When you are the top WR on the team, expectations should be simple right? Production and leadership among your fellow receivers should come naturally. For Desean Jackson, this isn’t just another season. For Desean Jackson, these aren’t the same people he’s worked with for the past couple of years. The beginning of the 2013-2014 NFL football season is almost underway, and for the Philadelphia Eagles’ number 1 receiver, Desean Jackson, expectations couldn’t be any higher—on and off the field.
Jeremy Maclin started this year as the number 2 receiver although he is proving to be worth a number 1 position. Then he tears his ACL, leaving Philadelphia to rely on other talents to step up their game.
Riley Cooper immediately comes in and takes Maclin’s place; only to botch that up with poor character choices, putting a gap between himself and the rest of the team—and the NFL.
In comes a new Head Coach trying to replace and regenerate a remarkable coaching tenure that was Andy Reid. The team has to forget the West Coast Offense and prepare to learn a new style Chip Kelly has brought with him from Oregon.
Enter Desean Jackson. Last year this WR played 11 games, leaving with an injury late season, producing only 700yds off of 45 catches. He comes in being owed 6.75 million base salary this year; 4 million guaranteed money and he’s scheduled to make 10.25 million next year. Just the first step for Desean!
Chip Kelly has sat down with the entire roster for the Eagles; mainly to help them adjust to not only a new coach/offense and defense, but to give them his expectations for this upcoming year. Jackson was asked to learn every receiver position besides his own. Desean admits that this was an uncomfortable task for him: “I almost had a reality check for myself to kind of go back to the things that I was doing when I first came in here and how hungry and how motivated I was,” Jackson said.
Chip’s new style offense is designed to be fast paced, but also allowing single coverage for receivers. This makes Jackson a huge threat for defenses because that is his specialty. It won’t be easy though, considering he is now the only deep threat Philadelphia has now that Maclin is gone for the year.
All of this has given Jackson time to build chemistry with his QB Michael Vick. It actually took Jackson a while to realize that Vick was named the starter! “Regardless of who’s going to throw it to me, this year for myself is a huge year,” Jackson said. “I’ve worked so hard to get back after last year, breaking two ribs and having some torn cartilage in my sternum area. It was a tough year for us last year. I say not only for myself, I think this whole team. Everybody on this team from starters to nonstarters, this is a huge year for us. So anything I can do honestly to get back to how I first came in, in this offense and came into this league, that’s what I’m here to do.”
A few of his teammates has noticed a new “spark” within Jackson, starting with Vick: “Absolutely,” Vick said. “DeSean and I are about to watch film right now, which is something we rarely did over the years. I think DeSean is saying, ‘What’s really important? The longevity of this game, doing what is best, striving for something or trying to be the best receiver that you can be?” Coach Chip Kelly tells his take on Desean: “He shows up every day,” Kelly said. “He’s been out there every single day. I think he’s improved. He’s getting stronger in the weight room. He’s another guy that’s kind of bought into what we’ve asked him to do and helped him make himself a better player. I’m excited to see him once the real season gets along because I think he’s a huge advantage for us because he can create some mismatches out there.”
Desean had a chance before training camp started to sit down with ESPN’s Stephen Smith and Skip Bayless on their show First Take to discuss his new situation in Philadelphia—check out the video:
Any stat nut could tell you that Desean Jackson has played in 71 games, has 274 receptions for 4785yds and 23tds. They could add his 1223 special teams’ yardage with another 4tds. Could they tell you that Desean has started his own record label? Do they know that he has already released his debut rap single with Snoop Dogg?
D JAC, started Jaccpot Records in 2012, and although it just started, he has found some success. Desean plans on releasing the first album rather soon, but for now he has this video with rapper Snoop Dogg: (some of the content is explicit)
Also check out this video in which Jackson explains Jaccpot records:
Jaccpot Records holds a facebook account as well as a twitter account. @JACCPOTRECORDS and Desean’s facebook page is the official page to find info on Jaccpot Records.
Since 2010, Desean has also been working on the Desean Jackson Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer; an organization that he started in honor of his father, who passed away from the disease. Check out this organization’s facebook page for more details and info on where he will be next.
Let’s sum this all up; Desean is working on his foundation, he has started his own record label and he is learning an entirely new offense with a new coach. He has to not only learn how to play his position within this new system, but he also has to learn every receiver position in the offense.
The sometimes brutal fans in Philadelphia might have some pretty high expectations for Desean and the rest of the Eagles this year, but it seems as if Desean Jackson is setting the bar higher for himself more than anyone else could.
