Fred Jackson cherishes chance to retire with Bills
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. » Fred Jackson was so strapped for cash while playing professional football in Germany, he and his wife had to rely on their poker winnings to afford going out for fancy dinners.
“I was broke,” the former Buffalo Bills running back said, laughing while reflecting back to his 2006 season with the nowdefunct NFL Europa Rhein Fire.
“We played poker so we could go out to eat and go see some of the sights and stuff like that courtesy of my teammates,” he added, noting his wife, Danielle, was better than him at cards.
“It was one of those things that made me appreciate everything about this, from those humble beginnings.”
Jackson had time to reminisce Wednesday upon returning to Buffalo to sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Bills. The formality brought closure to a nineseason NFL playing career Jackson built on both a powerful running style and sheer perseverance.
That combination led the undrafted Division III Coe College product to make the jump from playing in the U.S. Indoor Football League to Europe and then Buffalo’s practice squad before finally entrenching himself as a Bills’ fan favorite.
“It’s a story that’s like nobody coming else’s, and that’s something to be proud of,” said Jackson, who made his NFL debut with Buffalo as a 26-year-old rookie in 2007.
Jackson led the Bills in yards rushing during four of his eight seasons in Buffalo despite sharing a backfield first with Marshawn Lynch and then C.J. Spiller. He still ranks third on the team list with 5,646 yards rushing and 15 100-yard games, and fourth with 30 touchdowns rushing.
As for popularity, Jackson became one of the faces of the franchise for his leadership and lunch-bucket approach. He was so respected by his teammates , many began honoring Jackson by wearing a T-shirt that featured the phrase: “FredEx Delivers.”
Titans to exercise option on Mariota
NASHVILLE, TENN. » The Tennessee Titans have announced they will exercise their fifthyear option on quarterback Marcus Mariota.
The move keeps Mariota under contract through the 2019 season. Titans general manager Jon Robinson made the announcement ahead of the May 3 deadline to declare a fifth-year option for players drafted in 2015.
The Titans selected the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner from Oregon with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft. Mariota has made 42 regular-season starts over the last three years and has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 9,476 yards with 58 touchdowns and 34 interceptions.