Age: 27
6th
season in pro football & with Browns/Ravens
College: Southern
Mississippi
Height: 6’4” Weight: 195
Prelude:
Jackson, a
college teammate of Brett Favre, was chosen by the Browns in the sixth round of
the 1991 NFL draft thanks to a recommendation from ex-Cleveland star TE Ozzie
Newsome. He started seven games as a rookie and caught 17 passes for 268 yards,
impressing with his height and speed but lacking in refinement. Jackson
improved to a team-leading 47 catches for 755 yards (16.1 avg.) and seven
touchdowns in ‘92 and followed up with 756 yards on 41 receptions for an
18.4-yard average and eight TDs in 1993. A hamstring injury limited him to nine
games in 1994, but he bounced back in ’95 with 44 catches for 714 yards (16.2
avg.) and nine touchdowns in an otherwise down season for the team. The
franchise moved to Baltimore and was re-named the Ravens for 1996 (with the
Cleveland Browns name and history staying behind).
1996 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 76
[17]
Most
receptions, game – 9 (for 150 yds.) vs. Jacksonville 11/24
Yards – 1201
[6]
Most yards,
game – 150 (on 9 catches) vs. Jacksonville 11/24
Average gain
– 15.8 [15]
TDs – 14 [1,
tied with Tony Martin]
100-yard
receiving games – 4
Scoring
TDs – 14 [5,
tied with Tony Martin]
2-point PATs – 2
[2, tied with Edgar Bennett, Mark Brunell & Keenan McCardell]
Points – 88
Ravens went 4-12
to finish fifth in the AFC Central although ranking second in the NFL in
passing yards (3978) and first in the conference in TD passes (34).
Aftermath:
Jackson
followed up on his outstanding 1996 season by catching 69 passes for 918 yards
(13.3 avg.) and four touchdowns in ’97, slowed by nagging injuries and affected
by the offense becoming more ground-oriented. Further injuries limited him to
38 receptions for 477 yards and no TDs in 13 games in 1998, in what was his
last season. After failing to catch on as a free agent with Seattle, he
retired. Overall, Jackson caught 353 passes for 5393 yards (15.3 avg.) and 46
TDs over the course of eight years with the Browns and Ravens.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC since
1970
