St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson Part Ways With Class
By Josh Sanchez
Running back Steven Jackson has been a member of the St. Louis Rams organization for his entire career since joining the league in 2004 as a first-round pick. That all changed today when Jackson signed with the Atlanta Falcons just a few days after terminating the final year of his contract with St. Louis.
As you would expect, when Jackson and the Rams said goodbye after their long run together, it was filled with class and respect.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke made the first move when he issued a statement that thanked Jackson for his contributions to the team on the field and to the St. Louis community.
“For nearly a decade, Steven Jackson served as an inspiration for his St. Louis Rams teammates and our fans,” Kroenke said. “Off the field, his generosity and unselfishness improved the lives of many families in the St. Louis community. We will always be thankful for his contributions to our team and region and wish him success moving forward.”
As you would expect, Jackson sent out a thank you of his own on Twitter:
To the entire ST. LOUIS RAMS organization, THANK YOU for believing in me & allowing me to be an integral part of this team for so many years
— Steven Jackson (@sj39) March 14, 2013
In a sports world that is full of distrust and harsh business decisions, it is great to see two sides have mutual respect and wish each other well before moving on to their next chapters. Hats off to the Rams organization and Jackson for handling this separation with the utmost dignity.
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