Jamaal Charles

Jamaal Charles was a running back in the NFL for 11 seasons, most of them with the Kansas City Chiefs. Born on December 27, 1986, he played college football at the University of Texas, where his team won the 2006 Rose Bowl. The Chiefs picked him in the third round of the 2008 draft.

Charles started his pro career as a backup to Larry Johnson, carrying the ball just 67 times for 357 yards as a rookie. His breakout came in 2009, his second year, when he rushed 190 times for 1,120 yards despite starting only 10 games after Johnson was suspended. Johnson was soon released, making Charles the starting halfback. Over the next several seasons, he earned four Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro honors, and led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2013. Injuries then limited him to just five games across 2015 and 2016, and the Chiefs eventually let him go.

He later played one season for the Denver Broncos and had a brief two-game stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. Among players with at least 1,000 career carries, Charles holds the all-time record for yards per carry at 5.4.

As a child, Charles was diagnosed with a learning disability and struggled with reading, facing teasing and mockery. In 2015, he shared that at age 10, he competed in the Special Olympics, where he discovered his speed and won a gold medal in track and field. He attended Memorial High School in Port Arthur, Texas. As a junior, he ran for 2,051 yards and 25 touchdowns, leading his team to the 5A Division II quarterfinals.

He was named first-team all-state by the Texas Sports Writers Association and second-team by the Associated Press. His senior year, he rushed for 2,056 yards and 25 touchdowns, earning first-team all-state from the Associated Press, the Houston Chronicle area offensive MVP, a spot on the Parade All-America Football Team, and District 22-5A Player of the Year. He also played in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Charles won the Willie Ray Smith Award twice, given to southeast Texas’s offensive MVP.

In track, he won bronze in the 400m hurdles at the 2003 World Youth Championships, and later claimed Texas 5A state titles in the 110m hurdles (13.69 seconds) and 300m hurdles (36.03 seconds) as a senior.

Charles attended the University of Texas from 2005 to 2008, playing both football and track. In football, he played under head coach Mack Brown. As a true freshman in 2005, he shared the backfield with dual-threat quarterback Vince Young. In his college debut against Louisiana-Lafayette, he ran 14 times for 135 yards and a touchdown in a 60–3 win, setting a school record for rushing yards by a freshman in a debut.

Against Ohio State, he caught six passes for 69 yards, the fourth-most receptions by a freshman in school history at the time. Two weeks later, against Rice, he had 16 carries for 189 yards and three touchdowns in a 51–10 victory. In the Red River Showdown against Oklahoma, he ran nine times for 116 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run, in a 45–12 win. Texas finished the regular season 11–0, then beat Colorado 70–3 in the Big 12 Championship Game, where Charles had seven carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns.

In the national championship game (the Rose Bowl), he had five carries for 34 yards in a 41–38 win over USC, securing a perfect season and national title. For the season, Charles rushed 119 times for 878 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. He finished second on the team in rushing attempts and yards, and third in touchdowns. He tied Cedric Benson for the school record for touchdowns by a freshman (11).

He and Henry Melton set the school record for combined touchdowns by a pair of freshman running backs (21). He was named second-team All-Big 12.

In 2006, Texas’s rushing offense dropped from 274.9 yards per game to 162.6 yards per game.