982 | NO | 9 | 9 | 47 | – | – | 4.5 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1983 | NO | 16 | 16 | 102 | – | – | 12.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1984 | NO | 16 | 16 | 124 | – | – | 12.0 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 1985 | NO | 16 | 16 | 107 | – | – | 11.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | NO | 16 | 16 | 114 | – | – | 9.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 1987 | NO | 12 | 12 | 74 | – | – | 9.5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1988 | NO | 16 | 16 | 92 | – | – | 7.0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1989 | NO | 14 | 14 | 47 | – | – | 7.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1990 | NO | 16 | 16 | 68 | – | – | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| 1991 | NO | 16 | 16 | 59 | – | – | 11.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 1992 | NO | 16 | 16 | 66 | – | – | 13.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| 1993 | NO | 16 | 16 | 79 | – | – | 11.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 1994 | SF | 16 | 14 | 40 | 37 | 3 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1995 | SF | 16 | 15 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 9.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 227 | 224 | 1,180 | 69 | 7 | 136.0 | 8 | 68 | 0 | 40 | 29 | |