LaMont Jordan

LaMont Jordan is a National Football League running back, currently playing for the Oakland Raiders.

Born on November 11 1978 in Forestville, Maryland, he graduated from Suitland High School in 1997. A highly-sought area prospect, he won many awards in high school, and played football and baseball, and was a member of the school's swimming and track teams.

He attended the University of Maryland, College Park, and as a freshman, gained notice as as a first-sting player, and finished as runner-up for Rookie of the Year in his conference. As a sophomore, he was named to the second team All-ACC, and was named by Maryland as the team's most outstanding offensive player. As a junior, he began to gain national notice, and was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. In the same year, he was named to the All-ACC first team, and surpassed Maryland's single-season rushing record. That season, he gained over six yards per carry, one of only four NCAA players to do so. He was the NCAA rushing leader over the last six games of his junior season. He sat out the drills preceding the 2000 season due to fears of academic ineligibility, and, having a somewhat lackluster senior year, was named to the ACC second team.

Jordan was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, where he spent four years as a backup to Curtis Martin. Thanks to the fact that Martin continued to be productive on the field, it was obvious that he would never be a starting running back with the Jets. As a result, he would sign a five-year, US$27.5 million dollar contract with the Oakland Raiders following the 2004 NFL season.