Jamaal Charles

Lore & Background

Charles began his career as a backup to halfback Larry Johnson, rushing only 67 times for 357 yards in his rookie season. His breakout season came the following year in 2009. In his second year, Charles rushed 190 times for 1,120 yards, despite only starting 10 games after Johnson was suspended. Shortly thereafter, Johnson was released, leaving Charles as Kansas City's starting halfback. Over the next several seasons he would make four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams, and would lead the league in rushing touchdowns in 2013. Charles later suffered injuries, which lead to him appearing in just five games in 2015 and 2016, and he was eventually released by the team. Charles then played a season for the Denver Broncos and had a 2-game stint for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. He is the all-time leader in yards per carry among players with at least 1,000 carries with 5.4 yards per carry.

In Their Own Story

The air in Arrowhead was thick with humidity, the crowd's roar vibrating through the soles of Charles's cleats. The play clock ticked down, a low hum beneath the cacophony of the faithful. He took the handoff from the quarterback, his eyes scanning the line not for gaps, but for seams that didn't exist yet. A linebacker crashed in; Charles dipped a shoulder, spun on a dime, and suddenly he was gone. The field seemed to stretch out before him, a green ocean with only the end zone as his horizon. He hit top speed, the wind whipping past his helmet, leaving defenders grasping at shadows. One tackle attempt bounced off his hip pads like water off stone. Then another. He was a blur of red and gold, a streak of lightning that had found its way home.

Reader's Guide

Charles attended and played high school football for Memorial High School of Port Arthur, Texas. As a junior, he ran for 2,051 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading Memorial 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 during his senior year with the Titans. 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 Team and was the District 22-5A Player of the Year his senior year. Charles participated in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Charles is a two-time recipient of the Willie Ray Smith Award, which is given to the southeast Texas offensive MVP. Charles was also a standout track athlete at Port Arthur (TX) Memorial. In the summer between his sophomore and junior years, Charles won the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics. 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. Charles attended the university of Texas from 2005 to 2008, where he was a two-sport athlete in football and track. He attended and played college football for the University of Texas from 2005 to 2007 under head coach Mack Brown. In his true freshman season with the Longhorns, Charles was a contributor in a backfield that included Vince Young as a dual-threat quarterback. In his collegiate debut against Louisiana-Lafayette, he had 14 carries for 135 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 60–3 victory. His 135 yards set the school record for rushing yards in a freshman debut. Against Ohio State, he caught 6 passes for 69 yards, which was the 4th most receptions in a game by a freshman in school history at the time. Two weeks later, against Rice, he had 16 carries for 189 rushing yards, the second most by a Longhorn freshman in school history at the time, and three rushing touchdowns in the 51–10 victory. On October 8, in the Red River Showdown against Oklahoma, he had nine carries for 116 rushing yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run that was one of the 10 longest in school history and the

Did You Know?

• Charles has reported being diagnosed with a learning disability as a child, having difficulty reading, and being mocked and teased. In 2015, he shared his experience including being invited to participate in the Special
• Charles is the all-time leader in yards per carry among players with at least 1,000 carries with 5.4 yards per carry.