First-round draft pick Kareem Jackson signed with the Texans on Friday.
The Houston Texans signed first-round draft pick CB Kareem Jackson and second-round draft pick RB Ben Tate, the team announced today. All nine members of the Texans 2010 draft class are now under contract and eligible to participate in the start of training camp.
Jackson (5-10, 197) was taken with the 20th overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft following his junior season with 2009 BCS National Champion Alabama. He broke up 13 passes, returned an interception 79 yards and had 49 tackles during Alabama's national championship run. For his career, Jackson started 40 of the 41 games he played in and totaled 159 tackles (106 solo), 29 pass breakups and five interceptions for 164 return yards (32.8 average), while also blocking two kicks with the Crimson Tide.
Tate (5-11, 220) was drafted with the 58th overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft after a stellar four-year career at Auburn. In a school lineage that included past and present NFL running backs Bo Jackson, Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown, Tate was just the second Auburn Tiger to lead the school in rushing three-straight seasons.
Tate ran for 3,321 yards and 24 touchdowns on 678 carries (4.9 average) during his Auburn career. As a senior, Tate rushed for a career-best 1,362 yards and 10 scores on 263 carries to garner a second team All-SEC honors and a spot as a Doak Walker Award semi-finalist.
Jackson and Tate are the last of Houston's nine-member draft class to sign, joining WR Dorin Dickerson, TE Garrett Graham, WR Trindon Holliday, CB Sherrick McManis, DT Earl Mitchell, LB Darryl Sharpton and G Shelley Smith.
The Texans also released rookie CB Pierre Singfield.
