No. 26, 44, 22 | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Running back / Fullback | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Houston, Texas, U.S. | October 1, 1983||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 238 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Humble (TX) | ||||||||||||
College: | Houston (2002–2006) | ||||||||||||
Undrafted: | 2007 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Ewart Haron "Jackie" Battle III (born October 1, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and Tennessee Titans. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2007. He played college football at the University of Houston.
Battle was born in Humble, Texas and began his football career as a youth in the Humble Area Football League. He attended Humble High School, where he practiced football and track.
As a senior, he tallied 1,524 rushing yards, 182 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. He contributed to the team having a 10–3 record and reaching the third round of the UIL playoffs. He was a two-time first-team All-District selection and an all-state running back.
He was ranked by Rivals.com as the 38th best high school running back in America. [1]
Battle accepted a football scholarship from the University of Houston, while majoring in Sports administration. As a redshirt freshman, he appeared in 11 games (no starts); collecting 102 carries for 560 yards (second on the team), a 5.5-yard average and 9 rushing touchdowns (tied for the team lead). In the 2003 Hawaii Bowl he had 19 carries for 124 yards (6.5-yard avg.) and 3 touchdowns.
As a sophomore, he appeared in 5 games (one start). He missed the last 5 contests of the season after tearing a tendon in one of his fingers. He tallied 49 carries for 209 yards (third on the team) and 2 touchdowns.
As a junior, he appeared in 12 games (3 starts). He compiled 106 carries for 408 yards (second on the team) and 5 touchdowns.
As a senior, he formed a potent running back duo with Anthony Alridge. He appeared in 13 games (7 starts). He registered 184 carries for 943 yards (second on the team), 15 rushing touchdowns (school record) and 2 receptions for 13 yards. He had a career-high 3 rushing touchdowns against the University of Central Florida. He had a career-high 136 rushing yards against Southern Methodist University. He was selected to play fullback for the West in the 2007 East-West Shrine Game. [2]
Battle finished his collegiate career with 441 carries for 2,120 yards (4.8 avg.) and a school-record 31 rushing touchdowns. He also had six receptions for 45 yards. [3]
Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | 4.42 s | 1.52 s | 2.55 s | 4.11 s | 6.54 s | 41 in (1.04 m) | 10 ft 11 in (3.33 m) | 19 reps | |||
All values from Central Florida Pro Day. [4] |
Battle was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2007 NFL draft. He couldn't pass running backs Marion Barber III, Julius Jones and Tyson Thompson on the depth chart during training camp. He was waived injured with a sprained ankle on August 27. [5]
On November 21, 2007, He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs to their practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on December 12.
On December 23, Battle scored a touchdown in his first NFL carry in a 25–20 loss to the Detroit Lions. [6] A week later, on December 30, Battle set a career-high of 44 rushing yards on 13 carries in an OT loss to the New York Jets. [7] As a rookie, he finished with 47 yards on 14 carries. [8]
Battle was released by the Chiefs during the final roster cuts in 2008. Battle was then signed to the practice squad. Battle was made active again on November 1, 2008, to back up Kolby Smith, who was replacing the suspended Larry Johnson. He was cut and re-signed later that month. The only statistics he recorded in the season were two special teams tackles and a −2 yard reception on a screen pass against the Denver Broncos. [9]
In a game against the Dallas Cowboys during week 5 of the 2009 NFL season, Battle suffered a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder while trying to bust a wedge during kick coverage. He underwent surgery and was put on injured reserve, ending his season. Ironically, Larry Johnson, who was at the time the only back ahead of Battle on the depth chart, left the team a mere three weeks later. Battle was re-signed to a 1-year contract the following off-season.
In the 2010 season, Battle came in behind a lot of depth. Jamaal Charles had had a breakout performance to end the 2009 season, and the Chiefs had also recently signed veteran Thomas Jones from the New York Jets, drafted rookie Dexter McCluster from Ole Miss. Battle dominated in the preseason, leading the Chiefs in rushing yards with 180 yards on 35 carries. However, he saw little action to start the regular season. Battle saw his first carries late in the fourth quarter of a week 3 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Later, Battle scored his second career touchdown in the 4th quarter of a 42–20 week 7 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The next week vs. the Buffalo Bills, Battle converted a key 3rd down run during a 13–10 overtime win.
In game 2 of the 2011 season, starter Jamaal Charles went-down with an ACL injury for the year, giving Battle more carries. He got two carries and a critical first-down late in the Chiefs' Week 4 22–17 comeback win over the Minnesota Vikings, their first win of the season. He had a career day the next week, rushing for 119 yards on 19 carries, including a career-long 24-yard carry in a 28–24 comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts jumped to a 17–0 lead, but the Chiefs' renewed rushing attack controlled the ball for a full 20:15 in the 2nd half, preventing the Colts from scoring in the final 30:09. In week 16 of the 2011 NFL season, Battle injured his foot during the Chiefs/Raiders game, which eventually would lead to a Chiefs loss and end their playoff hopes. Battle was placed on injured reserve, but would be the Chiefs leading rusher by the end of the season. [10] Battle became a free agent after his contract expired.
Battle signed with the San Diego Chargers to a one-year contract on July 20, 2012. [11] He started in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He had 15 carries for 39 yards with a team-high four catches for 42 yards. [12]
On July 24, 2013, Battle signed with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year contract. [13] He was fined $21,000 for lowering the crown of his helmet while running a route against the Houston Texans on September 20, 2013. He was the first running back in the league to be fined under this newly implemented rule, however under further investigation, the fine was retracted. [14]
Battle re-signed with the Titans on a one-year deal on February 25, 2014. [15] It was announced that he would be learning the fullback position to provide competition to Collin Mooney. [16] He was not re-signed after the season.
Battle retired in 2015, finishing his career with 326 carries and zero fumbles, the fourth highest amount of carries without a fumble in NFL history. [17]
After retiring from football, Battle and his wife opened up a charity clothing store called Philanthropy in The Woodlands, Texas. [18]
Ronnie G. Brown Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadillac Williams shared carries at running back, while he had 1,008 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2002, 446 yards and five touchdowns in 2003, and 913 yards and eight touchdowns in 2004. Brown finished seventh in school history with 2,707 rushing yards and fifth with 28 rushing touchdowns. He twice earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2002 and 2004.
Darren Lee Sproles is an American football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning first-team All-American honors and becoming the school's all-time leading rusher. Sproles was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL draft. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and the Eagles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Lorenzo LaVonne Neal is an American former football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. Neal played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL draft. A four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro, he was also a member of the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tennessee Titans, the Cincinnati Bengals, the San Diego Chargers, the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders. Considered one of the best blocking fullbacks in NFL history, Neal blocked for a 1,000-plus-yard running back in eleven straight seasons from 1997 to 2007.
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, where he won the 2006 Rose Bowl, and was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft.
Leon Dewitt Washington Sr. is an American former professional football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a running back and return specialist and made 2 Pro Bowls and 2 All-Pro teams during his career. Washington holds many kick return records for both the Jets and Seattle Seahawks.
Kolby Kendrall Smith is a former American football running back and coach who is an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft after he played college football at Louisville. Smith was also a member of the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars. After his playing career he began coaching in the college ranks and as 2020 he returned to the NFL as a coach with the Dolphins.
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American former football running back. Born in Orlando, Florida, he emerged as a senior for East Carolina University, breaking out for 2,960 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns. Johnson was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft, after running a then-record breaking 4.24 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Shonn Greene is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Doak Walker Award and the Jim Brown Trophy in 2008. He was selected by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Jets, he then played two more seasons for the Tennessee Titans.
Dexter Marquise McCluster is an American former professional football running back and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. He was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He also played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Massachusetts Pirates of the National Arena League (NAL).
Tyreek Hill is an American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Hill was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. He played college football at Garden City, Oklahoma State, and West Alabama.
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Latavius Rashard Murray is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at UCF and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft, with whom he would earn Pro Bowl honors in 2015. He was also a member of the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills.
Melvin Gordon III is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Doak Walker Award as the top college running back in 2013. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft with the 15th overall pick.
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "King Henry", he is known for his imposing style of play and larger build than the average running back.
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Kareem AJ Hunt is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Toledo Rockets and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie after leading the NFL in rushing yards but was released during his second season after being recorded physically assaulting a woman, including shoving the woman to the ground and then kicking her. Hunt signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and played five seasons with them.
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Austin Ekeler is an American football running back for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Colorado Mountaineers, finishing as their all-time leader in rushing yards before signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. With the Chargers, Ekeler led the NFL in total touchdowns for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Joshua Jacobs is an American football running back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. Jacobs rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, while being named to NFL All-Rookie Team in 2019 and to his first Pro Bowl in 2020. In 2022, he led the league in rushing yards with 1,653 and became the first Raider since 1985 to surpass 2,000 scrimmage yards. After five years with the Raiders, Jacobs signed with the Packers in 2024.