Position	Wide Receiver
Number	80, 19
Birth date	October 13, 1962
Birth place	Crawford, Mississippi
Heightft	6
Heightin	2
Weight	200
Debutyear	1985
Debutteam	San Francisco 49ers
Finalyear	2004
Finalteam	Seattle Seahawks
Draftyear	1985
Draftround	1
Draftpick	16
College	Mississippi Valley State
Pastteams	San Francisco 49ers (1985–2000) Oakland Raiders (2001–2004) Seattle Seahawks (2004) Denver Broncos (2005)* :*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Statseason	2004
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	1,549
Statlabel2	Receiving Yards
Statvalue2	22,895
Statlabel3	Touchdowns
Statvalue3	208
Nfl	RIC128880
Highlights	Rated #1 NFL Player of all-time by NFL.com 13× Pro Bowl selection (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002) 12× All-Pro selection (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002) 3× Super Bowl Champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX) Super Bowl XXIII MVP 2× AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993) 3× NFC Offensive Player of the Year (1986, 1987) Pro Bowl MVP (1996) PFWA MVP (1988) UPI NFC Player of the Year (1988) UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year (1985) Bert Bell Award (1987) NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1980s All-Decade Team NFL 1990s All-Decade Team San Francisco 49ers #80 retired Pro Football Hall of Fame (2010 Inductee) Holds Numerous NFL records
Hof	290
Collegehof	90104 }}

Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history. On November 4, 2010, Rice was chosen by NFL Network's NFL Films production ''The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players'' as the greatest player in NFL history.

The all-time leader in most major statistical categories for wide receivers and the all-time NFL leader in touchdowns scored with 208, Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times (1986–1996, 1998, 2002) and named All-Pro 11 times in his 20 NFL seasons. He won three Super Bowl rings playing for the San Francisco 49ers and an AFC Championship with the Oakland Raiders.

Early years

Jerry Rice was born and raised in Crawford, Mississippi, as the son of a brick mason. He developed his hands while working for his father. His speed also helped him excel in football in high school. He enjoyed watching football on television.

According to his book "Rice" (written with Michael Silver), the school's principal tracked him down for skipping class, but when he called his name the startled Rice sprinted off running. After seeing him run, the principal decided to let him join the football team or be punished. Jerry decided football and the principal told the school's football coach about his speed.

As a high school player, he became an All-State end and defensive back (and also played running back and quarterback at times), but was not good enough to warrant scholarship offers from the 40 or so Division I-A schools that showed interest. Even Mississippi State, just 20 miles away, didn't offer a scholarship. But Archie Cooley, coach of Division I-AA Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi, had heard about Rice. Rice says of Cooley: "no one else came to see me in person." Based on that and it being his only offer, along with the urging of his older brother Tom, Jerry accepted the scholarship from MVSU and arrived in Itta Bena in 1981.

College career

Jerry Rice attended Mississippi Valley State University (from 1980–1984) becoming a standout receiver. He acquired the nickname "World" because there wasn't a ball in the world he couldn't catch. Statistics from his college career are sparse, but the College Football Hall of Fame website claims that Rice, as a sophomore in 1982, caught 66 passes for 1,133 yards and 7 touchdowns. That was his first season playing with redshirt freshman quarterback Willie Totten, nicknamed "Satellite." Together, Totten and Rice would become known as "The Satellite Express" and set numerous NCAA records in the spread offense of coach Archie Cooley, nicknamed "The Gunslinger."

Rice had a record-setting 1983 campaign, including NCAA marks for receptions (102) and receiving yards (1,450) and being named first-team Division I-AA All-America. He also set a single-game NCAA record by catching 24 passes against Southern University. As a senior in 1984, he broke his own Division I-AA records for receptions (112) and receiving yards (1,845). His 27 touchdown receptions in that 1984 season set the NCAA mark for all divisions.

The 1984 season was also memorable for MVSU as the pass-happy Delta Devils attracted national attention, scoring 628 points (an average of more than 59 per game). After an August practice experiment, Cooley had Totten call all the plays at the line of scrimmage without a huddle. The result was even more staggering offensive numbers. Rice caught 17 passes for 199 yards against Southern, 17 for 294 against Kentucky State and 15 for 285 against Jackson State, the first time MVSU beat them since 1954. Rice scored 5 TDs twice that year. He finished his career with 301 catches for 4,693 yards and 50 touchdowns (some sources have the numbers as 310, 4,856 and 51); his NCAA record for total career touchdown receptions stood until 2006, when University of New Hampshire wide receiver David Ball recorded his 51st career receiving touchdown.

Rice was named to every All-American team (including the AP squad) and finished 9th in Heisman Trophy balloting in 1984. In the Blue Gray Classic all-star game played on Christmas Day, he earned MVP honors. Rice wore No. 88 in college, but he switched to No. 80 in the pros.

In the spring of 1999, the school renamed its football stadium from Magnolia Stadium to Rice-Totten Field in honor of Rice and Totten. Rice was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on August 12, 2006.

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers

Rice's 1984 record-breaking season at Mississippi Valley caught the attention of many NFL scouts, but his speed (reportedly only 4.71 in the 40-yard dash) kept most wary, although there were apparently at least two exceptions: the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. In his autobiography, Rice says the Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers, and Indianapolis Colts had kept in contact with him prior to the draft. In the first round of the 1985 NFL draft, Dallas had the 17th selection and San Francisco had the last (as Super Bowl champions from 1984). 49ers coach Bill Walsh reportedly sought Rice after watching highlights of Rice the Saturday night before San Francisco was to play the Houston Oilers on October 21, 1984. On draft day (April 30, 1985), the 49ers traded its first two picks for New England's first-round choice, the 16th selection overall (the teams also swapped third-round picks as part of the deal), and selected Rice before, as some report, the Cowboys were intending to pick him. Rice was prized more highly by the USFL, as he was the #1 pick overall in that short-lived league's 1985 draft.

Although he struggled at times (dropping numerous passes), Rice impressed the NFL in his rookie season for the 49ers in 1985, especially after a 10-catch, 241-yard game against the Los Angeles Rams in December. For that rookie season, he recorded 49 catches for 927 yards, averaging 18.9 yards per catch and was named NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year. (Eddie Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals, one of the two wide receivers taken ahead of Rice, was named the NFL Rookie of the Year.) The following season, he caught 86 passes for a league-leading 1,570 yards and 15 touchdowns. It was the first of six seasons in which Rice would lead the NFL in receiving and touchdown receptions. In 1987, he was named the NFL's MVP by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) and the Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press (AP). Despite playing in only 12 games that year (NFL players strike), he still managed to gain 1,078 receiving yards and an NFL-record 22 touchdown receptions which stood until 2007 when it was broken by Randy Moss in 16 games. In 1987, the runner-up to Jerry Rice in touchdown receptions was Philadelphia Eagles receiver Mike Quick with 11. This marked the first time in NFL history that a category leader doubled the total of his nearest competitor.

In 1988 Rice averaged a career high 20.4 yards per catch as he caught 64 passes for 1,306 yards and 9 touchdowns. The 49ers once again won the NFC West with a 10–6 record. In the postseason, he was instrumental in the 49ers' 28–3 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC title game, recording 5 catches for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. But his performance in Super Bowl XXIII was even better. In possibly his finest performance ever, Rice caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 5 yards, helping the 49ers to a narrow 20–16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. His receptions and receiving yards were both Super Bowl records. For his performance, he became only the third wide receiver to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.

In 1989, San Francisco made it back to the Super Bowl, aided by Rice's 82 receptions for 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns during the season, and his 12 catches for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns in their 2 playoff games. He was once again a major factor in the 49ers championship win, finishing Super Bowl XXIV with 7 catches for 148 yards and a Super Bowl record 3 touchdown receptions.

Rice had another superb season in 1990, leading the NFL in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,502) and receiving touchdowns (13). In a week 6 match-up with the Atlanta Falcons Rice caught a career-best 5 touchdowns. San Francisco finished the year with an NFL best 14–2 record, but failed to "3-peat" as Super Bowl champions, losing to the New York Giants 15–13 in the NFC title game.

After seasons of 80 catches for 1,206 yards and 14 touchdowns in 1991, 84 catches for 1,201 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1992, and 98 catches for 1,503 yards and 15 touchdowns in 1993, Rice made it back to the Super Bowl with the 49ers in the 1994 season, recording a career-high 112 receptions for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. During the 49ers' first game of that season against the Los Angeles Raiders, Jerry Rice caught 7 passes for a season-high 169 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for one more and moving into first place in the NFL records for career touchdowns with 127. Although he only caught 6 passes in San Francisco's 2 playoff games that year, he proved to be a vital component in their 49–26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, recording 10 receptions for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns — despite playing with a separated shoulder for much of the game.

In 1995, Rice caught a career high 122 passes for an NFL record 1,848 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns (along with 1 touchdown each by way of running, passing, and recovering a fumble). However, the 49ers lost in the divisional playoffs to the Green Bay Packers, despite Rice's impressive 11-catch, 117-yard performance. The following year, he recorded 108 receptions (leading the NFL) for 1,254 yards and 8 touchdowns. San Francisco won in the wild card round, but once again lost to the Packers in the divisional playoffs. In his 3 seasons between 1994 and 1996, Rice had racked up a whopping 342 catches for 4,601 yards and 36 touchdowns.

During the season opener of the 1997 season he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee on a reverse. Warren Sapp of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers grabbed Rice by the face-mask and wrenched Rice to the ground with it, drawing a 15-yard personal foul. The injury broke his streak of 189 consecutive games played. Fourteen weeks later he made his return, much earlier than doctors wanted him to. He scored a touchdown, but when he came down with the catch, he cracked the patella in his left kneecap. He was forced to miss the Pro Bowl for the first time in 11 years. However, he made a full recovery, coming back to record 82 catches for 1,157 yards and 9 touchdowns in 1998 and being named to his 12th Pro Bowl.

1999 was the first season that Rice failed to reached 1000 yards receiving while playing in all 16 games. The same thing happened in 2000, in his final season as a San Francisco 49er.

Oakland Raiders

With the emergence of Terrell Owens in San Francisco as well as their desire to rebuild the team and clear salary, Rice signed with the Oakland Raiders following the conclusion of the 2000 season. He joined a Raiders team coming off a loss in the AFC Championship, to form one of the oldest receiver duos with Tim Brown.

The two played well together, as Rice caught 83 passes for 1,139 yards and 9 touchdowns. In 2002 he did even better, catching 92 passes for 1,211 yards and 7 touchdowns, being named to his 13th Pro Bowl and assisting Oakland to an AFC championship and appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII. His team lost against the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl 48–21, with Rice recording 5 receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. His 48-yard touchdown catch in the 4th quarter made him the first player ever to catch a touchdown pass in 4 different Super Bowls.

On November 11, 2002 against the Tampa Bay Bucs in a Super Bowl rematch, Rice scored his 200th career touchdown, and surpassed Walter Payton to become the NFL's all-time leader in total yardage. Oakland dropped from an 11–5 record in 2002 to a 4–12 record in 2003, leading to frustration from Rice about his role on the team, and he eventually requested a trade.

Seattle Seahawks

Rice was traded to the Seattle Seahawks six games into the 2004 season, and was reunited with Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren, who had previously worked with Rice as San Francisco's offensive coordinator. After speaking with Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent, Rice was granted permission to wear Largent's retired jersey number 80.

In a Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Rice set the NFL record for combined net yards by catching a 27-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck. He finished that game with 8 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. Rice would play his last (non-preseason) professional game for Seattle - a wildcard loss to the St. Louis Rams in which he did not catch a pass.

Retirement

At the conclusion of the 2004 season (his 20th in the NFL), Rice initially opted to join the Denver Broncos on a one-year deal, but ultimately decided he rather retire than be at the bottom of any team's depth chart.

On August 19, 2006, the San Francisco 49ers announced that Rice would sign a contract with them, allowing him to retire as a member of the team where his career began. On August 24, he officially retired as a 49er, signing a one-day contract for $1,985,806.49. The number represented the year Rice was drafted (1985), his number (80), the year he retired (2006), and the 49ers (49). The figure was ceremonial, and Rice received no money. There was a halftime ceremony to honor him during the 49ers' matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on November 19, 2006.

Legacy

Jerry Rice retired as the leader in a number of statistics. His 1,549 receptions were 447 receptions ahead of the second place record held by Marvin Harrison. His 22,895 receiving yards were 7,961 yards ahead of the second place spot held by his Raiders teammate Tim Brown. His 197 touchdown receptions are 45 scores more than the 152 touchdown receptions by his former 49ers teammate Terrell Owens, and his 208 total touchdowns (197-p, 10-r, 1-ret) were 33 scores ahead of Emmitt Smith's second place 175. Furthermore, his 1,256 points scored makes him the highest-scoring non-kicker in NFL history. A career spanning two decades, Rice averaged 75.6 receiving yards per game that he played, fifth-highest in NFL history among wide receivers. Only Andre Johnson (79.7), Torry Holt (77.4), Marvin Harrison (76.7), and Larry Fitzgerald (76.0) have averaged more receiving yards per game over the stretch of a career.

To illustrate the significance of his 22,895 receiving yards, if Rice had not gained any other yards on rush attempts or kick returns, his 22,895 receiving yards would still rank him second place on the NFL's list all-purpose yard leaders (category based on combination of rushing, receiving, kick/punt return yards, and interception/fumble return yards).

Another example of Rice's dominance is his performance against Deion Sanders, considered by many as one of the best coverage cornerbacks of all-time. From 1989 to 1996, Rice and Sanders faced off ten times, with Rice compiling 60 receptions for 1,051 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns against Sanders' teams (this would project to approximately 96 receptions for 1682 yards and 18 touchdowns in 16 games). Rice's teams won six of the ten games. To Sanders credit, Deion had 4 interceptions for 58 yards and 0 touchdowns in those ten games. Rice played against Sanders' teams twelve times, but Sanders did not play in two of those games (once in 1992 and once in 1993).

Rice is remembered for his work ethic and dedication to the game. In his 20 NFL seasons, Rice missed only 10 regular season games, 7 of them in the 1997 season, and the other 3 in the strike-shortened season of 1987. His 303 games are by far the most ever played by an NFL wide receiver, and are only 72 games behind the NFL record for games played by any player. In addition to staying on the field, his work ethic showed in his dedication to conditioning and running precise routes, with coach Dennis Green calling him "the best route runner I've ever seen." Also known as one of the best blockers at his position, there was no aspect of playing wide receiver at which Rice did not excel.

In 1999, he was ranked number 2 on ''The Sporting News'' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, behind only Jim Brown, and was 35 places ahead of the next-highest-ranked player then active, Deion Sanders, who played another five seasons.

On November 4, 2010, Rice was ranked number 1 on ''The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players''.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Rice was selected for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2010 in his first year of eligibility. He was inducted in Canton, OH on August 7, 2010 alongside Emmitt Smith, Floyd Little, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, and John Randle. On September 20, 2010, during halftime at the 49ers-Saints game, Rice's #80 jersey number was retired.

Media work

Rice and quarterback Steve Young appeared together in Visa, All Sport, and Gatorade commercials when they were both playing for the 49ers.

During the 2005–2006 broadcasting season, Rice competed in the reality show ''Dancing with the Stars''. He was paired with dancer Anna Trebunskaya, and they reached the final two before finally losing to singer Drew Lachey and his partner Cheryl Burke. Rice also appeared in a season two episode of FOX's ''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' as a backup dancer. He appeared in the first episode of Spike TV's ''Pros vs Joes'' challenge show. He also made a cameo in the television series ''The Game''. Rice has also appeared in an episode of the CW's ''One Tree Hill''.

In 2007 and 2008, Rice appeared in Zaxby's restaurant television ads. In 2008, Rice and Steve Young appeared on an episode of reality show ''The Biggest Loser: Families'' as coaches putting the contestants through football drills. In 2009, Rice portrayed Hal Gore in the film ''Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling''.

Rice has co-authored two books about his life: ''Rice'' (with Michael Silver, published 1996, ISBN 0312147953) and ''Go Long: My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame'' (with Brian Curtis, published 2007, ISBN 0345496116). He co-hosts ''Sports Sunday'' with NBC sportscaster Raj Mathai, a prime time sports show shown in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rice is a supporter of Chiropractic care and is a spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

Golf career

Rice competed in the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae on the Nationwide Tour on April 15–16, 2010. He received a sponsor's exemption to play in the tournament. Rice missed the cut and finished one shot ahead of last place, finishing 17-over and 151st among the 152 players who completed two rounds. Rice has played golf for over 20 years and has only participated in pro-amateur events until now. Rice would wake up early to hit the driving range before 49ers practices.

Personal

Jerry Rice has a son, Jerry Rice, Jr., who attended high school at Menlo School in Atherton, California, graduating in 2009. He currently attends UCLA and is a member of their football team. Jerry Rice is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated.

References

External links

Official website

ESPN Classic: 49ers era was Rice era

Jerry Rice Biography from 49ers Paradise

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Category:American football wide receivers Category:Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football players Category:San Francisco 49ers players Category:Oakland Raiders players Category:Seattle Seahawks players Category:Denver Broncos players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Super Bowl MVPs Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Starkville, Mississippi Category:People from Lowndes County, Mississippi Category:African American players of American football Category:1962 births Category:Living people

da:Jerry Rice de:Jerry Rice es:Jerry Rice fr:Jerry Rice it:Jerry Rice he:ג'רי רייס lv:Džerijs Raiss ja:ジェリー・ライス no:Jerry Rice pt:Jerry Rice simple:Jerry Rice sv:Jerry Rice

Name	Soulja Boy
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	DeAndre Cortez Way
Alias	Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Born	July 28, 1990 Chicago, Illinois
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Occupation	Rapper
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	2007–present
Label	Stacks on Deck/Interscope
Associated acts	Arab, Mr. Collipark
Website	}}

DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality.

In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the internet, and it later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007.On August 17 Way was listed at #18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010 earning $7 million for that year.

Way has currently released three studio albums and one independent album: his debut studio album ''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) was certified platinum by the RIAA. However, his next two albums, ''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008) and ''The DeAndre Way'' (2010) did not match the commercial success of his debut, the latter only selling 80,000 copies, despite the success of several singles across both albums, such as "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" and "Turn My Swag On" (''iSouljaBoyTellem'') and "Pretty Boy Swag" (''The DeAndre Way''), the latter later being certified gold by the RIAA.

Early life

DeAndre Way was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at age six, where he became interested in rap music.

Career beginnings

At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. Way founded his record label "Stacks on Deck Entertainment" in 2004. While Way was signed under Interscope and Collipark Music, he claimed that his label had distribution deals with Interscope, Universal Records, and Koch. In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That" and released his first independent album ''Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album'', followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" received its first airplay and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

Music career

2007-08: souljaboytellem.com

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series ''Entourage'', and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way's major label debut album ''Souljaboytellem.com'', which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

For the 50th Grammy Awards, Way was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". He lost to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".

''Souljaboytellem.com'' received a favorable review from Allmusic, but received mainly negative reviews from other sources such as ''Entertainment Weekly''. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one-hit wonder.

2008-09: iSouljaBoyTellem

The follow-up to ''souljaboytellem.com'', ''iSouljaBoyTellem'', was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at number 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart it was performed on the first ''YouTube Live'' on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone", with Sammie, followed, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was originally Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune but he found it unacceptable. It sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the United States, becoming his second song to reach the two million mark in downloads.

On January 26, 2009 Way released his third single "Turn My Swag On". it topped the US Rap Charts and peaked at #19 on the Hot 100. it has so far sold over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the US. It became Soulja Boy's third song to sell 1 million or more downloads.

2009-2010: The DeAndre Way

''The DeAndre Way'' is Way's third studio album, Way has stated that the album is intended to be his most personal and successful album thus far. When speaking on possible collaborations, he stated he wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, Eminem, among others. The lead single from the album, "POW", was released in January 2009 but failed to garner success and was dubbed a promo single. On October 30, 2009 Way released three mixtapes ''Paranormal Activity'', ''Dat Piff'' & ''Cortez''. Then it was announced on February 18, 2010 that the first single from the album was gone be "All Black Everything" but it was cancelled & was just put on his promotional mixtape ''Legendary''. The album was titled "The DeAndre Way" but was changed in early 2010 to ''Dre'' with a commercial video snippet for "Do It Big" as the first single but it was cancelled as well. However it was reverted back to ''The DeAndre Way'' in July 2010.

But on June 8, 2010, the official lead single from the album was "Pretty Boy Swag". The single has reached number thirty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The album's second single was due to be "Digital" but it was just used on his promotional mixtape ''Best Rapper''. Then it was announced that "Speakers Going Hammer" was gone be the second single, but "Blowing Me Kisses" was released on August 31, 2010 as the second single instead. On October 13 Soulja Boy performed "Pretty Boy Swag" & a snippet of his third single "Speakers Going Hammer". On October 19, 2010 Way finally released "Speakers Going Hammer" on iTunes the single peaked at #48 on the ''Hot R&B; & Hip Hop tracks'' Billboard. ''The DeAndre Way'' was released on November 30, 2010 it has so far has only sold 70,000 copies making this Way's lowest selling album. Soulja Boy was to be part of the Summerbeatz tour held in Australia alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean and Travie McCoy in November 2010, but in lieu of his current album release date Soulja Boy had declined the offer & just embarked on his Who They Want tour.

2011-present: Mixtapes and Respect My Hustle

On January 22, Way released his first mixtape of 2011 ''Smooky'' which cover featured a cartoon version of Way on a bicycle doing a 360. Then On March 17, 2011 Way released the mixtape ''1up'' which cover was based on the Naruto anime Way stated "If I was in a video game, this mixtape would advance me to the next level with an extra life. Power up with the new offering". On April 20, 2011 Way released his mixtape ''Juice'' which cover was based on the ''Juice'' the movie Way stated he would also released a mini movie of his own to go along with the mixtape Way stated that he was headed to greatness with the mixtape. In September 2011, Way confirmed he is working on a new album, called ''Respect My Hustle'', which will be released in October.

Personal life

Legal issues

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (a.k.a. Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family) who created the stage name "Souljah Boy" in 1996.

On October 7, 2009, Way was arrested on one count of obstruction, a misdemeanor, for running from police when he'd been ordered to stop. The rapper was released on $550 bond.

In May 2011, Way and his labels were sued by a local Pennsylvania promoter for failing to make promised payments in connection with a rescheduled concert.

Victim of robbery and assault

On December 30, 2008, Way was robbed and assaulted in his home. Initial reports indicated that the robbers were six masked men with AK-47s and pistols but on December 31, 2008, video clips surfaced on the Internet of two masked men claiming sole credit for the crime. Soulja Boy described the incident to MTV News a month later: He had come home very late at night after attending an album release party and was recording songs with friends when the robbers came in pointing their guns.

Family tragedies

On March 22, 2011, Way's little brother Deion Jenkins was killed in a car crash on Sunday night. Then on March 24, 2011 Way's older brother threatened to committ suicide.

Controversies

Way's music has been banned from some school dances for sexual and violent content or innuendo. However, he has denied these claims. In the original YouTube video for "Shootout", Soulja Boy demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Nas

On February 25, 2008, Way said in an interview that "Nas killed hip hop and his own career". Way later apologized for his comments.

Ice-T

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco's ''Urban Legend'' mixtape, Ice-T told Way to "eat a dick" and criticized Way for "killing hip-hop" and his song "Crank That" for being "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. The two then traded videos back and forth over the Internet. Rapper Kanye West defended Way by arguing that the younger artist created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music. The feud was parodied in a 2010 episode of The Boondocks.

Charles Hamilton

On December 9, 2008, Charles Hamilton commented in a interview by saying that Way was making it harder for new artists to be signed. Way responded by saying "X out the Sonic and fuck with Mario, you might want to got damn eat a mushroom." Charles Hamilton responded with the diss song "Im You Last Year With Talent". Then the diss song "Word Aight".

Bow Wow

On February 2, 2009, Way challenged Bow Wow to a race in their Lamborghinis and claimed Bow Wow's Lamborghini was a rental. On February 4, 2009 Bow Wow proved that he owned his Lamborghini and said "its halloween in Bankhead for you everyday nigga..you scared..you all nervous and shit". Way responded on twitter by saying "HE FUCKED UP!!!! IM BOUT TO SHITTTT ON THIS NIGGA!! LOL!!!!!". On February 7, 2009 both artist sent diss songs to each other such as Way's "Fuck Bow Wow" & Bow Wow's "What I Think About You". Later that day during a phone conversation both rappers settled their differences.

Fabolous

On December 28, 2010, Fabolous during a radio interview commented on the claim that Way does cocaine, saying "pretty boy swag but never coke my nose though", a reference to Way's song "Pretty Boy Swag. "Soulja Boy went on a tirade on Twitter in response, saying "I ignore dis foo like 5x before this. fuck that. If you send some niggaz to spray me @myfabolouslife at least I die I real nigga fuck you boy." 50 Cent also took to Twitter to say, "leave him the f*** alone before somebody get hurt." Way and Fabolous ended their beef on a radio interview.

"Let's Be Real"

In September 2011, Soulja Boy released the song "Let's Be Real". One of the lines of the song went: ''"Fuck the FBI and the army troops ... fighting for what? Be your own man ... I'll be flying through the clouds with green like I'm Peter Pan."'' After the song was released, Soulja Boy was highly criticized by the military members and their families, especially in regards to the timing relative to the 10th anniversary of the September 11 Attacks. Soulja Boy apologized, "When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them." He adds, "So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics." Representatives for Soulja Boy have indicated that the song has been pulled from his upcoming album, ''Respect My Hustle,'' and will not be available for sale. They are also attempting to remove the video from the internet.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007)

''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008)

''The DeAndre Way'' (2010)

''Respect My Hustle'' (2011)

Tours

''Americas Most Wanted'' (2009)

''Who They Want'' (2011)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2007	''YouTube Live''	Himself	Small Role
2008	''What's at Stake?'''	Himself	Small Role
2009	''School Gyrls''	Himself	Cameo
2010	''Malice N Wonderland''	Soulja	Small Role
2011	''TBA''	''TBA''
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
	''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''	Himself
''Last Call with Carson Daly''	Himself
	''Live with Regis''	Himself	Minor appearance
''Access Granted''	Himself	For his music video for "Bird Walk"
	''When I Was 17''	Himself
''The Mo'Nique Show''	Himself
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''	Himself
''Lopez Tonight''	Himself
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''	Himself

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

*2007: Best New Artist (Nominated)

*2008: Viewer's Choice Award: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

*2009: Viewer's Choice Award: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

BET Hip-Hop Awards

*'2007: Best Hip-Hop Dance (Won)'

Grammy Awards

*2008: Best Rap Song: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*'2007: Patiently Waiting: Mississippi (Won)'

*2008: Best Breakthrough Artist (Nominated)

*2008: TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Nominated)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

*2007: Favorite Male Singer (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

*2009: Choice Music: Rap Artist (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: R&B; Track for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: Hook Up for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone"

*2009: Choice Music: Artist (Nominated)

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

References

External links

Official website

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American film actors Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American Internet personalities Category:American music industry executives Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:American record producers Category:Businesspeople from Mississippi Category:Hip hop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Interscope Records artists Category:People from Panola County, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Rappers from Mississippi

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Name	DeSean Jackson
Width	280px
Currentteam	Philadelphia Eagles
Currentnumber	10
Currentposition	Wide receiver
Birth date	December 01, 1986
Birth place	Los Angeles, California
Heightft	5
Heightin	10
Weight	175
College	California
Draftyear	2008
Draftround	2
Draftpick	49
Debutyear	2008
Debutteam	Philadelphia Eagles
Pastteams	Philadelphia Eagles (–Present)
Status	Active
Highlights	2× Pro Bowl selection (2009, 2010) 1× All-Pro selection (2009) 2× All-Pac-10 (2006, 2007) 2× All-American (2006, 2007) Randy Moss Award (2006) Pete Dawkins Trophy (2005)
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	171
Statlabel2	Receiving Yards
Statvalue2	3,124
Statlabel3	Receiving TDs
Statvalue3	17
Nfl	JAC127681 }}

DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jackson is the first player to be selected to the Pro Bowl at two different positions at once when he was named to the 2010 Pro Bowl as a wide receiver and return specialist. He was also named to the 2011 Pro Bowl.

Early years

Jackson attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, the same high school as future Eagles teammate Winston Justice and many other current NFL players. He became one of the top wide receiver recruits in the nation, with many collegiate football programs pursuing his services. He was named the 2004 Glenn Davis Award winner by the ''Los Angeles Times'' as Southern California's player of the year. He also played baseball and was scouted by both the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies in his senior year.

Jackson caught 60 passes for 1,075 yards for 15 touchdowns his senior year, leading the Jackrabbits to a CIF Southern Section championship. He was pressed into service last minute as a defensive back in the section title game against Los Alamitos High School, responding with two interceptions, one which he returned 68 yards for a touchdown to help fuel Long Beach Poly's 21–6 victory.

To cap off his high school career, Jackson was voted the Most Valuable Player at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, where he caught seven passes for 141 yards and passed for a 45-yard touchdown in leading the West to a 35–3 victory in a game that featured 80 of the nation's top players. However, he was also involved in an embarrassing play when he attempted to somersault from the five-yard line for a touchdown, but landed on the one-yard line, leaving the ball there. ''ESPN.com'''s Tom Lemming rated him as the number four wide receiver in the country, ''PrepStar Magazine'' named him an All-American and a member of its Dream Team Top 100 players, and Calhisports.com voted him the 2004 Mr. Football State Player of the Year. He committed to the football program at the University of California, Berkeley under Coach Jeff Tedford, making his announcement on Southern California's FSN West. Jackson waited until the deadline to choose between scholarship offers for California and the University of Southern California.

College career

Wearing the number 1, in his first collegiate game against Sacramento State in 2005, Jackson scored both an offensive and special teams touchdown, returning a punt 49 yards for a score. Throughout his freshman season, Jackson picked up 38 receptions for 601 yards along with seven touchdowns, eclipsing the 100-yard mark three times. In the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl game against BYU, Jackson tallied 130 yards and two scores.

Coming into his sophomore year with high expectations, Jackson displayed more of his talent and playmaking ability, tallying 1,060 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Jackson also returned four punts for touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors as both a punt returner and a wide receiver. Jackson garnered national recognition with selections to first-team All-America by the ''Associated Press'', Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America, the ''Sporting News'' and ''Rivals.com'' as a punt returner. Jackson also captured the inaugural Randy Moss Award as the top return man in the nation. In one of only two California losses in Pac-10 play, Jackson had a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown against Arizona.

Jackson entered his junior season being considered a Heisman Trophy candidate. His season began promisingly, with a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee in the opening game of the season. Against eleventh-ranked Oregon, he caught 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bears to their first victory in Autzen Stadium since 1987. Jackson finished the 2007 season with 65 catches for 762 yards, and scored six touchdowns as a receiver. Jackson was named an All-American as a return specialist. Jackson suffered several minor injuries that limited his effectiveness at times during the season, along with a right thigh injury that forced him to miss most of the game against Washington and the Big Game against Stanford. He also missed the first quarter of the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl for violating undisclosed team rules.

Jackson left Cal following the 2007 season, declaring for the 2008 NFL Draft. He departed holding Pac-10 records for punts returned for a touchdown both in a season (four), and in a career (six). Jackson ranks third all-time at California for receiving yards with 2,423 and receiving touchdowns with 22. He is sixth in receptions (162). Jackson finished with 52 career plays of 20 yards or more, making up 23 percent of his 226 touches.

Professional career

Pre-draft

{{nfl predraft | height ft = 5 | height in = 9¾ | weight = 169 | dash = 4.35 | ten split = 1.53 | twenty split = 2.52 | shuttle = 4.19 | cone drill = 6.82 | vertical = 34½ | broad ft = 10 | broad in = 2 | bench = | wonderlic = | arm span = | hand span = | note = Height, weight and 40-yard dash from 2008 NFL Combine, all other values from Pro Day workout }}

Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice was quoted saying that Jackson "has all the talent in the world. There's no reason he can't be everything he wants to be at the next level." At the 2008 NFL Combine, Jackson had an impressive showing, running an official 4.35 40-yard dash. He performed well in positional drills, running routes fluidly and catching passes very well displaying his well-known agility and quickness. He also posted a standing broad jump of 10 feet.

Philadelphia Eagles

2008 season

On April 26, 2008, Jackson was drafted in the second round (49th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was the seventh wide receiver taken in the draft which saw for the first time ever no wide receivers drafted in the first round. On July 20, he agreed to terms on a four-year contract with the team.

Jackson had a good preseason performance, which included a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown against the New England Patriots in week 3. After the Eagles' roster was cut to its maximum 53-man limit for the season, he was listed as the starting punt returner and as a second-string wide receiver.

Due to injuries sustained by Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, Jackson was the first rookie to start opening day for head coach Andy Reid. On September 7, Jackson collected six catches for 106 yards in a 38–3 win over the St. Louis Rams. He also returned eight punts for a total of 97 yards, including a 60-yard punt return to set up a field goal. He had over 200 all-purpose yards, a record for a rookie wide receiver. During a ''Monday Night Football'' game against the Dallas Cowboys on September 15, Jackson celebrated prematurely before running into the end zone by flipping the football behind him at the one-yard line. This led to what would have otherwise been his first NFL touchdown to be challenged and overturned, with Brian Westbrook running in for a touchdown from the one-yard line on the next play. Jackson finished the game with 110 yards on six receptions, becoming only the second receiver in NFL history to have over 100 yards receiving in each of his first two games since the Eagles' Don Looney in 1940.

On September 28, Jackson recorded his first offensive touchdown against the Chicago Bears. During this game, he also fumbled a punt return that set up the Bears' go ahead score. The following week against the Washington Redskins on October 5, Jackson returned his first punt return for a touchdown with a 68-yard return. Jackson scored his first rushing touchdown on November 9 on a direct snap in the wildcat formation with a nine-yard run against the New York Giants. A rematch against the Giants on December 7 which resulted in a 20-14 upset of the defending Super Bowl champions marked the first time in the season that Jackson did not have a reception. The following week, Jackson rebounded, recording 77 yards on five catches in a 30–10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Jackson's final touchdown of the season came in the NFC Championship game on January 18, 2009 against the Arizona Cardinals, when he managed to haul in a 62-yard touchdown. Jackson narrowly finished second to Curtis in postseason receiving yards with 207 to Curtis' 211.

Jackson finished a successful rookie season equaling and surpassing the feats of two other Eagles rookies, Keith Jackson and Don Looney. His 912 receiving yards set a new Eagles rookie record and surpassed the previous mark of 869 set by Keith Jackson in 1988. He was the first rookie to lead the team in receptions, another feat accomplished by Keith Jackson. DeSean Jackson also set the team record for receptions with 62.

2009 season

In week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, Jackson had his second punt return for an 85-yard touchdown, the second longest in Eagles history. The following week Kevin Kolb threw his first career touchdown pass to Jackson against the New Orleans Saints for 71 yards. Jackson had 149 receiving yards against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27 which included a 64-yard touchdown reception. Against the Oakland Raiders on October 17 he caught six receptions for 94 yards, including a 51-yard diving fingertips catch, in a 13–9 loss.

Jackson caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb that gave McNabb his 200th career touchdown and 30,000th career passing yards on October 26 against the Washington Redskins on ''Monday Night Football''. He also scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a 67-yard reverse. Jackson injured his right foot during the game and had an x-ray during halftime, but returned to play during the third quarter. He was later named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

In a week 11 matchup on ''Sunday Night Football'' against the Chicago Bears, Jackson caught eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles won a close game, 24-20. On November 29 against the Redskins, Jackson had to leave the game after sustaining a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit by linebacker London Fletcher. Jackson recorded two receptions, including a 35-yard touchdown. Jackson missed the next game due to his concussion, but returned on December 13 against the New York Giants. Jackson had a career day, as he caught six passes for 178 yards including a 60-yard touchdown pass from McNabb and a 72 yard punt return for a touchdown (combined for 261 all purpose yards). The game would also put him at eight touchdowns of over 50 yards in a single season, tying an NFL record shared only by Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch and Devin Hester. For his performance against the Giants, Jackson was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

The following week against the San Francisco 49ers, Jackson went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season with 140 receiving yards, including a 19-yard touchdown reception as the Eagles clinched a playoff berth. On December 27, he had four catches for 33 yards and a two-yard touchdown, his shortest touchdown of the season, in a win against the Denver Broncos.

Jackson was nearly shut down by the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season finale, with only two passes for 36 yards in a 24–0 rout of the Eagles. In a rematch the following week on January 3, 2010 against the Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Game, he was held by Dallas to three catches for 14 yards, including a six-yard touchdown pass in the 34–14 loss.

Jackson ended the season as the Eagles' leading receiver with 1,167 yards. He was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl as a starting wide receiver and a kick returner, the first time in Pro Bowl history that a player was selected at two different positions. At the Pro Bowl, Jackson caught six passes for a team-high 101 yards and two touchdowns, including a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from McNabb. He was selected to the ''Sporting News''' All-Pro team as a punt returner for the 2009 season, averaging 15.2 yards per punt return in 2009 as the league leader.

2010 season

After skipping voluntary camp in the spring, Jackson reported to training camp earlier than most veterans. However he was not speaking to the media and was said to be frustrated about how the Eagles are unwilling to negotiate a contract extension with him. Jackson was carted off the field after he suffered a back injury during the second full team workout of training camp on July 31, but the injury was not serious.

In a 35–32 victory over the Detroit Lions, Jackson had 135 receiving yards and a 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass. The following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jackson caught a 61-yard touchdown and finished the game with five receptions for 153 yards. On October 3 and 10 however, Jackson only caught five passes for 43 total yards. He scored a pair of touchdowns on October 17 against the Atlanta Falcons, one on a 31-yard run and the second on a 34-yard reception from Kevin Kolb. During the game he sustained a severe concussion after a collision with Atlanta cornerback Dunta Robinson, with both players assisted from the field. Jackson returned to play on November 7 against the Indianapolis Colts.

On November 15, after a altercation with Laron Laundry, Jackson caught a then career best 88-yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick on the first play from scrimmage while Laundry was covering him in 59-28 a Monday Night Football victory against the Washington Redskins. He surpassed this on December 12 when he had a 91-yard touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys and also finished the game with a personal best 210 receiving yards. Jackson again ended the regular season as the team's leading receiver with 1,056 yards.

The Miracle at the New Meadowlands

On December 19, Jackson returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown to lead the Eagles to a win against the New York Giants in the final 14 seconds of the game. The Eagles had trailed 31-10 with under 8 minutes to play but had come back with three unanswered touchdowns. With 14 seconds left, the game was tied at 31-31 and Jackson received the punt. He fumbled at first, but then picked it up and ran 65 yards for the score, running across the goal line when he reached it in order to wind out the time. This punt return is the first and only game-winning punt return on the final play from scrimmage in the history of the NFL.

2011 season

On July 28, 2011 Jackson failed to report to Eagles' training camp at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as required in his contract. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, offered no immediate explanation for his absence. Jackson faced fines of $30,000-a-day until he reported to camp. His deadline to report was August 9 or he would have lost a year of service time toward free agency. Jackson's holdout ended on August 8 when he reported to training camp.

Personal

Jackson is the son of Bill and Gayle Jackson and his oldest brother Byron is a former San Jose State wide receiver who spent two seasons on the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad. DeSean intended to pursue a degree in social welfare at Cal. His father was hospitalized with pancreatic cancer during the Eagles run in the 2009 playoffs, and died on May 14, 2009. Jackson currently resides in Moorestown, New Jersey.

Jackson was featured on the cover of the PlayStation 2 version of ''NCAA Football 09''. Jackson took part and won a competition of ''Hole in the Wall'' in April 2011.

References

External links

Philadelphia Eagles bio

California Golden Bears bio

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:African American players of American football Category:American football return specialists Category:American football wide receivers Category:California Golden Bears football players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Players of American football from California Category:U.S. Army All-American football players

da:DeSean Jackson de:DeSean Jackson fr:DeSean Jackson ja:デショーン・ジャクソン pt:DeSean Jackson tl:DeSean Jackson