Rams owner Stan Kroenke thanks Steven Jackson

The St. Louis Rams officially said goodbye to a legend on Thursday when the franchise's all-time rushing leader signed a three-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Rams owner Stan Kroenke issued a statement thanking Jackson for his years with the franchise, where he spent the first nine years of his career.

"For nearly a decade, Steven Jackson served as an inspiration for his St. Louis Rams teammates and our fans as he became our franchise's all-time leading rusher. 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."

A classy move by the Rams and their owner, a nice touch for saying adios to player most easily identified with the franchise since the end of the Greatest Show on Turf.

It's too bad Jackson has to leave just when the Rams are trending up, finally. Jackson toiled in obscurity for most of his career here. It was only when Kroenke took over as full owner of the team that things finally got on the right track.

Jackson thanked the Rams and fans too.

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