Jackson Joins Indianapolis Colts as Undrafted Free Agent

DURHAM – Former Duke running back Deon Jackson has agreed to terms with the Indianapolis Colts to join the NFL organization as an undrafted free agent.

Jackson missed only one game during his Duke tenure (48 games), making 31 starts. He rushed 526 times for 2,267 yards with 18 touchdowns, caught 61 passes for 534 yards and four touchdowns, completed 2-of-3 pass attempts for 41 yards with one touchdown and one interception and returned 28 kickoffs for 611 yards. In 1,842 career snaps, accumulated 132 career points. He rushed for 50-plus yards in 21 career games and topped the 100-yard plateau on the ground four times, against Pittsburgh (10-162; 2018), Miami (14-113; 2018), Syracuse (30-169; 2020) and Charlotte (10-101; 2020).

Journey is just beginning for DJack ??@deon_jackson4 ?? @Colts #DukeInTheNFL | #GoDuke pic.twitter.com/FtB4IVv2Uh
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) May 2, 2021

Jackson earned 18 rushing attempts of 20-plus yards, including a career-long 75-yard touchdown jaunt versus Miami in 2018. He posted 15 games with two-plus pass receptions, including a career-high seven catches against Wake Forest in 2018 and had six games with 30-plus receiving yards, including a career-best 89 yards at Pittsburgh in 2018. Jackson recorded two scoring plays of 70-plus yards (75-yard rush vs. Miami, 2018; 84-yard reception vs. Pittsburgh, 2018) and surpassed 100 kickoff return yards twice, against Pittsburgh (6-152; 2018) and Wake Forest (6-110; 2018).

Jackson rushed for 847 yards in 2018, the most for a back during the David Cutcliffe Era and the 10th highest single-season total in program history. Jackson also established the Duke single-game record with 403 all-purpose yards (162 rushing, 89 receiving & 152 kickoff return) at Pittsburgh in 2018. He became just the third player in ACC history to reach the 400 all-purpose yardage plateau (Clemson's Tobias Palmer; 496 vs. N.C. State in 2012 & Wake Forest's John Leach; 411 vs. Maryland in 1993).

A native of Atlanta, Ga., Jackson concluded his Blue Devil tenure ranked sixth on Duke's career rushing and rushing attempts chart, while also becoming the eighth player to surpass the 2,000-rushing yard mark during their career. He tied Shaun Wilson for 13th all-time in program lore for rushing touchdowns in a career. He also became just the fifth player in Blue Devil history to rush for 2,000+ yards while registering multiple rushing touchdowns in three consecutive seasons. Jackson joined teammate Mataeo Durant in 2020 to become the fourth pair of running backs to have eclipsed the 600-yard mark on the ground during the same season. He finished his career tied for sixth in program history with four career touchdown receptions by a running back and 12th in career all-purpose yards with 3,412.

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