Hall of Fame
During the early 90’s the football playbook at Southern Regional High School was simple – give the ball to Jason going left, right and up the middle, every once in a while attempt a pass but be sure to target him. The Rams won only five games during the aforementioned span but their star back who was elusive and possessed exceptional hands, caught the eye of then Tiger head coach Gordy Combs.
The Tigers recognized Jason’s unique, multiple talents and put him to work right away. He was the only freshman in his 1996 class that wasn’t redshirted.
“There was a bit of a legacy going on as far as the runningbacks were concerned with David Meggett and Tony Vinson having played at Towson,” said Jason of his decision to attend Towson. “Also, I was fairly confident I would be given an opportunity to play right away.”
Over his four-year career at Towson Jason erased some of the records Meggett and Vinson had set, displaying a versatility the Tigers hadn’t seen before. Jason became the career all-purpose yards leader with 5,382 yards that included 3,601 rushing yards, 1,725 receiving yards and 56 return yards. A three-time second team All-Patriot League selection, he led that conference in both rushing and scoring in 1998. He was named Patriot League Player of the Week three times. He was an ECAC Rookie of the Week once and an ECAC Player of the Week twice.
He led the Tigers in rushing three straight years including two 1,000-yard seasons. He also led Towson in receiving for two seasons. At the time of his induction he was second on the Tigers’ all-time scoring list with 282 points, third on the career receiving list with 188 catches and 14 touchdowns, and second all-time in rushing on 781 carries with 33 touchdowns. At the end of his career, Jason was Towson’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, rushing yards, scoring and pass receptions. He held the record for the longest run from scrimmage, 84 yards against Wagner. He shared the record for most receptions in a game with 13 against Penn. He is the only runningback in program history to rank among Towson’s top 30 career receivers. His 969 career touches are a program record also.
His best single game rushing effort was 239 yards in a 35-34 overtime victory against Fordham, earning him National Player of the Week honors. He was selected to play in the 1999 Hula Bowl, and later signed with the NFL Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent. He played briefly with the Ohio Valley Greyhounds of the arena league.
“I had a great experience at the Hula Bowl,” Jason said. “I had a very good week of practice when the NFL scouts were there watching. Before the Saturday game, though, they had the four runningbacks draw from a hat to determine the rotation. I drew a four which meant I was to be the last back to get into the game. I got a few touches but nothing spectacular.”
The Buffalo Bills had taken notice and signed him. Up to that point he had never missed a game due to injury. During a Bills’ camp Jason tore his hamstring. After two weeks on the disabled list Buffalo released him.
“After I tore the hamstring I wasn’t able to run anywhere close to where I was in terms of speed,” said Jason. “I couldn’t do the things that would be expected of me as a return guy and a third-down back. Speed and elusiveness were big parts of my game.”
Following the Greyhounds he later joined the semipro New Jersey Pitbulls before hanging up the cleats for good.
