Kareem Jackson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Jackson attended Westside High School in Macon, Georgia. As a senior, he mainly played running back and compiled 1,436 rushing yards with 20 rushing touchdowns, and nine receptions for 256 yards with two receiving touchdowns. Following high school, Jackson attended Fork Union Military Academy, where he converted from running back to cornerback. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Jackson was listed as the No. 17 prep school prospect in 2007. As a true freshman at Alabama, he played in 13 games with 12 starts, ranking second on the team with three interceptions and fourth for pass breakups with four, recording 66 tackles. He received Freshman All-American honors. As a sophomore in 2008, he was eighth on the team in tackles with 44 (including 28 solo), registered ten pass breakups, and had one interception. As a junior in 2009, he started all 14 games, had the fifth-most tackles on the team (49), made one interception, and broke up 13 passes. On January 15, 2010, Jackson declared he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. Coming out of Alabama, he was invited to the NFL Combine and completed the entire workout and all required drills. He was projected by the majority of analysts and scouts to be drafted in the first or second round. The Houston Texans selected Jackson in the first round (20th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft. He was only the second cornerback taken in 2010, behind Florida's Joe Haden (seventh overall). On July 30, 2010, the Texans signed him to a five-year, $13.52 million contract that includes $7.36 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $875,500. Jackson entered his rookie training camp as the starting right cornerback opposite veteran Glover Quin. He made his professional regular season debut in Houston's season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts, recording four solo tackles and a pass deflection in the 34–24 victory. On October 10, he recorded five solo tackles and his first career interception off quarterback Eli Manning, returning it for 23 yards in the 34–10 loss to the New York Giants. The following week, Jackson racked up a season-high seven combined tackles in a 35–32 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 9 against the San Diego Chargers, he made six combined tackles and intercepted quarterback Philip Rivers in a 29–23 loss. On December 13, he had a season-high six solo tackles in a 34–28 loss to the B

In Their Own Story

Selected 20th overall by the Houston Texans, Jackson signed a five-year, $13.52 million contract with $7.36 million guaranteed. He started all 16 games in his rookie season, finishing with 71 combined tackles, two interceptions, and 10 pass deflections despite the team ranking last in passing defense. By 2012, Jackson reached his statistical peak, recording a career-high four interceptions, 16 pass deflections, and a touchdown on a 63-yard return against the Tennessee Titans. That season, he allowed an opposing quarterback rating of just 69.6 and was ranked twelfth in success rate by Football Outsiders. However, his time with Houston ended after a difficult 2015 campaign where he played 13 games before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Reader's Guide

Kareem Jackson is a former NFL defensive back who played 15 seasons and now serves as an area scout for the Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft and also played for the Broncos and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Alabama.

Did You Know?

• Jackson was only the second cornerback taken in the 2010 NFL draft, behind Florida's Joe Haden.
• He recorded his first career touchdown on a 63-yard interception return against the Tennessee Titans in 2012.
• Jackson was fined $42,000 in 2013 for a hit on Titans receiver Kendall Wright that was deemed 'dirty'.