The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2020
- Class:
- 2007
The next in a long line of premier Longhorn running backs who went on to success in the NFL, Jamaal Charles was a three-time All-Big 12 selection and a key part of three 10-win teams, including the Longhorns' 2005 National Championship team. From 2005-07, Charles played in 38 games during a three-year stretch that saw the Longhorns post a 33-6 (19-5, Big 12) record, including a 13-0 mark in 2005. Charles and UT won three bowl games, finished in the top 15 all three years and posted a pair of top-10 finishes in 2005 and 2007. The 2005 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, he carried the ball 533 times for 3,328 yards (No. 4 in school history) and 36 touchdowns (No. 5 in school history), while catching 49 passes for 539 yards and three TDs over his three-year collegiate career. He produced one of the best seasons by a running back in Texas history en route to first-team All-Big 12 honors as a junior, rushing for 1,619 yards (No. 6 on UT's single-season list) and 18 TDs (No. 5 on UT's single-season list) on 258 carries (6.3 ypc). Charles was just the fourth Longhorn at the time, and still currently one of only five, to rush for more than 1,500 yards in a season. He ran for more than 100 yards on 11 occasions (No. 8 in UT history), including seven times in 2007. A second-team All-Big 12 selection as a true freshman in 2005, Charles logged 1,035 yards from scrimmage (878 rush/157 rec) and 13 total TDs (11 rush/2 rec) that year. He began his career with the top freshman rushing debut in UT history, tallying 135 rushing yards in against Louisiana-Lafayette. He also earned second-team All-Big 12 recognition as a sophomore after tallying 1,014 yards from scrimmage (831 rush/183 rec) and eight TDs (7 rush/1 rec). Charles also competed with the UT Track and Field team as a sprinter for two seasons. He collected four All-America honors and won the 100-meter dash at the 2006 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Today, Charles still holds the fourth-fastest 60-meter dash time in school history (6.65), the ninth-best in the 100 meters (10.23) and the 10th-best in the 200 meters (20.62). The 73rd overall pick in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, Charles played 11 seasons in the NFL, nine with the Chiefs. A four-time Pro Bowl selection (2011, 2013-15) and three-time All-Pro (2011, 2013-14), he is the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher (7,260 yds). In addition, Charles holds Chiefs records for career yards per carry (5.5), longest rushing play from scrimmage (91 yards), rushing yards in a game (259), points scored in a game (30), and receiving TDs in a game (4). The four receiving TDs are also an NFL record by a running back, in addition to his NFL records for rushing yards in a quarter (165) and career yards per carry average by a running back (5.4 ypc). Charles recorded five 1,000-yard seasons, including three-straight from 2012-14. The Port Arthur, Texas native discovered he had a learning disability in the third grade after having difficulty reading, and through that experience went on to develop a strong relationship with the Special Olympics after thriving in Track and Field competition. To this day, Charles serves as a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics movement. He was recognized by the Texas House of Representatives for his philanthropic and athletic achievements in March 2015. Charles officially retired as a Kansas City Chief in 2019, and he and his family currently reside in Austin.
