Paris Jackson (Canadian football)

Paris Jackson (born July 24, 1980)[1] is a former professional Canadian football slotback who last played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was originally drafted sixth overall by the BC Lions in the 2003 CFL Draft and signed with the team on August 30, 2003.[2] He played college football for the Utah Utes from 2001 to 2002.

Paris Jackson
Paris Jackson (March 2009).jpg
Born: (1980-07-24) July 24, 1980 (age 44)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Career information
StatusRetired
CFL statusNational
Position(s)SB, WR
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight215 lb (98 kg)
CollegeUtah
High schoolCarson Graham
CFL draft2003, round: 1, pick: 6
Drafted byBC Lions
Career history
As player
20032013BC Lions
2014Ottawa Redblacks
2014Edmonton Eskimos
Career highlights and awards
CFL West All-Star2008

High school years

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Jackson was team captain at Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver. In his senior year, he set the school's single-game record for most rushing yards and touchdowns, and accumulated 2,138 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.[1]

College career

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Jackson attended Butte College in California in 2000, where he was an All-Conference player, recording 35 receptions for 899 yards and 8 touchdowns. He then transferred to the University of Utah, where he majored in sociology. In 2002, he caught 43 passes in 11 games, finishing second on the team in receiving with 553 yards, and third in scoring with 6 touchdowns. He received an honourable mention for Conference All-Star.[1]

Professional career

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BC Lions

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Jackson was selected in the first round, 6th overall in the 2003 CFL Draft by his hometown team, the BC Lions. He signed with the Lions midway through the 2003 season. As a backup wide receiver in 2003 and 2004, he caught 16 passes for 223 yards, and played in the 2004 Grey Cup against the Toronto Argonauts.[1]

 
Jackson watches the videoboard as Sean Whyte kicks a field goal against the Argonauts.

Jackson saw more playing time in 2005, finishing with 48 catches for 617 yards and 4 touchdowns, including a team-high 6 receptions in the West Division Final. In 2006, he was second on the team with 51 catches for 634 yards and 4 touchdowns. Jackson caught 2 touchdown passes in the West Division Final, and had 5 receptions for 65 yards in the Lions' 2006 Grey Cup victory over the Montreal Alouettes.[1]

In 2007, he posted career bests in every receiving category. He has been noted as an exciting receiver for the Lions with a penchant for making acrobatic catches.[3][4][5]

Jackson recorded his best season of his career in 2008 when he caught 76 passes for 1,180 yards and eight touchdowns; all career highs. In recognition of his strong season, he was named a CFL West All-Star and was the BC Lions' nominee for the Most Outstanding Canadian Award[6]

For the 2009 BC Lions season, Jackson took over the slotback role left by the departure of Jason Clermont and recorded his second straight 1000-yard season.[7]

In 2010, Jackson saw his receiving numbers decrease as his production was hampered by injuries and inconsistent quarterback play. He had a 111 consecutive games-played streak end this season as he missed his first CFL game of his career during BC's game against Edmonton on October 9, 2009.[1] He only managed to score one touchdown this season, which was his least since 2004 when he didn't score any.

For the next three seasons, Jackson was relegated to a backup role, catching no more than 10 passes for 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. He did, however, have two receptions in the Lions' 99th Grey Cup victory, which was his second Grey Cup championship.[8] On February 22, Jackson was released by the Lions, after his 11th season with the club.[9]

Ottawa Redblacks

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On March 7, 2014, Jackson signed with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League.[10]

Edmonton Eskimos

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Jackson was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos on September 29, 2014.[11]

Statistics

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Receiving   Regular season   Playoffs
Year Team Games No. Yards Avg Long TD Games No. Yards Avg Long TD
2003 BC 8 6 85 14.2 35 0 1 4 38 9.5 15 0
2004 BC 18 10 138 13.8 28 0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0
2005 BC 18 48 617 12.9 40 4 1 6 86 14.3 47 0
2006 BC 18 51 634 12.4 49 4 2 10 131 13.1 35 2
2007 BC 18 65 962 14.8 64 5 1 3 34 11.3 16 0
2008 BC 18 76 1,180 15.5 56 8 2 7 44 6.3 12 0
2009 BC 17 76 1,042 13.7 57 8 2 7 67 9.6 18 1
2010 BC 18 61 758 12.4 53 1 1 5 69 13.8 34 0
2011 BC 16 7 117 16.7 51 1 2 2 43 21.5 30 0
2012 BC 18 10 127 12.7 30 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2013 BC 18 10 97 9.7 20 0 1 3 29 9.6 22 0
2014 OTT 7 6 34 5.7 15 0
2014 EDM 2 7 68 9.7 25 0 2 7 78 11.1 31 1
CFL totals 194 433 5,859 13.5 64 31 17 54 619 11.5 47 4

Personal

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Jackson wears a cross necklace that contains his deceased mother's ashes. Before each game, he dresses in his equipment and kisses the cross before removing it and placing it in his locker. On May 8, 2010, Jackson married his longtime girlfriend, hairdresser Suzy Phi, at the Brock House in Vancouver, BC. Together they have one daughter, born in September 2008, and one son born in 2011.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Paris Jackson #19". bclions.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  2. ^ 2009 Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records, Canadian Football League Properties/Publications, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 978-0-9739425-4-5, p. 101.
  3. ^ Jim Bender (November 20, 2006). "94th Grey Cup Game Notes". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved October 22, 2007. [dead link]
  4. ^ Ed Willes (November 13, 2006). "Quarterback proves the doubters wrong". The Province. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  5. ^ Lowell Ullrich (July 8, 2007). "Dominating D starts with Dave". The Province. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2007.
  6. ^ 2009 Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records, Canadian Football League Properties/Publications, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 978-0-9739425-4-5, p. 209.
  7. ^ Mackin, Bob (June 9, 2009). "Paris taking slotback". SLAM Sports. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "99th Grey Cup stats". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  9. ^ Lions Release Receiver Jackson
  10. ^ Redblacks announce addition of wide receiver Jackson
  11. ^ "Eskimos pick up receiver Paris Jackson". cbc.ca. September 29, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
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