to a knee injury suffered during his last year at Oregon State that kept him from participating in drills at the 2004 NFL Combine. Jackson had surgery on the knee after the college season, but required additional surgery after his rookie year to ensure its complete rehabilitation. In an interview with CBS Sports' Pete Prisco on how the knee injury had affected his play, Jackson said, "I never felt right. Now it does." St. Louis Rams Jackson was drafted in the first round with the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He was the first running back to be selected that year. The Rams traded picks with the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals to get Jackson. Denver traded Deltha O'Neal to Cincinnati for their first round pick. Then, St. Louis traded up to Cincinnati's selection to grab Jackson while the Bengals chose Chris Perry to replace the departed Corey Dillon, who was traded to the New England Patriots. 2004 season On July 30, 2004, Jackson signed a five-year, $18.73 million deal with the Rams, which included a $2.5 million signing bonus. In his 2004 rookie season, he was a backup under Marshall Faulk. He made his NFL debut in the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals and had seven carries for 50 yards in the 17–10 victory. He scored his first professional touchdown on a two-yard rush against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4. He saw an increased role toward the end of the season. In Week 13 against the 49ers, he had 26 carries for 119 yards for his first 100+-yard game. In Week 16, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had his best performance of the season with 24 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown. As a rookie, he rushed 134 times for 673 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and had 19 receptions for 189 yards. 2005 season With Faulk aging, Jackson was named the Rams' starting running back for the 2005 season. In Week 4, against the New York Giants, he had his first receiving touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Marc Bulger. In Week 7, against the New Orleans Saints, he had his first multi-touchdown game with two rushing in the 28–17 victory. In Week 8, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 25 carries for 179 rushing yards to go with two receptions for 21 yards and receiving