Syracuse, NY — Former Syracuse football player Jawhar Jordan, who blossomed into a star at the University of Louisville last season, was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday with the No. 205 overall pick by the Houston Texans.
Jordan played two seasons of football at Syracuse before transferring to Louisville. At Syracuse, he was seeing minimal playing time because he was behind former star running back Sean Tucker. He carried 44 times for 177 yards during his two seasons in Orange.
Jordan also played sparingly during his first season with the Cardinals but thrived during his fourth and fifth seasons of college football. He left with one year of college eligibility remaining but is also 24 years old because he needed an extra year to become academically eligible.
Jordan grew up on Long Island before moving to Arizona for high school. He was a three-star prospect in Dino Babers’ Class of 2018, although his first season with Syracuse was 2019.
Jordan’s NFL value is increased by his ability to contribute on special teams.
Jordan (5-foot-10 and 185 pounds) is smaller than workhouse tailbacks but does have excellent speed, making him a threat on kick returns. The NFL is looking to re-emphasize kickoff returns this year.
Jordan returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns at Louisville and left with the school record for average return on kickoffs (28.6 yards per return).
In his final of college football with Louisville, Jordan earned All-ACC First Team honors, rushing 181 times for 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns. He added 246 yards and another touchdown as a pass catcher.
Current Syracuse offensive line coach Dale Williams worked as a senior offensive analyst with the Cardinals.
Louisville had four players drafted through the first two rounds, including multiple running backs. Isaac Guerendo was selected in the fourth round despite playing behind Jordan.
