Josh Jacobs
A running back whose punishing, patient style and durability turned him from a first-round pick into the NFL's most productive rusher, carrying the Raiders' offense for half a decade.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American football player·Birthday: February 11·Generation Z
Biography
Josh Jacobs's path to the NFL was not paved with blue-chip hype. A lightly recruited back who shared carries at Alabama, he brought a distinct, bruising patience to the professional game. Drafted by the Oakland Raiders, Jacobs immediately established himself as a workhorse, eclipsing 1,000 yards in his first two seasons with a style defined by vision, contact balance, and an uncanny ability to fall forward. His career crescendoed in 2022 when, playing on a one-year contract, he led the entire league in rushing, breaking tackles and records while becoming the first Raider in decades to surpass 2,000 scrimmage yards. That season was a testament to his value, a powerful argument made with his legs that eventually led him to a major deal with the Green Bay Packers, where he aims to prove his elite production is not tied to a single silver and black uniform.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Josh was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Josh Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Josh's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the NFL in rushing yards in the 2022 season with 1,653 yards.
- Named a First-team All-Pro and selected for the Pro Bowl following the 2022 season.
- Became the first Las Vegas Raider to surpass 2,000 scrimmage yards in a single season (2022).
- Rushed for over 1,000 yards in four of his first five NFL seasons.
Did You Know?
He and his father were homeless and lived in a car at times during his childhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In college at Alabama, he famously wore the same pair of cleats for every game, a superstitious habit he maintained until they literally fell apart.
He is an avid chess player and has spoken about how the game's strategy helps his football mindset.
“I always play with a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I've been counted out my whole life.”
