Jamaal Charles life and biography

Jamaal RaShaad Charles (born December 27, 1986 in 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.

Charles' first year as a Chief was hardly in the spotlight; as a backup to halfback Larry Johnson, Charles rushed only 67 times for 357 yards. His breakout season came the following year. In his sophomore year, Charles rushed 190 times for 1,120 yards, despite only starting 10 games after running back Larry Johnson was suspended. Shortly thereafter, Johnson was released, leaving Charles as Kansas City's starting halfback.

Charles' Career

Pro Career: Exciting runner with blazing speed enters his third season in Kansas City ... Is a threat to break a big play every time he touches the ball, whether as a runner, a receiver or a return man ... Had a breakout season in 2009 leading the Chiefs in rushing yards (1,120), yards from scrimmage (1,417), combined net yards (2,342) and total TDs (nine) ... Registered five 100-yard rushing games ... Over the season’s final eight games, his 968 rushing yards ranked second in the league behind only Tennessee RB Chris Johnson (1,047), while his 1,126 yards from scrimmage over that span were topped only by Johnson (1,388) ... Charles became the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,100 yards on fewer than 200 rushing attempts, needing just 190 carries to become the ninth player in Chiefs history to record a 1,000-yard campaign ... Produced four consecutive 100-yard rushing games to conclude the 2009 season, including a single-game franchise record 259 rushing yards at Denver (1/3/10) ... Compiled 361 rushing yards his final two games, the most rushing yards in consecutive games in Chiefs history ... Became the first player in franchise history to register four TD runs of 40+ yards in a season ... Finished the 2009 campaign with a 5.89 yards-per-carry average, the second-highest single-season mark in team annals (min. 100 atts.) ... A true multi-purpose threat, returned the opening kickoff for a 97-yard TD in a 27-24 OT win vs. Pittsburgh (11/22), earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. ... An excellent blocker who isn’t afraid to get physical with larger defenders ... Has seen duty in 31 games (12 starts) ... Has rushed 257 times for 1,477 yards (5.7 avg.) with seven TDs and caught 67 passes for 569 yards (8.5 avg.) with two TDs ... Also caught a two-point conversion pass ... Has posted 51 kickoff returns for 1,246 yards (24.4 avg.) with a TD to go with eight special teams tackles.

Transactions: Signed with Kansas City (7/21/08) ... Originally entered the NFL as the first of three Chiefs third-round picks (73rd overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft.

2009: Saw action in 15 games (10 starts) on offense and special teams ... Was inactive for one contest ... Had 190 carries for a team-high 1,120 yards (5.9 avg.) with seven TDs and 40 catches for 297 yards (7.4 avg.) with a TD ... Added a two-point conversion reception ... Also had 36 kickoff returns for 925 yards (25.7 avg.) with a 97-yard TD and four special teams tackles ... Received the Derrick Thomas Award as the Chiefs MVP, becoming the youngest player to win the honor in team history ... Had 190 carries on the season, the fewest by any player in NFL history to record an 1,100-yard season ... His 5.89 yards-per-carry average led the NFL (min. 150 atts.) and ranked as the second-highest single-season mark in team annals (min. 100 atts.) ... Ranked fourth in the NFL with 2,342 combined net yards, the second-highest seasonal total in franchise history ... Compiled 968 rushing yards since November 15th, the second-highest total in the NFL over that period behind only Tennessee RB Chris Johnson (1,047) ... Collected 1,126 yards from scrimmage since November 15th, the second-highest total in the NFL over that timeframe behind Johnson (1,388) ... His five 100-yard rushing games ranked fifth in the NFL ... His four straight 100-yard games to end the season tied as third-longest streak in team history ... Registered a TD in six consecutive games, tying for the eighth-longest streak in team annals ... Stood seventh in the AFC and led the AFC West with 1,120 rushing yards ... Had five 100-yard rushing games, tying for fourth in the AFC and tying for fifth in the NFL ... Finished ninth in the NFL with 25 carries of 10+ yards ... Tied for second in the NFL with three carries of 50+ yards ... His 297 receiving yards were ninth among RBs in the AFC ... Was eighth in the AFC among RBs with 40 receptions ... Finished sixth in the AFC with 925 kickoff return yards ... Was seventh in the AFC with 36 kickoff returns ... Had 26 kickoff returns of 20+ yards, ranking fifth in the AFC ... Ranked fifth in the AFC with a 25.7-yard kickoff return average ... Carried the ball four times for eight yards and caught four passes for 29 yards to go with four kickoff returns for 93 yards at Baltimore (9/13) ... Was inactive vs. Oakland (9/20) ... Rushed six times for 36 yards and caught three passes for 34 yards at Philadelphia (9/27) ... Produced five kickoff returns for 138 yards vs. the N.Y. Giants (10/4) ... Caught five passes for 54 yards and five kickoff returns for 100 yards vs. Dallas (10/11) ... Carried the ball four times for 33 yards and took back a career-high six kickoffs for 147 yards vs. San Diego (10/25) ... Rushed six times for 36 yards and caught three passes for 19 yards at Jacksonville (11/8). Scored on a two-point conversion pass from QB Matt Cassel in the fourth quarter ... Had 18 carries for 103 yards, his second career 100-yard game at Oakland (11/15). Had a 44-yard TD and recorded four receptions for 14 yards. Also had three kickoff returns for 78 yards ... Returned four kickoffs for a career-high 158 yards (39.5 avg.), including a 97-yard TD, tying for the fifth longest in Chiefs history vs. Pittsburgh (11/22) to win AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Carried the ball 17 times for 58 yards. It was the first kickoff return for a TD by the Chiefs since WR Dante Hall had a 96-yard TD vs. Philadelphia (10/2/05). His return marked the first time that Kansas City had returned the opening kickoff of a game for a touchdown since Hall had a 97-yard TD kickoff return vs. Denver (12/19/04). His 97-yard kickoff return was the sixth-longest in the AFC and tied for the ninth-longest in the NFL in 2009 ... Recorded 14 carries for 93 yards with a four-yard TD and three catches for 54 yards at San Diego (11/29) ... Posted 18 rushes for 56 yards with one TD vs. Denver (12/6) ... Rushed 20 times for 143 yards with a career-long 76-yard TD and caught a personal-high seven passes for 38 yards vs. Buffalo (12/13). Established a career high with 27 attempts from scrimmage. His 76-yard run tied as the seventh-longest run in Chiefs history ... Recorded a career-high 25 carries for 154 yards with a 47-yard TD vs. Cleveland (12/20). Tied a career high with 27 attempts from scrimmage ... Produced 24 carries for 102 yards and three receptions for 22 yards at Cincinnati (12/27). Tied a career-high with 27 attempts from scrimmage ... Rushed 25 times for a Chiefs single-game record 259 yards with a career-high two TDs and caught one pass for three yards at Denver (1/3/10), becoming the third player in team history with 200 or more yards in a game. It was the eighth-highest single-game total in NFL history. His 259 yards were the second-highest total ever recorded by an individual against Denver, trailing a 278-yard performance by Bengals RB Corey Dillon at Cincinnati (10/22/00). Posted his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, tying as the third-longest streak in team history. Recorded 361 rushing yards in consecutive games, breaking the previous mark of 343 set by RB Larry Johnson in 2005. Finished the first half with 113 yards, becoming the first Chiefs player to have 100 rushing yards in a single half since Johnson had 105 yards in the second half vs. Denver (9/28/08). Registered a 56-yard TD, giving him a team-record four TD runs of 40+ yards on the season. Compiled 315 rushing yards vs. Denver in 2009, the highest total against an opponent in a single season in Chiefs history.

2008: Played in 16 games (two starts) ... Had 67 carries for 357 yards (5.3 avg.) and 27 catches for 272 yards (10.1 avg.) with a TD ... Also had 15 kickoff returns for 321 yards (21.4 avg.) and four special teams tackles ... Ranked fifth among AFC rookies with 357 rushing yards ... Started at RB at New England (9/7) when the team opened with three RBs ... Had a career-high two special teams tackles vs. Denver (9/28) ... Left the game in the second quarter with an ankle sprain at the N.Y. Jets (10/26) ... Toted the ball 18 times for 106 yards vs. Tampa Bay (11/2), his first career 100-yard game ... Started at San Diego (11/9) before re-aggrevating his ankle injury ... Caught three passes for 45 yards with a 36-yard TD vs. Buffalo (11/23) ... Had three catches for a career-high 102 yards vs. Miami (12/21), including a career-long 75-yard catch. Became the first Chiefs rookie running back to post a 100-yard receiving game since RB Joe Delaney accomplished the feat vs. Oakland (10/11/81).

College: Played in 38 games (17 starts) at the University of Texas ... Concluded his Longhorn career with 533 carries for 3,328 yards (6.2 avg.) and 36 TDs ... Caught 49 passes for 539 yards (11.0 avg.) and three scores ... Ranked fourth in Texas history with 3,328 career rushing yards ... Started all 13 games as a junior in 2007, rushing 258 times for a career-high 1,619 yards and 18 TDs, the fifth-highest single-season rushing total in Texas history ... Also caught 17 passes for 199 yards ... Named first-team All-Big 12 ... Saw action in 12 games (one start) as a sophomore in 2006, carrying the ball 156 times for 831 yards with seven TDs and adding 18 receptions for 183 yards with a score ... Played in 13 games (three starts) as a true freshman in 2005, rushing 119 times for 878 yards with 11 TDs, while catching 14 passes for 157 yards with two scores ... Named freshman All-America and Freshman All-Big 12 by The Sporting News ... Also competed in track for the Longhorns ... Placed fourth in the 60-meter dash (6.75) at the Big 12 Indoor Championships ... Posted a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60-meter dash (6.65) ... Won the 100-meter dash (10.23) at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships ... Finished fifth in the 100-meter dash (10.27) and seventh in the 200-meter dash (21.02) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships ... Majored in Youth Education at Texas.

Personal

• A two-time first-team Class 5A All-State selection at Memorial High School in Port Arthur, Texas.
• Rushed for 4,107 yards and 50 TDs his final two seasons.
• Broke the Port Arthur City career rushing record held by Joe Washington.
• Recorded 49 carries for 371 yards vs. Midland as a senior.
• Added 400 yards on 31 carries and six TDs vs. Spring Westfield.
• Lettered in track, winning state titles in the 100 & 300-meter hurdles as a senior.
• Received a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2003 World Youth Championships.
• Brother, Shanderric Charles, played running back at SMU (2001-02).

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