Liberty alumnus Rashad Jennings retires from the NFL

Liberty University alumnus and New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (’09) announced his retirement from the National Football League today, putting to end a successful eight-year career as a running back where he started for three different teams and ran for more than 3,700 yards.

Jennings transferred to Liberty from Pittsburgh University in 2006 and was Liberty’s starting running back for the 2007 and 2008 football seasons. During his two-year career at Liberty, he set a Big South Conference record with 3,633 yards, 42 touchdowns and averaged 5.7 yards per carry.

After his graduation from Liberty, Jennings was picked in the seventh round in the 2009 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was then signed by the Oakland Raiders in 2013 and moved to the New York Giants in 2014, where he has played for the last three years.

This year, Jennings also achieved success on the dance floor. Paired with professional dancer Emma Slater on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” the duo won the season 24 competition.

Officially ending his career in football, Jennings said he hopes to keep up with his dancing career and wants to try his hand as an actor, author, poet and commentator. Although he is saddened to bring his career as a professional athlete to an end, he looks forward to the future.

“I’m full. I’m complete. I’m humble. I have no regrets,” Jennings said in an interview with ESPN. “If I can rewind the tape, I would do it the exact same way.”