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PHILADELPHIA — DeSean Jackson left his mark on the NFL as one of the greatest deep-ball receivers of all time, a reputation that followed him until the day he finally decided to hang up his cleats. On his 37th birthday, Jackson signed a one-day contract with the Philadelphia Eagles — retiring from the NFL and making sure defensive backs aren’t terrorized any longer.
Jackson’s impact in the game was profound. He finished with 641 catches for 11,263 yards and 58 receiving touchdowns in his 15 seasons (along with four return touchdowns). He led the league in yards per catch four times, averaging 17.6 yards per catch in his career with three Pro Bowls.
For years, Jackson was one of the hardest receivers to cover because of his game-changing speed.
“He changed the game. He changed the dynamic of the game,” said Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, who spent years covering Jackson with the Detroit Lions. “He really was the first true 160-pound receiver — a super threat. Definitely a deep ball guy.
“A lot of guys that used to be that small, they were quick and inter-changing, intermediate guys. But I think he changed the game for the deep ball guys. Most of the deep ball guys back then was Calvin [Johnson], Julio [Jones], Andre [Johnson]. Those (are) 6-3, 6-4 guys. He came in and changed the game. A little, skinny guy showed he can compete at a high level.”
While Jackson certainly redefined the wide receiver position and made the deep ball prevalent for today’s NFL, his unique skill set is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration — even if he doesn’t have the raw numbers that the selection committee considers.
“That was a goal for me. It was a vision. It was a dream,” Jackson said. “I definitely feel like my body of work speaks for itself. (I’m) breaking records and creating records. There are records that wasn’t even heard of that I was putting in the record books.”
Jackson’s…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/desean-jackson-feels-hes-worthy-of-hall-of-fame-examining-case-for-one-of-nfls-greatest-deep-ball-receivers/
Author : Jeff Kerr
Publish date : 2023-12-02 16:05:26
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