Jamaal Charles

Infobox NFLactive
name=Jamaal Charles

---

caption=Charles, #25, takes a hand-off
currentteam=Kansas City Chiefs
currentnumber=25
currentposition=Running back
birthdate=birth date and age|1986|12|27
birthplace=Port Arthur, Texas
heightft=5
heightin=11
weight=199
debutyear=2008
debutteam=Kansas City Chiefs
college=Texas
draftyear=2008
draftround=3
draftpick=73
pastteams=
* Kansas City Chiefs (2008-present)
status=Active
highlights=
* "Sporting News" Freshman All-Big 12 (2005)
* "Sporting News" Freshman All-American (2005)
* First-team All-Big 12 (2007)
statweek=4
statseason=2008
statlabel1=Rushing yards
statvalue1=80
statlabel2=Rushing average
statvalue2=4.7
statlabel3=Touchdowns
statvalue3=0
nfl=CHA561428

Jamaal RaShaad Charles (born December 27, 1986 in city-state|Port Arthur|Texas) is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.

Early years

In his junior year, Charles ran for 2,051 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading Memorial High School of Port Arthur, Texas to the 5A Division II quarterfinals. He was named first team all-state by the Texas Sports Writers Association and second team all-state by the Associated Press.

Charles followed up his stellar junior season by rushing for 2,056 yards and 25 touchdowns his senior year. The Associated Press named him to their first team all-state squad and he was declared the "Houston Chronicle" area offensive MVP. Charles was also named to the 2005 "Parade" All-America Football Teamcite web|url=http://www.all-americans.parade.com/past_players/2005_football.html |title=PARADE Magazine All-America Teams, Football 2005 |work=Parade All-America Website |language=English |format=HTML |accessdate=2006-07-11] and was the District 22-5A Player of the Year both his junior and senior years. Charles participated in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

In July 2003, the summer between his sophomore and junior years, Charles won the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the IAAF World Youth ChampionshipsCite_web|url=http://www.iaaf.org/WYC03/results/gender=M/discipline=400HY/combCode=hash/roundCode=f/index.html |title=Official Results - 400m Hurdles (84.0cm) |work=IAAF Website |language=English |format=HTML |accessdate=2006-07-11] . He went on to win the 110m hurdles and 300m hurdles Texas 5A state championships with times of 13.69 and 36.03 seconds, respectively, his senior year.

College career

Track

On March 11, 2006, Charles placed fourth in the NCAA 60-meter indoor track and field championship finals. On May 14, 2006 Charles captured his first conference title and the third Big 12 100-meter title for Texas by winning the event in 10.23 at the Big 12 outdoor meet. He led the 200 meter race after the preliminary round but elected not to participate in the final, as Texas had the Big 12 team title well in hand. On June 10th, at the NCAA outdoor competition, Charles took a fifth in the 100 meter finals, edging out UTEP's stand-out sprinter Churandy Martina (sixth place), who earlier in the year ran a 9.76 (wind-aided) 100-meters, which is just shy of the current 100-meter world record time (9.69). Charles also placed seventh in the 200 meter finals, and ran the third leg of the 4 x 100 Texas Longhorn relay team, earning a fifth place in the finals. Charles' efforts helped the Longhorns earn a third place showing for the men's track and field team, the highest since a second place finish at the 1997 NCAA finals. Thus, Charles completed his first collegiate track season as a four-time All-American (60m indoor, 100m outdoor, 200m outdoor, 4x100m relay outdoor).

Football

In his true freshman season during with the 2005 Texas Longhorn football team, Charles rushed 119 times for 878 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

After a disappointing performance with the 2006 Texas Longhorn football team where Charles did not reach 1,000 yards rushing mark, Charles opted not to participate in track so he could focus on getting bigger for football.

In the summer prior to the 2007 football season some observers believed he was the fastest college running back in the up-coming 2007-2008 season. CBS SportsLine said, "Track star Jamaal Charles has the potential at running back to enjoy a break-out season and possesses the kind of breakaway speed that lead to an 80-yard rush and a 70-yard catch last season." [cite book | title=College Football – 2007 Season Preview | publisher=CBS SportsLine.com | year=2007 | pages=58] Athlon Sports remarked, "Over the last two years, running back Jamaal Charles has run for 1,702 yards at 6.2 yards per carry with 18 touchtowns despite starting only four games. He has the job to himself and should have a breakout year." [cite book | title=2007 Preview – Big12 edition | publisher=Athlon Sports | year=2007 | pages=42]

With the 2007 Texas Longhorn football team, Charles rushed for over 1,400 yards, with an average of more than six yards per carry. Early in the season, Mack Brown and Greg Davis hinted that Jamaal Charles could face less playing time as a result of his fumbling problems.cite news | url=http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/10/09/Sports/Brown.Says.Losses.Not.Bad.Luck-3020587.shtml | title=Brown says losses not bad luck | author=Hale, Cody |work=The Daily Texan | publisher=Texas Student Publications | date=October 92007|accessdate=2007-10-11] Charles says that he feels a deep remorse over his fumbles and feels that he is the biggest reason the team lost to the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2007 Red River Shootout. Texas running backs coach Ken Rucker and former Longhorn running back Earl Campbell have both worked with Charles on his ball handling. Greg Davis said he wants to get the ball to Charles "in space", on pitches and passes, instead of in heavy traffic up the center. [cite news | url=http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/longhorns/10/10//1010texfoot.html | title=Charles is still feeling angst over fumble against Sooners - He says: "I've got to step up. I've got to grow up." |author=Halliburton, Suzanne |work=Austin American-Statesman | publisher=Cox Enterprises | date=October 102007 |accessdate=2007-10-08]

On October 28, 2007, Charles rushed for 290 yards, the most ever against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the fourth-highest total in Texas Longhorns history. His 216 yards in the fourth quarter were just six shy of the NCAA record for a single quarter set by the University of Washington Huskies's Corey Dillon in 1996. For these accomplishments, Charles won a fan vote for AT&T All-America Player of the Week. [cite news|url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/longhorns/entries/2007/11/01/charles_wins_fa.html|title=Charles wins fan vote for player of the week|publisher="Austin American Statesman"|accessdate=2007-11-02|date=2007-11-01]

Charles decided to forgoe his senior season with Texas in favor of joining the NFL as a professional football player in the 2008 NFL Draft. This decision came after earlier statements that he would stay with Texas. In November Jamaal Charles said he would return for his senior season rather than enter professional football in the NFL. [cite news | url=http://blogs.chron.com/longhorns/2007/11/charles_im_coming_back_next_se.html | title=Charles: 'I'm coming back next season' | author=Duarte, Joseph | work=Chron.com | publisher=Hearst Corporation | date=November 142007 | accessdate=2007-12-29] Sources reported in December 2007 that Charles and fellow Longhorn Jermichael Finley had filed paperwork with the NFL to evaluate how high they might be drafted if they decided enter professional football in the NFL Draft instead of returning for their senior season. Mack Brown did not comment about specific players but said, "We always try to help our guys get as much information as possible when it comes to the NFL. We encourage and help them go through the process... All of our underclassmen have told us they will be coming back, but if you're playing well enough to be considered an NFL prospect, going through the process can only help you better understand it and realize what you need to work on to improve your status."cite news | url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/texas/stories/121607dnspoutplayers.28c01c7.html | title=Sources say UT's Charles, Finley file NFL draft paperwork - Players trying to gauge where they might be taken in 2008 | author=Brown, Chip | work=DallasNews.com | publisher=Dallas Morning News | date=December 162007 | accessdate=2007-12-29] Charles said he would not go pro unless he was predicted to be chosen in the first round of the draft. [cite news | url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/nfl/stories/121907dnspotexasbrief.2e0ca1cf.html | title=Texas RB Charles waiting on NFL report | author=Brown, Chip | work=DallasNews.com | publisher=Dallas Morning News | date=December 192007 | accessdate=2007-12-29] cite news | url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/college_football/20071226-9999-1s26hbnotes.html | title=Arizona St. favors run, but runs into problem | author=Schrotenboer, Brent |work=SignOnSanDiego.com | publisher=Copley Press | date=December 262007 | accessdate=2007-12-29] After the 2007 Holiday Bowl Charles said, "Right now, I’m probably coming back. I didn’t think I did that good in the game. Next year maybe I’ll be up for the Heisman. I will come back." [cite news | url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/longhorns/entries/2007/12/28/charles_says_he_1.html | title=Charles says he’s coming back | author=Bohls, Kirk | work=Statesman.com |publisher=Austin American-Statesman | date=December 282007 | accessdate=2007-12-29] From 2000–2007 the Longhorns have had seven players taken in the Top 10 draft picks by the NFL, more than any other school.On January 2 Charles announced he received and was happy with the results of his draft evaluation and that he would declare for the draft.cite news | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/news/story?id=3177593 | title=Charles leaving school to enter NFL draft | work=ESPN.com | publisher=The Disney Company | date=January 22008 | accessdate=2008-01-03]

Despite skipping his senior year, Charles ranks fourth in the list of total-rushing yards by a UT player, behind Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, and Earl Campbell, with 3,328 yards. Williams and Campbell each won the Heisman Trophy in their senior season. With Charles' departure, quarterback Colt McCoy becomes the leading returning rusher for the Longhorns.

Professional career

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Charles in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft with the 73rd pick.The back thought he would go early in the second round but said he had no regrets about leaving college early. [cite news | url=http://blogs.chron.com/longhorns/2008/04/charles_im_not_mad_at_decision_1.html | title=Charles: 'I'm not mad at decision' to leave early | author=Duarte, Joseph | work=Chron.com | publisher=Houston Chronicle | date=April 272008 | accessdate=2008-04-27] Charles was expected to begin his career as the Chiefs' No. 3 back behind Larry Johnson and Kolby Smith. [ [http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/594877.html Chiefs choose Charles to put a charge in running game] ]

In Charles first professional football game, he rushed for 28 yards on 5 carries against the New England Patriots. He also recorded two catches for six yards.cite web|url=http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id=4617&line=122139&spln=1|title=Charles in as Chiefs' No. 2 back|date=2008-09-7|accessdate=2008-09-10] The Chiefs would go on to lose the game 17–10.

References

External links

* [http://www.kcchiefs.com/player/jamaal_charles/ Kansas City Chiefs bio]
* [http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/?s=&url_channel_id=15&change_well_id=17&member_id=109 Texas Longhorns bio]