Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American college

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

coach and former running back who is the head football coach at

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a Public university, public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized progr ...

. He previously served as the head coach at

Tennessee State University Tennessee State University (Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennes ...

from

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at Ohio State from

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

. He played in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for 9 seasons from 1996 to 2004, primarily for the

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

/ Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise. George was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. He attended Abington Senior High School until the 10th grade, and then transferred to Fork Union Military Academy. He enrolled at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

and played running back for the Buckeyes, starting for two seasons. As a senior in 1995, he led Ohio State to the Florida Citrus Bowl and won the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

. George was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

in 2011 as a player, and the

International Sports Hall of Fame The International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is a section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Robert M. Goldman to honor exceptional athletes and sporting figures for their accomplishments and dedication to furthering ...

in 2020. The

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...

selected George in the first round of the

1996 NFL draft The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 20–21, 1996 NFL seas ...

. He played 9 seasons as a running back in the NFL, with the Tennessee Titans (both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers) and

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

for a single season in 2004. He became a starting running back immediately upon joining the Oilers. In 1999, after the franchise moved to Tennessee, he led the Titans to the

Super Bowl XXXIV Super Bowl XXXIV was an American football game played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 30, 2000, to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1999 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion ...

, was selected to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

, and was honored as a second-team All-Pro. After football, George earned an MBA from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

Kellogg School of Management The Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management (branded as Northwestern Kellogg) is the graduate business school of Northwestern University, a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois. History Early ...

. In 2015, he guest-starred on an IFC episode of the satirical talk show '' Comedy Bang! Bang!'', titled "Eddie George Wears a Navy Suit and Half-Zip Pullover." In 2016, he appeared on Broadway in the musical ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'' as the hustling lawyer Billy Flynn.

Early life

George was born in

. He played Pop Warner football for the Abington Raiders. He attended Abington Senior High School until the 10nth grade, and then transferred to Fork Union Military Academy. George made the decision to stay at Fork Union Military Academy for a fifth preparatory school year or

postgraduate year A postgraduate (PG) year is an extra year of secondary coursework at a boarding school following high school graduation, but before entering college. It is a gap year option intended for students who either have not applied or were not admitt ...

. Such choices are commonly made by high-school football players hoping to improve their recruitment status with colleges, but for George, it meant another year of the rigorous military lifestyle. George rushed for 1,372 yards in his postgraduate season at FUMA, attracting the attention of several major colleges.

College career

George attended Ohio State University, where he majored in landscape architecture and played for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. As a freshman running back, George scored three rushing touchdowns in a win over Syracuse, but he suffered a major setback in a game against

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. In that game, George lost a fumble at the Illinois four-yard line that was returned 96 yards for a touchdown. Later in the game, with Ohio State leading by two points in the final quarter, George fumbled again, this time on Illinois' one-yard line. Illinois recovered the fumble and drove for the game-winning touchdown. Before the Illinois game, George had carried the ball 25 times and scored five touchdowns, but he had only 12 more rushing attempts and no more touchdowns for the rest of the year. In the following season, George was listed in the depth chart as the team's third-string running back, behind Raymont Harris. He carried the ball just 42 times, mostly when Ohio State had a large lead late in games, but showed his potential by averaging 5.3 yards per carry. As a junior, George became the team's starting running back and went on to rush for 1,442 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a senior in the 1995 season, George rushed for a school-record 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns, an average of 148.23 yards per game, while also catching 47 passes for 417 yards and another score (George only caught 16 passes in his first three seasons). One of his best performances of the year was in a 45–26 win over Notre Dame, where he rushed for 207 yards, his third 200-yard game of the season. He also rushed for a school-record 314 yards and scored three touchdowns in OSU's victory over

. In the three years after his two fumbles as a freshman, George had over 600 rushing attempts and fumbled only six times. Ohio State finished the season with an 11–2 record. George was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He won the

in the closest vote in the history of the award at the time, beating

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

's Tommie Frazier by 264 votes. George left Ohio State second in school history in career rushing yards (3,768) and third in rushing touchdowns (44). Overall, he finished with 4,284 all-purpose yards, 45 touchdowns, and a 5.5 yards per carry average.

College statistics

Professional career

Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans

George was a first-round draft selection (14th overall pick) of the

(now the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

) in the 1996 NFL Draft, being selected after Jerome Bettis elected to be traded to the

rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

over the Oilers when the

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...

replaced Bettis with Lawrence Phillips. George won the NFL Rookie of the Year award in 1996, and was the Oilers/Titans' starting tailback through 2003, never missing a start. He made the

four consecutive years (1997–2000), and assisted the Titans to a championship appearance in

, where they lost to the

23–16. George gained 391 combined rushing and receiving yards in the Titans' three playoff games that year, and went on to rush for 95 yards, catching two passes for 35 yards, and scoring two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. George is only the second NFL running back to rush for 10,000 yards while never missing a start, joining

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...

. Only

Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...

(170) started more consecutive regular-season games than George's 130. Though George rushed for 1,000 yards in all but one season, numerous sportswriters suggested that a heavy workload caused a decline in George's productivity. In five of his eight seasons with the Titans, George carried the ball over 330 times. In 2001, George averaged just 2.98 per carry, the fourth-lowest number in league history among running backs with more than 200 rushing attempts in a season. George's decline in production and several toe and ankle injuries were contributing factors in Titans' owner

Bud Adams Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams Jr. (January 3, 1923 – October 21, 2013) was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL), of which he was also a co-founder. The franchise eve ...

' decision to release him on July 21, 2004, in part due to

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...

considerations, after George would not agree to a pay cut.

Dallas Cowboys

On July 23, 2004, George signed a one-year contract with the

for $1.5 million, plus incentives that could have earned him more than the $4.25 million he would have made under his previous contract with the Titans. George only started eight games for Dallas, while rookie Julius Jones was out for two months with a fractured

scapula The scapula (: scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on either side ...

. He became the backup running back when Jones returned midway through the season, finishing with 432 yards on 132 carries and four touchdowns. He officially retired in 2006. His career totals include 10,441 rushing yards, 268 receptions, 2,227 receiving yards, and 78 touchdowns (68 rushing and 10 receiving). In 2019, George had his number 27 jersey number retired by the Tennessee Titans, along with his former teammate Steve McNair’s number 9 jersey. In 2021, he became a semifinalist (of the 26-person modern-era list) for the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

, the first time he had made the stage since he was eligible.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Franchise records

As of the 2017 NFL off-season, Eddie George still held at least 28 Titans franchise records, including: * Most Rush Attempts (career): 2,733 * Most Rush Attempts (season): 403 (2000) * Most Rush Attempts (playoff career): 206 * Most Rush Attempts (playoff season): 108 (1999) * Most Rush Attempts (playoff game): 29 (2000-01-08 BUF) * Most Rush Attempts (rookie season): 335 (1996) * Most Rush Attempts (game, as a rookie): 28 (1996-12-01 @NYJ; tied with Earl Campbell) * Most Rush Yards (career): 10,009 * Most Rush Yards (playoff career): 776 * Most Rush Yards (playoff season): 449 (1999) * Most Rushing TDs (playoff season): 3 (1999; tied with Steve McNair) * Most Rushing TDs (playoff game): 2 (2000-01-30 NSTL) * Most Rush Yds/Game (playoff career): 86.2 * Most Rush Yds/Game (playoff season): 112.2 (1999) * Most Total TDs (career): 74 * Most Total TDs (playoff season): 3 (1999; tied with Steve McNair x2) * Most Yds from Scrimmage (career): 12,153 * Most Yds from Scrimmage (playoff career): 925 * Most Yds from Scrimmage (playoff season): 521 (1999) * Most Yds from Scrimmage (rookie season): 1,550 (1996) * Most All Purpose Yds (career): 12,154 * Most All Purpose Yds (playoff season): 521 (1999) * Most 100+ yard rushing games (playoffs): 2 * Most Games with 1+ TD scored (career): 59 * Most Games with 2+ TD scored (career): 17 (Tied with Earl Campbell) * Most Games with 3+ TD scored (season): 3 (2000) * Most 1000+ rushing yard seasons: 7

Coaching career

George was named the head coach at Tennessee State on April 13, 2021. He signed a five-year deal that paid $400,000 annually. In 2024, his fourth year as Tennessee State head coach, George was named Big South–OVC Coach of the Year. For 2025, George was hired as the head coach of

in the

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...

Head coaching record

Personal life

On October 1, 2006, George was appointed spokesperson for Tennessee's GetFitTN program by Governor

Phil Bredesen Philip Norman Bredesen Jr. (; born November 21, 1943) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 48th governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected in ...

. The initiative is aimed at preventing

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes (T2D), formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent ...

and promotion of healthier, more active lifestyles. On Saturday, April 28, 2007, George ran the Country Music Half Marathon (ending just outside then LP Field, now Nissan Stadium) in an unofficial time of 2:04:08. He wore race number 27 during the race, just as he wore number 27 during his college and NFL careers. George later stated that completing the race was tougher than playing in the NFL. In 2008, George campaigned for

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's presidential bid.Nick Timirao
Obama Looks to Score Big
''The Wall Street Journal'', February 27, 2008. After he retired from football, George went back to complete his bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from Ohio State. He later graduated from the Kellogg School of Management at

, earning his MBA degree from its Executive MBA program. In 2004, George married American singer, rapper, actress, and author Tamara "Taj" Johnson. She is best known for being a part of the group SWV (Sisters with Voices) and later being a contestant on the 18th season of the CBS reality show ''

Survivor Survivor(s) may refer to: * one who survives Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...

''. On the 12th episode, " The Ultimate Sacrifice", George surprised his wife by visiting her on Exile Island. His other thespian credits include performances on Broadway and in film. George's jersey was retired by the Titans during a halftime ceremony against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

on September 15, 2019, along with former teammate Steve McNair, who was killed in 2009.

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:George, Eddie 1973 births Living people African-American coaches of American football African-American male actors African-American sports announcers All-American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players American football running backs American restaurateurs Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners Bowling Green Falcons football coaches Businesspeople from Philadelphia Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania College football announcers College Football Hall of Fame inductees Dallas Cowboys players Fork Union Military Academy alumni Heisman Trophy winners Houston Oilers players Kellogg School of Management alumni Male actors from Philadelphia Maxwell Award winners NFL announcers NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winners NFL players with retired numbers Ohio State Buckeyes football players Players of American football from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Philadelphia Players of American football from Tennessee Sportspeople from Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Tennessee Oilers players Tennessee State Tigers football coaches Tennessee Titans players Walter Camp Award winners