By the time Josh Jacobs signed his first NFL contract in April 2019, the dollar figure attached to his name represented a reality that barely a decade earlier would have been impossible to picture from the back seat of a Chevy Suburban parked on a north Tulsa street.
The Green Bay Packers running back’s path to three Pro Bowls and a four-year, $48 million deal started without a fixed address.
Dec 7, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) during the game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Jacobs was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1998. When his parents separated and his father Marty took custody of all five children, money disappeared fast. The apartment Marty had lined up for the family fell through. For about a week and a half, the family’s only shelter was a maroon Chevy Suburban. Marty drove through north Tulsa at night looking for lit streets near familiar homes where they could safely park and sleep.
Marty refused to sleep, staying awake to protect his children, and kept a gun in the car for safety. A post highlighting Jacobs’ story circulated widely on NFL social media on Thursday, drawing renewed attention to a childhood that shaped one of the Packers‘ most dependable offensive weapons. Jacobs has earned close to $70 million across his NFL career.
Jacobs has spoken directly about how he processed those years as a child. “I normalized a lot of things growing up – like I never thought, ‘Damn, I’m sleeping in a car,'” Jacobs told ESPN in an interview. He added that the experience gave him an edge. “I feel like it’s an advantage. Because I grind. I wouldn’t get complacent because I never had it easy.”
Marty’s presence during those nights left a permanent impression. Josh later said of his father’s sacrifice during the car period, “If he ever slept, I didn’t see it.” Marty also told the Washington Post he refused to cut corners even when help was available illegally. “I knew the right people to help me get out of that,” Marty said.
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Jacobs 24th overall in 2019, making him the first running back taken in the draft. He received a $6.7 million signing bonus. Within months of completing his rookie season, he bought Marty a house in Oklahoma. The video he posted – showing balloons reading “Welcome home” and his father fighting back tears – went viral immediately.
Josh Jacobs keeps in touch with Henry Ruggs III
Jacobs has often shown the same loyalty and character his father displayed during those difficult years. He appeared on The Pivot Podcast earlier this year and spoke openly about his continued loyalty to former Raiders teammate Henry Ruggs III, who has been incarcerated since 2023.
“I still talk to Henry. Henry still calls me,” Jacobs said. “Keeping up with him and hearing him talk brings me spirits.”
The renewed attention on his childhood story arrives weeks after Jacobs was arrested on domestic violence-related charges in Brown County on May 26, 2026. He was booked on five counts including strangulation and suffocation allegations following a May 23 disturbance complaint. His attorneys denied all allegations. No formal charges have been filed as of the latest update from the Brown County District Attorney.
Jacobs carried the ball 234 times for 929 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns for Green Bay in 2025, ranking top four in the league in rushing touchdowns. He once said of sleeping in the car as a child, “It’s always going to be something that molded me into who I am. It might have been rough, but, I mean, it’s my life.”
He opens the 2026 season under contract with two non-guaranteed years remaining on his Packers deal.
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