 Well-rounded and versatile fullback who is equally adept as a lead blocker or a receiving option… Accomplished special teams performer who finished his career with the N.Y. Jets as the franchise’s all-time leader in special teams tackles with 146, including 103 solo tackles… Played in 137 career games with 48 starts… Has not missed a game, either preseason, regular season or postseason, since game seven of his rookie season in 1997… Also played in five playoff games with two starts in his career… Playoff totals include: one rush for two yards, six receptions for 20 yards and one touchdown and two kickoff returns for 23 yards… Played an instrumental role in the Jets’ running game, leading the way for RB Curtis Martin to gain 1,697 rushing yards and become the 2004 NFL rushing champion… Totaled 147 career receptions for 1,188 yards and five touchdowns… Also rushed 61 times for 244 yards and one touchdown… One of the leading fullbacks over the course of the past three seasons (2003-05) with 120 receptions… Signed by the Buccaneers on April 25, 2006… Spent nine seasons with the Jets from 1997-2005… Claimed off waivers by the Jets on August 25, 1997 from the Green Bay Packers… Selected in the seventh round (231st overall) by the Packers in the 1997 NFL Draft. |
 2005: Played in 16 games with 14 starts with the Jets… Caught 28 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns… Also rushed once for a one-yard touchdown, the first rushing touchdown of his career… Posted three catches for 52 total yards at Kansas City (9/11)… Against Miami (9/18), registered three receptions and a touchdown… Posted his first career rushing touchdown on a one-yard run and had a special teams tackle vs. Jacksonville (9/25)… At Baltimore (10/2), recorded one reception for five yards… Played on offense and special teams collecting two solo tackles vs. Tampa Bay (10/9)… Started and saw action on special teams at Buffalo (10/16)… Totaled four receptions for 14 yards and recorded an assisted tackle at Atlanta (10/24)… Totaled four receptions for 23 yards, including a touchdown, and played on special teams vs. San Diego (11/6)… Registered two receptions for eight yards at Carolina (11/13)… Caught two passes for eight yards at Denver (11/20)… Caught two passes for two yards and played on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/27)… Started and saw action on special teams collecting a solo tackle at New England (12/4)… Tied for the team lead in receptions with four, tallying 20 receiving yards and saw time on special teams with one tackle vs. Oakland (12/11)… At Miami (12/18), saw action on offense and played on special teams… Saw action on special teams and posted a three-yard reception vs. New England (12/26)… Registered a seven-yard reception and played on special teams vs. Buffalo (1/1). 2004: Started all 16 regular season games with the Jets… Started both of the Jets postseason contests… Totaled 45 receptions for 342 yards and one touchdown… Also posted two rushes for 19 yards… Earned Football Digest’s All-Pro Second-Team honors… Led the way for RB Curtis Martin’s NFL-best 1,697 rushing yards… At San Diego (9/19), ranked second on the team in both receptions (six) and receiving yards (56) and scored one touchdown… Totaled a career-high seven receptions for 31 yards vs. Buffalo (10/10)… Recorded four of those receptions for a total of 20 yards on the game-winning scoring drive to keep the Jets alive in the fourth quarter… Also contributed on special teams with one tackle… Recorded a team-high five catches for 31 yards vs. San Francisco (10/17)… Caught five passes for 38 yards vs. Houston (12/5)… Started and recorded five receptions for a season-high 83 yards vs. Seattle (12/19)… Saw time on offense and special teams and recorded one tackle in AFC Wild Card game at San Diego (1/8)… Recorded three receptions for 11 yards in the Divisional game at Pittsburgh (1/15)… Also added one tackle on special teams. 2003: Started all 16 games with the Jets… Finished second on the team with 47 receptions, along with 436 receiving yards and one touchdown… Led all AFC fullbacks and ranked second in the league with 47 receptions… Also carried once for two yards… Finished second on the team with 22 special teams tackles… Made the third start of his career and his first since 1998 in the season opener at Washington (9/4), catching two passes for 20 yards… Tied for the team lead with five receptions, good for 36 yards at New England (9/21)… Caught three passes for 29 yards at Houston (10/19)… Also had two tackles on special teams… At Philadelphia (10/26), caught three passes for 22 yards… Also recorded one special teams tackle… Totaled four receptions for 52 yards at Oakland (11/9), including a three-yard touchdown that led to the game-tying two-point conversion with just over one minute remaining in the fourth quarter… The touchdown was his second regular-season score of his career and third overall, all of which coming against the Raiders in Oakland… Also caught a season-long 44-yard pass down the right sideline which helped to set up his touchdown… Additionally, had one tackle on special teams… Caught five passes for 52 yards vs. Jacksonville (11/23)… Also totaled three special teams tackles in his 100th career game played… Tied his career high with five receptions, gaining 43 yards and added three special teams tackles at Miami (12/28)… Caught one pass for seven yards and led the team with four tackles on special teams at New England (12/22). 2002: Played in all 16 games with the Jets… Led the team with 37 special teams tackles… Totaled nine receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball once… Totaled four special teams tackles at Buffalo (9/8)… Recorded three special teams tackles vs. Miami (9/22)… Scored his first career touchdown, finding the end zone on a six-yard pass from QB Chad Pennington at Oakland (12/2)… Finished with one rushing attempt for two yards and caught one pass for two yards in AFC Wild Card game vs. Indianapolis (1/4)… Scored the team’s only touchdown, coming on a one-yard pass from Pennington and returned two kickoffs for an average of 11.5 yards in the AFC Divisional game at Oakland (1/12). 2001: Played in all 16 games with the Jets… Finished season with four rushes for nine yards and one reception for 19 yards… Opened the season with four special teams tackles vs. Indianapolis (9/9)… Registered three tackles at New England (9/23)... Collected four special teams tackles at Carolina (10/28)… Totaled three special teams tackles at New Orleans (11/4)… Registered four solo tackles on special teams vs. Kansas City (11/11)… Recorded three tackles on special teams at Miami (11/18)… Finished a five-game stretch in which he recorded 17 special teams tackles with a three-tackle performance vs. New England (12/2)… Recorded one special teams tackle in game at Oakland (1/6). 2000: Played in all 16 games with the Jets… Finished with two rushes… Totaled six receptions for 84 yards… Finished as the team’s leading tackler on special teams with 19… Finished with a team-high three tackle performance on special teams vs. Buffalo (9/17)… Registered an unprecedented seven special teams tackles (six solo) at New England (10/15)… Had a team-high three tackle game on special teams at Buffalo (10/29)… Recorded the longest reception of his career when he caught a pass from QB Chad Pennington for a 62-yard catch-and-run. 1999: Played in all 16 games with the Jets, totaling three rushes for five yards… Tied for first on the team with 19 special teams tackles… Finished with three specials teams tackles at New England (11/15)… Had one special teams tackle at Indianapolis (11/28)… Finished with a season-high four special teams tackles at N.Y. Giants (12/5)… Totaled two special teams tackles at Dallas (12/19)… Collected two special teams tackles vs. Seattle (1/2). 1998: Played in all 16 regular season games, making two starts at fullback, with the Jets… Finished with 40 rushes for 164 yards and 10 receptions for 59 receiving yards… Replaced FB Keith Byars after he suffered a fractured arm late in the season… Finished with eight carries for 82 rushing yards rushing vs. Indianapolis (9/20)… Finished with 14 carries for 48 yards and recorded two receptions for 14 yards vs. Buffalo (11/8). 1997: Appeared in nine games on the year… Finished the season with seven carries for 35 yards and caught one pass for eight yards… Collected two special teams tackles, including his first career tackle, at Miami (11/9)… Made one special teams tackle vs. Minnesota (11/23)… Had his first NFL touch of the ball on an eight-yard catch-and-run vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)… Finished with seven carries for 35 yards. |
 Four-year letterman (1993-96) at Tulane, where he started two seasons… Played in 43 career games for the Green Wave, starting 31 contests… Finished his career with 1,953 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on 473 carries… Caught 101 career passes for 1,053 receiving yards and four touchdowns… Entered college as a quarterback but switched to fullback midway through his freshman year… Redshirted in 1992… Was a member of Tulane’s 3.0 Club for scholar-athletes maintaining a minimum of a 3.0 GPA… Majored in Kinesiology. |
 Married to Kim with two children, Jillian and Jordyn… Brother, Nathaniel, was an All-America track star at Northeast Louisiana and qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials in the triple jump… Plays golf and enjoys fishing… Cites his favorite spot to fish as the Bayous in southern Louisiana… Participated in the Autism Golf Outing to benefit autism research… Appeared regularly at Jets Academy I, the Club’s after school program located at the Ethan Allen school in Brooklyn, NY… Attended the Club’s Taste of New York event… Visited IS 126 in New York City as a part of the Club’s Jets Geography program, as well as Shore Road School in Bellmore, NY as a part of the Jets Readers Club… Joined the women of the JWO to host a party for families of domestic violence… Participated in the Club’s Football Fanfare/Kid Reporter of the Week Program with The Star Ledger… Was a clothing model for the JWO Fashion Show that raised more than $20,000 for St. Mary’s Children and Family Services… Named an All-State and All-District selection as a quarterback at Baker (Louisiana) High School and was named the district’s MVP… Led his team to a 10-2 record and the state playoffs as a senior, when he completed 61 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 608 yards… Twice named the team’s MVP… Three-year letterman in football and track and lettered twice in basketball… Ranked No. 1 in his high school class with a 4.02 GPA… Born Jerald Sowell on January 21, 1974 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. |
 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
