RENTON — Leave it to Richard Sherman to get to the crux of a situation.
Monday was Fred Jackson’s first day as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, as the former Buffalo Bills running back was officially signed by Seattle on Monday morning. And it was Sherman, Seattle’s All-Pro cornerback and resident trash talker, who noted Jackson’s lack of playoff experience.
“Richard Sherman joked with me, he was like, ‘You haven’t played in the playoffs?’” Jackson said Monday following practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, as he addressed the local media for the first time. “I was like, ‘We haven’t all been that fortunate.’”
Changing that playoff bagel is the primary reason why Jackson is in Seattle.
Jackson, an eight-year veteran, spent all eight of those seasons in Buffalo. Not once in those eight campaigns did the Bills advance to the playoffs, and rarely were they even close. Buffalo’s record in those eight seasons was 51-77, and the Bills finished in the basement of the AFC East in six of those.
When Jackson was unexpectedly released by Buffalo last Monday, his first choice was to seek out the team that appeared in each of the past two Super Bowls.
“It was the No. 1 (motivating factor for signing with Seattle),” said Jackson, who will serve as the Seahawks’ No. 2 running back behind Marshawn Lynch. “You want to go somewhere where they know how to win and have had some success. That’s the No. 1 reason I’m here in Seattle. They know how to do it. They’ve been to two straight Super Bowls and it’s something I want to be a part of.”
Jackson, 34, was a fan favorite in Buffalo, where he embodied the Little Engine That Could. The 6-foot-1, 215 pounder played collegiately at tiny NCAA Division III Coe College, then spent three years kicking around the arena leagues and Europe. He received a tryout from the Bills in 2006 because then-Buffalo general manager Marv Levy was a fellow Coe graduate. Jackson caught on with the Bills and from 2007-14 he amassed 5,646 yards on 1,279 carries, adding 322 receptions for 2,640 yards.
When Jackson was unexpectedly cut by the Bills last Monday in a salary-cap move — Jackson was due to make $2.35 million — the Seahawks pounced. Seattle flew Jackson in the next day for a visit and a physical, then waited until after the final preseason game before signing him. The Seahawks even cleared out two other running backs, placing Robert Turbin on injured reserve and shipping Christine Michael to Dallas, in order to make room for Jackson.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said that although Jackson’s first practice with the team was Monday, he will get ample playing time in Sunday’s season opener at St. Louis.
“He’ll play a lot,” Carroll said. “He ran the whole offense today. I don’t know how he got it all done, but he got it down today. I would think he’ll be ready to go.
“This team is made up of a bunch of guys who came to prove something,” Carroll added. “He comes from Coe College, he’s been battling his whole life to prove it. I think he’s a guy who really fits in with the makeup of this team.”
During his years with the Bills Jackson became close friends with Lynch, as the two were teammates from 2007-10. Jackson’s relationship with Lynch played a big part in facilitating Jackson’s signing with Seattle.
“As soon as I got released I got on the phone with (Lynch),” Jackson said. “I said, ‘I just got released, I wouldn’t mind if you put a bug in the coaches or GM’s ear and let them know I’d like to come out there and play. He did that for me, and as soon as I hit the waiver wire I got that phone call (from the Seahawks). I think he has a lot to do with me being here.”
Carroll was coy about how Jackson would be used in the offense, but Jackson’s profile suggests he’s a perfect fit as a third-down back. Last season he caught 66 passes for 501 yards — the 66 receptions would have tied Doug Baldwin for Seattle’s team lead last season — and has the reputation as one of the best pass-blocking running backs in the NFL.
“I’ve always prided myself on being one of the better pass-protecting backs in the league,” Jackson said. “I think you have to be able to do that and it’s something I take pride in. Catching passes out of the backfield is also something I take pride in. I think that’s something I can definitely bring to the table.”
That willingness to do the little things is one of the reasons why Jackson thinks he’s still contributing, despite being the oldest running back in the league and being of an age when most running backs are washed up.
“There are a lot of running backs in the league who are gifted runners,” Jackson said. “Not all of them want to pass protect or run routes out of the backfield. That’s something I took to heart and wanted to get done, and it’s allowed me to have a long career now.”
A career that’s now moved to Seattle, where he hopes he’ll finally discover what the playoffs are all about.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/seattlesidelines, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
