Rashad Jennings

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RASHAD JENNINGS

Alumni, New York Giants Author & Philanthropist Rashad Jennings Foundation

Rashad Jennings grew up in Forest, Virginia as an overweight, chubby kid with glasses and asthma. He had a .6 GPA and always struggled in school.

Growing up, Rashad dreamed to one day be a Running Back in the NFL and overcame a drastic amount of adversity. During his Junior year of high school, he finally had his chance to shine during a game against his high school rivals. After the first four running backs had gotten hurt, Rashad was called into the game where he ended up scoring a total of four touchdowns, two on offense and two on defense. Following that year, Rashad transferred to a private school, where he repeated his junior year and started to take full accountability for both his academics and athletics.

Rashad went on to play football at Pittsburgh University, but transferred during his Sophomore year to Liberty University to be closer to home and provide support to his diabetic father.

Against all odds, Rashad was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 as the 23rd pick. He played with the Jaguars from 2009-2012, the Oakland Raiders in 2013, the New York Giants from 2014-2016, and has since retired with the New York Giants in 2016.

Today, Rashad is known for winning Season 24 of Dancing with the Stars with his partner, Emma Slater. He is also known as a philanthropist, a NY Times Best Selling Author, and a national TV personality.

He released his first book, The IF In Life, in May of 2017 and is now the author of a children’s series, The Coin Slot Chronicles. To Learn more about the series, visit www.ArcadeLivingston.com.

As a philanthropist, Rashad founded the Rashad Jennings Foundation in 2013. Their mission is to inspire youth by making education fun, providing mentorship for individual success and promoting health & fitness nationwide. To learn more about the Rashad Jennings Foundation, visit www.RashadJenningsFoundation.com.