Brandon Jacobs: From Special Education to Super Bowl Champion
Brandon Christopher Jacobs, born on July 6, 1982, is a former American professional football player who overcame significant obstacles to achieve success in the National Football League (NFL). Primarily known for his impactful tenure as a running back with the New York Giants, Jacobs' journey is a testament to perseverance, hard work, and the influence of a supportive community.
Early Life and Challenges
Growing up in Napoleonville, Louisiana, Jacobs faced numerous challenges early in life. Raised primarily by his mother and her sisters, with his aunt and uncle later becoming his legal guardians, Jacobs lacked a relationship with his father. As a boy, Jacobs had an explosive temper and frequently got into fights. He was placed in special education classes and set on an academic path of limited expectations. In high school he was scheduled to receive a certificate of achievement instead of graduating with a diploma. Perhaps he would become a welder or a mechanic. Or maybe he would work at a sugar mill, or a chemical plant along the Mississippi River. College appeared out of the question. Professional football seemed a ticket that would go unpunched.
Considered incorrigible, he was placed in special education classes, leading to limited academic expectations. The assumption was that he might become a welder, mechanic, or find work in a local sugar mill or chemical plant along the Mississippi River. College seemed unattainable, and a career in professional football appeared to be an impossible dream.
Jacobs himself acknowledged making "stupid decisions" and associating with the wrong crowd during his youth. He admitted to participating in acts of vandalism, such as vandalizing cars, with his friends. "When you grow up around stuff like that, it's hard not to spend part of your life as that kind of person," Jacobs said.
Friends and family members suggest that his imposing size may have contributed to his temper, making him feel ungainly. He also sometimes stuttered when he became nervous. Or he felt humiliated when others teased him about taking special ed classes.
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"When they put you in special education, people think: You're retarded. You're slow," Washington said. "It made him want to fight even more."
Turning Point: Football and Family Support
Despite these early challenges, Jacobs found a path to success through football and the unwavering support of his extended family. At 10 or 11 he moved in with an aunt who would not tolerate loutish behavior. He channeled his energy into the discipline of football.
He moved in with his aunt and uncle, Dianne and Willie Cheavious, because they had two sons near his age. He began to play Bantam League football with his cousins and to follow the ground rules set by his no-nonsense aunt, known as Auntie Teesie. "I'm not going to be your baby sitter," she told her nephew, explaining that if he misbehaved in school, she planned to kick something, and it was not a football. "He knew I meant business," said Dianne Cheavious, 55, a family and community services specialist for the Assumption Parish Head Start program.
Jacobs found support from high school officials and college recruiters, who realized that he was not dumb at all, emotional certainly, but determined, capable and likable. He channeled his energy into the discipline of football.
Don Torres, who coached him at Assumption High, initially misjudged Jacobs when he quit the team as a freshman, thinking he didn't like contact despite his size. However, Jacobs reconsidered before his junior year and returned to the team.
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He received a recruiting letter from the University of Georgia, and it changed him. "I could see that I could be heading somewhere in my life," he said.
High School Success and Academic Hurdles
As a senior in 2000 Jacobs carried the ball 35 to 40 times a game, leading Louisiana with 3,025 rushing yards. Jacobs was nimble and quick, not burdened by his weight. And he had begun to take mainstream courses in school. "Everybody realized he had this talent, and people wanted him to have his shot," said Donna Alleman, who was the coordinator of the special ed curriculum at Assumption High then.
Jacobs excelled on the football field at Assumption High School. As a senior in 2000, he led Louisiana with 3,025 rushing yards. He received accolades such as USA Today All-America, Orlando Sentinel All-Southern, Prep Star All-Region and Louisiana Class 4A Most Valuable Offensive Player.
Despite his athletic achievements, Jacobs faced academic challenges. He lacked the required courses in English, math and science to become eligible for major-college football. His career seemed finished. Then Auburn University intervened, informing Jacobs that he could enter Coffeyville Community College in Kansas to pursue his high school diploma and an associate's degree at the same time. He could then transfer to a four-year college.
College Career: Coffeyville, Auburn, and Southern Illinois
Jacobs began his college career at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. In 2001, his freshman year at Coffeyville, he ran for 1,349 yards and 17 touchdowns and gained Kansas Jayhawk Conference All-Conference honorable mention. He was also named the team MVP for CCC. In his sophomore season for the Red Ravens he racked up 1,896 yards and 20 touchdowns on 267 carries for a 7.1 yard-per-carry average.
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He then transferred to Auburn University, where he found himself behind future NFL players Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown on the depth chart. After the completion of the 2003 college football season, Jacobs transferred to then Division I-AA Southern Illinois.[8] Jacobs' one year at Southern Illinois was another solid one. He led the team with 150 carries for 992 yards (6.6 avg) and 19 touchdowns, one less than the school's all-time leader, Muhammad Abdulqaadir, who, like Jacobs, also played at Coffeyville Community College. Jacobs was an All-American first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report and All-Gateway Conference first-team choice and was also named Gateway Conference Newcomer of the Year. He led the conference and ranked tenth in the nation in scoring, averaging 9.5 points per game.
NFL Career: New York Giants and Beyond
Jacobs' perseverance paid off when he was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Jacobs did not receive much playing time behind incumbent starter Tiki Barber, carrying the ball only 38 times for 99 yards, playing almost exclusively in short yardage situations.
Going into the 2006 season, Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, powerful running back.
In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. With Barber's retirement, Jacobs took over the starting running back spot for the Giants in the 2007 season.
Jacobs became an integral part of the Giants' offense, known for his size and physical running style. He was a key component of the Giants' Super Bowl victories in 2007 (Super Bowl XLII) and 2011 (Super Bowl XLVI), both against the New England Patriots.
He injured his knee in the first game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys, but returned four weeks later against the New York Jets to rush for 100 yards and a touchdown. Jacobs would miss two more games later in the season with a hamstring injury, but finish the regular season with rushing totals of 1,009 yards and four touchdowns on 201 carries. He also added 23 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Jacobs scored the winning touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Jacobs underwent wrist surgery during the 2008 offseason. He returned to play all of the preseason, but missed two games in the regular season due to recurring difficulty with his knee. He finished the 2008 regular season with 219 carries for 1089 yards and 15 touchdowns, similar yardage to 2007, but many more touchdowns. He was the "Earth" in the running back corps of the Giants nicknamed "Earth, Wind, & Fire" with Derrick Ward (Wind) and Ahmad Bradshaw (Fire).
Jacobs was a touchdown machine. In his last season with the Giants before leaving for San Francisco, he recorded another seven. It gave Jacobs 56 career rushing touchdowns and the all-time rushing touchdown record. Jacobs runs passed defensive tackle Shaun Ellis in 2011 Super Bowl. Jacobs would have one more year with the Giants, in which he recorded four more touchdowns, bringing his total up to 60. âItâs a special thing to be a part of the record books,â Jacobs said.
Jacobs signed with the San Francisco 49ers on March 28, 2012.[23] He missed the first two months of the season after suffering a knee injury during training camp, and saw limited playing time once he returned.
Jacobs signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants on September 10, 2013.
Legacy and Post-NFL Life
Jacobs retired from the NFL, leaving behind a legacy as one of the Giants' all-time leading rushers. Jacobs went on to become one of the best players in Giants history. The last time the Giants won 12 games was in the 2008 season. Jacobs notched consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing in 2007 and 2008, respectively. His 60 touchdowns are the most rushing touchdowns in Giants history. The 2007 and 2008 seasons were the best two-season run the Giants have had since the late 80s.
Beyond his on-field accomplishments, Jacobs is known for his commitment to giving back to his community. After the Giants' Super Bowl victory, Napoleonville held a parade in Jacobs' honor. He plans to reciprocate next summer. Assumption High could use a weight room, Torres said. The county could use a community center with a computer lab and drug counseling, Cheavious said. "I want to put stuff there for kids," Jacobs said. "Basketball courts. Gym stuff. Create camps.
Today, Jacobs spends his time coaching football in Atlanta, teaching kids all levels of football, from Pop Warner to high school. âThatâs one of my passions and I love doing it, I love coaching,â Jacobs said.
Jacobs' journey from a troubled youth in special education to a Super Bowl champion is an inspiring example of how perseverance, hard work, and a supportive community can help individuals overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams.
Personal Life
He is married to Kim Jacobs; the couple have a young son named Brayden. At his wife's urging, Brandon has continued to take college courses. According to his aunt, Brandon is 12 credits short of a degree in sociology.
Recently, Jacobs' son Brayden, an offensive tackle, offered a verbal commitment to continue his career at Clemson University.
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