![]() the Special Olympics gave me my first chance to discover a talent I did not know I had. I found out I had a learning disability,” he said. His Jamaal Charles Youth Matters Family Foundation promotes the development of healthy minds and bodies and reinforces the motto that, “Determination wins.” Jamaal inspired mil- lions at the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics in Los Angeles by sharing his story of struggle and triumph. Jamaal wants his legacy to extend beyond football fields. In fact, Jamaal owns a special NFL re- cord: More yards per carry (5.5) than any other running back with at least 1,000 career carries! But readers will see how hard Jamaal had to study to earn a high enough mark on a standardized test to qualify for a full athletic scholarship.ĭogged by doubts about his size, Jamaal is already the Chiefs’ all-time leading rusher, a four-time Pro Bowl selection and has more career rushing yards and total touchdowns than all but two of the eight running backs selected ahead of him in the 2008 NFL Draft. “If you give up, you will not ever know how far you would have gotten.”Ī state champion hurdler, Jamaal ran for 4,107 yards and 50 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Memorial High School in Port Arthur, Texas. “I just kept working, just kept fighting,” Jamaal says. The gold medals he won at the Special Olympics empowered him, and Jamaal displayed a rare work ethic and determination in everything he did on the field and in the classroom. Young readers will see how Jamaal deals with bullying and endures teasing because of a long undiagnosed learning disability that enabled him to participate in the Special Olympics as a 10-year-old. NFL running back and Special Olympics Global Ambassador Jamaal Charles got his start in sports through Special Olympics and for years was nervous to share. The Middle School Rules of Jamaal Charles features the stories and lessons of Jamaal’s childhood, defined by people overlooking him. Despite piling up the fourth-most rushing yards at the University of Texas in just three seasons, he waited for eight other running backs to get selected ahead of him. Could a healthy Jamaal Charles have ended as the best to ever do it? Even so, Charles may be the most dominantly skilled player the NFL has ever seen.Children's book by Port Arthur native and professional football player Jamaal Charles (2017).įive running backs were selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. While his career thrived for only a short amount of time, Jamaal Charles is arguably the greatest running back in Chiefs history.Ĭharles’ injuries combined with his talent, leads to one of the biggest what ifs in NFL history. Until then, the NFL world is stuck with shear predictions. Charles becomes eligible for the HOF in 2024. He is a world-renowned football player who played for the Kansas City Chiefs in the. There has been much speculation on this topic since his retirement. Jamaal Charles was born on December 27, 1986, in Port Arthur, Texas. ĭespite his short-lived run, Charles is still a possible NFL Hall of Fame candidate. While devastating, these injuries only make his impressive career stats even more astonishing. Declaring I still have more in my tank, Jamaal Charles, the Kansas City Chiefs all-time rushing leader, signed with the AFC West. His 1,980 scrimmage yards ranked second in the NFL. Charles recorded 1,980 yards from scrimmage (1,287 rushing, 693 receiving) on 329 total attempts (259 rushes, 70 receptions). These injuries led to him starting in just 69 of 119 possible games. Jamaal's proven how explosive he can be, especially in 2013, with 37 carries of 10 or more yards, which ranked first in the AFC and third in the NFL. In fact, he only started every game in 3 of his 11 seasons in the NFL. ![]() Unfortunately, despite being such a talented player, Charles’ career was flooded with injuries. ![]() Charles was named to the NFL Top 100 list 5 times throughout his career, being ranked as high as #8 overall in 2014. Through his 9 year hiatus, Charles was a 4x Pro Bowler and a 2x 1st All Pro. He ended his stint in Kansas City with 285 catches for 2456 yards and 20 touchdowns. Jamaal often also got involved in the pass game. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and was truly one of the most dominant players to touch a football field. Throughout his time with the franchise, Charles racked up 7260 yards (Franchise record) and 43 touchdowns on 1332 carries. He instantly sparked, finishing the year with 190 carries for 1120 yards and 7 touchdowns. ![]() He then went on to spend 9 of his 11 years in the NFL with the Chiefs franchise.Īfter sitting his rookie year behind star running back Larry Johnson, Charles finally got his chance in his second season. ![]()
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