Trading pigskin for golf

Gridiron pros to tee off for Easter Seals

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Steven Jackson, all-pro running back with the St. Louis Rams and former Eldorado High School gridiron star, will play host for a celebrity golf tournament and fashion show event at Arroyo Golf Club at Red Rock today to benefit Easter Seals of Southern Nevada.

This morning's shotgun golf tournament also will feature Jackson's Rams teammates Marc Bulger and Torry Holt, along with NFL players and former UNLV football standouts Adam Seward of the Carolina Panthers and Keenan McCardell of the San Diego Chargers. In addition, a high-end fashion show is planned for 7:30 p.m. at Tangerine nightclub at Treasure Island, featuring models from the Sirens of TI show. Tickets to tonight's event are still available and can be purchased at www.eastersealssn.org.

Jackson and some of his football friends also hosted a youth mini-camp on Monday, free to local children under 16 years old. It's all part of the football star's dedication to his hometown.

All proceeds from this week's special events benefit the Steven L. Jackson Foundation and Easter Seals of Southern Nevada, which has been providing services to disabled individuals in the area for more than 25 years.

Jackson graduated from Eldorado in 2001 after being selected a first-team prep all-America and No. 1 prep player in Nevada by Super Prep Magazine following his senior year. He led the state in rushing as a senior with 2,764 yards and 34 touchdowns on 386 carries, a 7.1 average, and also caught 14 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns.

As a junior, he rushed for 1,212 yards and scored 17 touchdowns to lead the Sundevils to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Class 4A State Tournament. His jersey number (34) was retired by the school.

Jackson continued his football career at Oregon State University, where he played for three seasons before becoming the first Beaver football player to enter the NFL Draft with college eligibility remaining.

In 36 games at Oregon State, Jackson rushed 743 times for 3,625 yards for a 4.9-yard average and 39 touchdowns. His 4,545 all-purpose yards rank second in school history. As a junior, Jackson ranked 10th in the nation in rushing, ninth in all-purpose yardage and fourth in scoring.

He was drafted by the Rams in 2004 and was second on the team, and third among NFL rookies, with 673 yards on 134 carries in his first pro season.

His career blossomed in 2005, when he ranked seventh in the NFC with 1,046 yards on 254 carries and eight touchdowns. This past season, he ranked fifth in the NFL with 1,528 rushing yards and was selected for his first Pro Bowl, which he competed in on Feb. 10 in Honolulu, Hawaii.