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'''Tarvaris Fox Jackson''' (born [[April 21]], [[1983]] in Montgomery) is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He was drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the [[2006]] NFL Draft. He played college football at [[Alabama State]].
[[Image:Tarvaris Jackson.jpg|right|thumb|303px|Tarvaris Jackson]]
'''Tarvaris Fox Jackson''' (born [[April 21]], [[1983]] in [[Montgomery]]; died [[April 12]], [[2020]] in Montgomery) was an NFL quarterback. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and [[Alabama State University|Alabama State Bulldogs]] and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the [[2006]] NFL Draft and later traded to the Seattle Seahawks.


==Professional career==
Jackson was born and raised in Montgomery and graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in [[2001]]. He then enrolled at the University of Arkansas and played three games for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team as a freshman but suffered a season-ending injury. Consequently, Jackson received a medical redshirt for the season. In [[2002]], Jackson played 8 games. He completed 14 of 39 passes for 143 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions.
===2006 NFL Draft===
The Vikings scouting and personnel had reportedly been watching him closely in secret over his senior season, particularly liking his performance in the East-West Shrine Game. They were also impressed by his workout at the scouting combine (among the top-5 quarterbacks in ball speed and 40 yard dash). Several NFL teams including the Vikings had arranged secret workouts with him too. Jackson was selected with the last pick in the 2nd round (64th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, while he was projected to go much later in the 4th-7th rounds. The Vikings traded two 3rd round picks to get the 2nd round pick with which they drafted Jackson, fearing he may get picked sooner than anticipated. Jackson's early selection caused some surprise as he was the 5th quarterback taken and the 1st Division I-AA player selected (the last I-AA quarterback drafted was Spergon Wynn in 2000). He was also the first quarterback from Alabama State to be drafted into the NFL since [[Ricky Jones]] in 1992. Even Jackson was surprised by the pick saying, "I was more focused on [getting drafted in] the third round and even that was stretching it". Most pre-draft publications didn't even have him listed as one of the top 10 eligible quarterbacks, while he was the 5th selected. On [[July 26]], 2006, Jackson signed a four year deal with Minnesota, including a $1 million signing bonus.  


Vikings coach Brad Childress was quoted days before the draft as saying he was interested in finding a "developmental guy", a "diamond in the rough" quarterback of the future, raw talent he could teach a system.  Both new coach Childress and Vikings former quarterback Brad Johnson have had a lot of success developing quarterbacks in the past - A.J. Feeley and Donovan McNabb owe a lot of their success to Childress, and Chris Simms says Brad Johnson was the best tutor he's ever had. Jackson's quarterback coach at Alabama State, [[Reggie Barlow]], played wide receiver with Brad Johnson at Tampa Bay so Tarvaris had been looking forward to learning from him. Other Vikings coaches have experience developing quarterbacks too. Vikings Quarterbacks Coach Kevin Rogers had developed Donovan McNabb in college. And Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell had spent time as Quarterbacks Coach to Brett Favre as well. The use of two 3rd round picks showed how much they felt Tarvaris was the guy they wanted to use their skills to develop.
In [[2003]], Jackson transferred to Alabama State University and led the Hornets to an 8-5 record, , a [[Southwestern Athletic Conference]] Eastern Division title, and a berth in the [[SWAC Championship Game]] at [[Legion Field]]. He completed 160 of 316 passes for 2,342 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions and rushed 444 yards on 91 carries including 5 touchdowns. As a junior in [[2004]], Jackson won SWAC Championship MVP in Alabama State's second 10-win season in school history. With 11 starts in 12 games, Jackson completed 182 of 349 passes for 2,556 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, rushed in 65 carries for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns, and was sacked 10 times for 97 yards lost.


The day after the draft Vikings coach Childress was quoted by the St. Paul Pioneer Press as saying: "I think you judge quarterbacks a little bit differently... When you see what you want at the quarterback position, you need to go get it. And that's exactly what I see with Tarvaris Jackson is a guy that's a piece of clay, that has all the skills in terms of, No. 1, what's he look like throwing the football?...He's got a great throwing motion; he's athletic. He has all those things that we're looking for, and he's wired right. That's important for a quarterback. I think he's a flatline guy. I think he's a sponge. You're talking about a guy that never had a coach there as a quarterback coach. So what can he do with coaching?"  Jackson's agent, Joel Segal, said: "After the draft, there were two clubs that expressed disappointment and were mad they didn't get him. They were planning to take (Jackson) very high in the third round, and were lamenting the fact that the Vikings beat them".
By his senior season in [[2005]], Jackson became the Bulldogs' team captain and was a second-team All-SWAC selection. He completed 195 of 320 passes for 2,941 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, rushed 103 times for 285 yards and 3 touchdowns, and was sacked 24 times for 151 lost yards. Jackson also lost 2 of 5 fumbles.


===Minnesota Vikings===
Jackson was selected with the last pick in the 2nd round (64th overall) of the [[2006]] NFL Draft, though he had been projected for a 4th-7th round pick. He was the 5th quarterback taken and the 1st Division I-AA player selected. He was the first quarterback from Alabama State to be drafted into the NFL since [[Ricky Jones]] in [[1992]]. On [[July 26]], 2006, Jackson signed a four year deal with Minnesota, including a $1 million signing bonus.  
====2006====
Jackson's 2006 pre-season passer rating was 106.1, 15th in the league out of 110 quarterbacks who performed. Only one quarterback from his draft class (Jay Cutler) did better. He also showed great scrambling skills averaging 11.3 yards in rushing (the only Viking other than Brad Johnson to average more than 3.3 yards in rushing). ESPN analyst Mike Tirico referred to Jackson as a right-handed Michael Vick. His pre-season performance was enough to surpass 2nd and 3rd string QBs Mike McMahon and J.T. O'Sullivan on the depth chart. After the pre-season, McMahon and O'Sullivan were cut from the team and Brooks Bollinger was brought in, whom Jackson then competed against for the number two spot.


On September 25, 2006, Tarvaris Jackson had minor knee surgery to repair the meniscus in his knee. He returned to limited practice after two weeks, and then came back to play his first NFL game with the Vikings in week 13 against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter after Johnson was benched for throwing four interceptions and backup QB Brooks Bollinger was injured. Jackson completed three of his four passes before fumbling the ball to Chicago and the Bears then ran the clock out. Following this game when Jackson was asked if he was ready to take over as starter he said "Not really." and "We still have a chance to make the playoffs, so we're still trying to do that. So it's obvious that Brad is still our quarterback so we can stay on that."
Vikings coach Brad Childress had been interested in finding a "diamond in the rough" quarterback of the future, a raw talent to whom he and starter Brad Johnson could teach his offensive system. Childress praised Jackson's throwing motion and athleticism. His preseason work placed him at number two on the Vikings' depth chart, alongside newly-signed backup Brooks Bollinger. Mike McMahon and J. T. O'Sullivan were cut from the roster.


Two weeks later in week 15 Johnson started the game but was benched in the fourth quarter when the Vikings had been underperforming the entire game losing by a score of 26-7 at the time Jackson went in late in the third quarter against the New York Jets. Although Johnson hadn't thrown an interception that game and had a respectable passer rating of 94.2 in the game, the Minnesota fans jeered Johnson throughout the game and chanted "We want Jackson!" at numerous points because Johnson had only thrown 9 touchdowns all season (in 14 games) and had a career worst 71.9 passer rating throughout the season. Jackson received a standing ovation as he trotted out onto the field. A landmark in Jackson's career happened that game when Jackson completed his first touchdown pass to Mewelde Moore. Jackson threw 177 yards, a TD, and ran three times for 20 yards while the Jets protected their large lead. He also threw an interception in the red zone.
Jackson, who had undergone minor knee surgery to repair his meniscus during the preseason, debuted for the Vikings in the 4th quarter of a week 13 match-up against the Chicago Bears. He returned two weeks later against the New York Jets and scored his first touchdown with a pass to running back Mewelde Moore. He finished the game with 177 yards passing, 20 yards rushing, one touchdown and one interception. He was named the starter for the following game at Green Bay, but his offense amassed only 27 yards passing, converted only three first downs, never reached the red zone, and failed to score in a 9-7 defeat in the cold rain. Nevertheless, Jackson kept the starting job for the rest of the season.


Jackson was named the starting quarterback for Minnesota mid-way through his rookie season. Jackson's first game was a week 16 night game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Game conditions were very poor. A steady rain fell throughout the evening and the kickoff temperature was only 36-degrees Fahrenheit. The Vikings lost by a score of 9-7 with the only Vikings score coming from an interception for a touchdown by defensive back Fred Smoot. The offense set a franchise low record of only three first downs the whole game, didn't get close enough to the end zone to even attempt a field goal, and only had 27 passing yards gained against the NFL's 19th ranked defense (ranked 26th against the pass). Jackson had a passer rating of 36.5, had a 50% completion rate (10-20 for 50 yards), 1 interception, and a fumble. Packers quarterback Brett Favre only managed a slightly better 52% completion rate (26-50) and threw 2 interceptions. He did throw for 285 yards, though, but couldn't find the end zone either. Despite the performances lack of "merit" (according to Childress), number 7 out of Alabama State remained the starter for the rest of the regular season.
In [[2007]] Jackson went 8-4 as a starter, averaging 159 yards per game with 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for an offense paced by star running back Adrian Peterson. Opposing defenses stacked the line against the run, sometimes dropping only two or three defenders into coverage. In the final regular season game against the Denver Broncos, Jackson did lead to fourth-quarter scoring drives to get to overtime, but fumbled on the second play to give Denver the win.


====2007====
In [[2008]] the Vikings improved their overall roster, trading for Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen and adding free agents Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams to a line-up with seven Pro Bowl players. Childress was counting on Jackson's improvement as a passer, and signed Gus Frerotte as his backup. Jackson injured his knee in the preseason, but was on the field for the first game, which closed with a interception. After another loss to Indianapolis in week 2, Childress benched Jackson.
Jackson did not live up to the Vikings' expectations in 2007 despite finishing 8-4 as a starter. Jackson had 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, along with a 159 yards per game, causing the Vikings to have the second-worst passing offense in the NFL. His 70.8 passer rating was 28th among NFL quarterbacks. Jackson missed three games because of injuries, which included a strained groin, a concussion and a fractured index finger. The Vikings failed to make the playoffs. Analysts put the Vikings' 8-8 record on the successful running of Chester Taylor and rookie Adrian Peterson, which has proven to take the pressure off of Jackson and the defense.


Later in the season, opponents decided to focus all their defensive efforts on stopping Peterson and the Vikings running game while daring Jackson to beat them in the passing game. The Washington Redskins successfully utilized five defensive lineman or four linebackers against the Vikings, leaving only two or three defensive backs in pass coverage.  And the 49ers blitzed their cornerbacks 20 percent of the time instead of covering receivers with them. On the season's last game against the Broncos Jackson led the Vikings to two fourth quarter drives to tie the game and send it into overtime. In overtime Jackson fumbled on the second play of overtime and the Vikings lost the game. Jackson showed slow improvement over the season: he played a large role when the Vikings went on a five-game winning streak in November, but also showed his inexperience in several ill-judged interception plays, jump passes, and turnovers. After the season, Childress would not say if Tarvaris Jackson would be the starter in 2008, explaining that he wanted to "evaluate the total body of work" first.
Jackson returned in week 14 when Frerotte was injured. Starting the second half, he completed 8 of 10 passes for 105 yards and a game-winning touchdown against the Detroit Lions. He started against the Arizona Cardinals a week later and went 11-17 for 163 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week and FedEx Air Player of the Week honors. In week 16, Jackson went 22-36 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for another 76 yards in a 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings won the NFC North division with a comeback victory over the New York Giants in week 17. Their season ended, however, with a loss to Philadelphia in the first round.


====2008====
The Vikings quarterback situation got more complicated leading up to the start of the [[2009]] season with the signing of Sage Rosenfels and on-again off-again negotiations with retired Packers star Brett Favre. Jackson and Rosenfels were in competition for the starting job when Favre officially signed on August 19. Backing up Favre in the next game, Jackson threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns and was kept on the roster.
There was a lot of media coverage on Jackson the summer of 2008. The Vikings returned seven players that were in the 2008 Pro Bowl (only three teams had more), and spent $60 million in guaranteed contract money upgrading their team with Jared Allen, traded from the Chiefs, and free agents Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams. Several analysts believed better quarterback play was all that was needed to make the Vikings one of the top contending teams in the NFL, and with the Packers losing Brett Favre the NFC North Division was up for grabs. Sport's Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman predicted the Vikings would win the Super Bowl.


Coach Childress decided to stay with Jackson as the starting QB and brought in Gus Frerotte to be his backup. It was widely reported in the off-season that Jackson had a new swagger, handled situations in practice well where he looked lost in the previous years, and had an improved grasp of the Vikings offensive system. Childress threw a "Coaching 101" clinic for media reporters in which he played a tape of Jackson showing the progress he made in 2007 through a series of missed passes or poor decisions that he made in early games but executed properly in later contests and concluded with some tape of him hitting a target net with every 15-yard pass he threw during an offseason drill. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell repeatedly told the press that although it was Jackson's third year with the Vikings it was really his second year playing, and NFL quarterbacks improve the most between their first and second years. Jackson had another good preseason, until he injured his knee again in the second preseason game which kept him from playing the last two preseason games.
Favre and Jackson both returned on one-year contracts in [[2010]]. Jackson got the start on December 12, breaking Favre's 297-game streak of not missing a start. Jackson injured his toe during the game, and was replaced by former [[UAB Blazers football team|UAB Blazers]] quarterback [[Joe Webb]]. Jackson was not offered a contract in [[2011]] and became an unrestricted free agent.


In the first game of the regular season Jackson threw a game-ending interception and in the second game the Vikings made six field goal attempts and no touchdowns. The Vikings lost both games by close margins, Jackson's 64.8 passer rating ranked him 26th in the NFL, and the fans booed him loudly throughout the second game. Childress said in the second post-game press conference that Jackson would still definitely be the starter next week, but on Monday after a coaches' meeting he changed his mind and benched Jackson for the remainder of the year.
On [[July 11]], [[2011]] Jackson signed with the Seattle Seahawks and was reunited with former Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. He enjoyed a career year, finishing with 3,091 yards passing, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, but the Seahawks missed the playoffs. During the off-season the team acquired former Green Bay Packer Matt Flynn and drafted Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson. They traded Jackson to the Buffalo Bills for a seventh-round pick. Jackson did not see any game action as a third-stringer in Buffalo. The Bills released him in June [[2013]] after re-signing him to a two-year contract.


After being relegated to backup after an 18-15 defeat to Indianapolis in Week 2, Jackson saw his next significant action in Week 14 against Detroit, where he played the entire second half in place of an injured Gus Frerotte. With the Vikings trailing 6-3 at halftime to the winless Lions, Jackson completed eight of ten passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, an 11-yard strike to TE Visanthe Shiancoe that would be the game-winning score for the Vikings. The following week, with Frerotte still injured, Jackson was the starting quarterback against the Arizona Cardinals and he played arguably the best game of his career. Jackson completed 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards and, most impressively, threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Jackson earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance as well as the FedEx Air Player of the Week award.
Seattle signed Jackson to a one-year contract for the 2013 season and he beat out Brady Quinn for the opportunity to back up Russell Wilson. The Seahawks went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Jackson took the field late in the blow-out victory over the Denver Broncos. He was released as a free agent after the [[2015]] season. In June [[2016]] he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly threatening his wife with a gun during an argument. He denied the allegation and the charges were later dropped. He returned to Sidney Lanier High School, and later to Alabama State, as an assistant coach. In [[2019]] he took a job as quarterbacks coach for the Tennessee State Tigers.


The Vikings lost 24-17 to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 despite Jackson's performance. He completed 22 of 36 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 76 yards (which matched the total of Pro-Bowl running back Adrian Peterson). With the Vikings in a win-and-in situation against the New York Giants in Week 17, Jackson overcame an interception in the end zone by leading the Vikings on a touchdown drive (a 54-yard strike to Bernard Berrian) and the game-winning field goal drive on the following possessions. The Vikings defeated the Giants 20-19 and earned the NFC North title.
Jackson died in a single-vehicle collision near Montgomery on the evening of Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. He was survived by his wife, Lakitta, and three children.
 
The Vikings season ended in the Wild Card Playoff round with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson went 15-for-35 for 164 yards in the game with one interception.
 
====2009====
 
Jackson went into the 2009 season in competition for a starting job with Sage Rosenfels, who the Vikings had acquired from the Houston Texans. The Vikings also pursued former New York Jets and Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who had retired after the end of the 2008 season. Favre announced that he would not join the Vikings prior to training camp, however, and Jackson and Rosenfels split duties in the early part of camp.[21]  Jackson was the second quarterback to play in the opening preseason game, and was expected to start the second preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
 
That changed, however, when Favre announced that he would play for the Vikings after all, signing with the team on August 19.  Jackson, Rosenfels, and 2008 third-stringer John David Booty were believed to be competing for two roster spots, and for the primary backup job. Many observers believed the Vikings would attempt to trade Jackson.
 
Jackson helped his case with a strong performance in Favre's debut game, throwing for 202 yards and two touchdowns in backup work.  Ultimately, the Vikings elected to keep Jackson and Rosenfels on the active roster, with Jackson as the primary backup to Favre.
 
Jackson entered the Vikings' first two games of the season in mop-up duty.  He also was used as a decoy in punt coverage during week two.
 
====2010====
The Vikings re-signed Jackson on Monday, April 19 as they waited for Favre to decide whether he would return for another season. Jackson was a restricted free agent who was given a one-year tender worth $1.176 million.  On August 18, Favre announced he would return to the Vikings for a final season, with Jackson remaining his back-up as in the season before.
 
==Career statistics==
=== College ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! rowspan="2"|Year !! rowspan="2"|Team !!  colspan="7" |Passing !! colspan="4" |Rushing
|-
! Att !! Comp !! Pct !! Yds !! Y/A !! TD !! Int !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD
|-
!2001 !! ARK
| 9 ||3 ||33.3 ||53 ||5.89 ||0 ||1 ||7 ||14 ||2.0 ||0
|-
!2002 !! ARK
| 39 ||14 ||35.9 ||143 ||3.67 ||1 ||2 ||14 ||-16 ||-1.1 ||0
|-
!2003 !! [[Alabama State University|ASU]]
| 261 ||135 ||51.7 ||1,984 ||7.60 ||18 ||9 ||92 ||454 ||4.9 ||5
|-
!2004 !! [[Alabama State University|ASU]]
| 350 ||183 ||52.3 ||2,562 ||7.32 ||20 ||9 ||67 ||215 ||3.2 ||3
|-
!2005 !! [[Alabama State University|ASU]]
| 296 ||181 ||61.1 ||2,655 ||8.97 ||25 ||5 ||95 ||271 ||2.9 ||3
|-
!colspan="2"|Total !! 955 !! 516 !! 54 !! 7,397 !! 6.69 !!  64 !! 26 !! 275 !! 938 !! 2.38 !! 11
|}


==References==
==References==
* Tarvaris Jackson. (2010, August 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:30, August 19, 2010 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tarvaris_Jackson&oldid=379359832]
* "[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tarvaris_Jackson Tarvaris Jackson]" (February 3, 2014) Wikipedia - accessed February 3, 2014
* Borzi, Pat (August 18, 2010) "Favre Returns to Vikings." ''The New York Times''
* Organ, Mike (August 14, 2019) "Ex-NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson joins Tennessee State football staff, wants Tigers to avoid mistakes he made." ''The Tennessean''
* Schad, Tom (April 13, 2020) "Former NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson, 36, dies in car crash in Alabama." ''USA Today''


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9650 Jackson's profile on ESPN.com]
*[http://www.nfl.com/players/tarvarisjackson/profile?id=JAC566507 Tarvaris Jackson] at NFL.com
*[http://www.nfl.com/players/tarvarisjackson/profile?id=JAC566507 Jackson's profile on NFL.com]
*[http://www.mnscore.com/blog/?p=418 Q&A with Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson at Minnesota Score]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Tarvaris}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Tarvaris}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Alabama State Hornets football players]]
[[Category:Alabama State Hornets football players]]
[[Category:Professional football players]]
[[Category:NFL football players]]
[[Category:Traffic fatalities]]

Latest revision as of 13:29, 13 April 2020

Tarvaris Jackson

Tarvaris Fox Jackson (born April 21, 1983 in Montgomery; died April 12, 2020 in Montgomery) was an NFL quarterback. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and Alabama State Bulldogs and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2006 NFL Draft and later traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

Jackson was born and raised in Montgomery and graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in 2001. He then enrolled at the University of Arkansas and played three games for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team as a freshman but suffered a season-ending injury. Consequently, Jackson received a medical redshirt for the season. In 2002, Jackson played 8 games. He completed 14 of 39 passes for 143 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions.

In 2003, Jackson transferred to Alabama State University and led the Hornets to an 8-5 record, , a Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division title, and a berth in the SWAC Championship Game at Legion Field. He completed 160 of 316 passes for 2,342 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions and rushed 444 yards on 91 carries including 5 touchdowns. As a junior in 2004, Jackson won SWAC Championship MVP in Alabama State's second 10-win season in school history. With 11 starts in 12 games, Jackson completed 182 of 349 passes for 2,556 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, rushed in 65 carries for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns, and was sacked 10 times for 97 yards lost.

By his senior season in 2005, Jackson became the Bulldogs' team captain and was a second-team All-SWAC selection. He completed 195 of 320 passes for 2,941 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, rushed 103 times for 285 yards and 3 touchdowns, and was sacked 24 times for 151 lost yards. Jackson also lost 2 of 5 fumbles.

Jackson was selected with the last pick in the 2nd round (64th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, though he had been projected for a 4th-7th round pick. He was the 5th quarterback taken and the 1st Division I-AA player selected. He was the first quarterback from Alabama State to be drafted into the NFL since Ricky Jones in 1992. On July 26, 2006, Jackson signed a four year deal with Minnesota, including a $1 million signing bonus.

Vikings coach Brad Childress had been interested in finding a "diamond in the rough" quarterback of the future, a raw talent to whom he and starter Brad Johnson could teach his offensive system. Childress praised Jackson's throwing motion and athleticism. His preseason work placed him at number two on the Vikings' depth chart, alongside newly-signed backup Brooks Bollinger. Mike McMahon and J. T. O'Sullivan were cut from the roster.

Jackson, who had undergone minor knee surgery to repair his meniscus during the preseason, debuted for the Vikings in the 4th quarter of a week 13 match-up against the Chicago Bears. He returned two weeks later against the New York Jets and scored his first touchdown with a pass to running back Mewelde Moore. He finished the game with 177 yards passing, 20 yards rushing, one touchdown and one interception. He was named the starter for the following game at Green Bay, but his offense amassed only 27 yards passing, converted only three first downs, never reached the red zone, and failed to score in a 9-7 defeat in the cold rain. Nevertheless, Jackson kept the starting job for the rest of the season.

In 2007 Jackson went 8-4 as a starter, averaging 159 yards per game with 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for an offense paced by star running back Adrian Peterson. Opposing defenses stacked the line against the run, sometimes dropping only two or three defenders into coverage. In the final regular season game against the Denver Broncos, Jackson did lead to fourth-quarter scoring drives to get to overtime, but fumbled on the second play to give Denver the win.

In 2008 the Vikings improved their overall roster, trading for Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen and adding free agents Bernard Berrian and Madieu Williams to a line-up with seven Pro Bowl players. Childress was counting on Jackson's improvement as a passer, and signed Gus Frerotte as his backup. Jackson injured his knee in the preseason, but was on the field for the first game, which closed with a interception. After another loss to Indianapolis in week 2, Childress benched Jackson.

Jackson returned in week 14 when Frerotte was injured. Starting the second half, he completed 8 of 10 passes for 105 yards and a game-winning touchdown against the Detroit Lions. He started against the Arizona Cardinals a week later and went 11-17 for 163 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week and FedEx Air Player of the Week honors. In week 16, Jackson went 22-36 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for another 76 yards in a 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings won the NFC North division with a comeback victory over the New York Giants in week 17. Their season ended, however, with a loss to Philadelphia in the first round.

The Vikings quarterback situation got more complicated leading up to the start of the 2009 season with the signing of Sage Rosenfels and on-again off-again negotiations with retired Packers star Brett Favre. Jackson and Rosenfels were in competition for the starting job when Favre officially signed on August 19. Backing up Favre in the next game, Jackson threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns and was kept on the roster.

Favre and Jackson both returned on one-year contracts in 2010. Jackson got the start on December 12, breaking Favre's 297-game streak of not missing a start. Jackson injured his toe during the game, and was replaced by former UAB Blazers quarterback Joe Webb. Jackson was not offered a contract in 2011 and became an unrestricted free agent.

On July 11, 2011 Jackson signed with the Seattle Seahawks and was reunited with former Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. He enjoyed a career year, finishing with 3,091 yards passing, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, but the Seahawks missed the playoffs. During the off-season the team acquired former Green Bay Packer Matt Flynn and drafted Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson. They traded Jackson to the Buffalo Bills for a seventh-round pick. Jackson did not see any game action as a third-stringer in Buffalo. The Bills released him in June 2013 after re-signing him to a two-year contract.

Seattle signed Jackson to a one-year contract for the 2013 season and he beat out Brady Quinn for the opportunity to back up Russell Wilson. The Seahawks went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Jackson took the field late in the blow-out victory over the Denver Broncos. He was released as a free agent after the 2015 season. In June 2016 he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly threatening his wife with a gun during an argument. He denied the allegation and the charges were later dropped. He returned to Sidney Lanier High School, and later to Alabama State, as an assistant coach. In 2019 he took a job as quarterbacks coach for the Tennessee State Tigers.

Jackson died in a single-vehicle collision near Montgomery on the evening of Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. He was survived by his wife, Lakitta, and three children.

References

  • "Tarvaris Jackson" (February 3, 2014) Wikipedia - accessed February 3, 2014
  • Organ, Mike (August 14, 2019) "Ex-NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson joins Tennessee State football staff, wants Tigers to avoid mistakes he made." The Tennessean
  • Schad, Tom (April 13, 2020) "Former NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson, 36, dies in car crash in Alabama." USA Today

External links

Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Tarvaris_Jackson&oldid=166077"