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Can DeSean Jackson have same effect at Delaware State as Deion Sanders?
PHILADELPHIA − As a wide receiver, DeSean Jackson had few peers. The former Eagle could run past just about every cornerback who tried covering him one-on-one.
“He was one of a kind,” current Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown said.
But as a coach?
Delaware State is about to find out after recently hiring Jackson. Jackson, 38, finished up a 15-year NFL career in 2022, which included two stints with the Eagles from 2008 as their second-round pick through 2013 and again from 2019-20.
Jackson ranks third in Eagles history in receiving yards with 6,512, and he is the NFL record-holder for the most 60-plus- and 80-plus-yard catches. But Jackson’s only coaching experience at any level came this past fall as the wide receivers coach and punt return specialist at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California.
Yet current Eagles players said DSU hiring Jackson is a great move. Jackson will be officially introduced as the Hornets‘ head coach on Jan. 8 at the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in the MLK Student Center.
No doubt, that press conference, not to mention practically every move Jackson makes, will garner plenty of interest. At least much more interest than a football program would warrant with just one winning season in 17 years and a 2-21 record under Jackson’s predecessor, Lee Hull.
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But there’s another aspect to Jackson’s hiring that mirrors a trend among historically Black colleges and universities in hiring former NFL stars with limited coaching experience. It’s why Norfolk State, a fellow MEAC school, hired Jackson’s teammate in Michael Vick last month.
This after former Pro Bowl running back Eddie George was hired at Tennessee State in 2021. George led the Tigers to the FCS playoffs this season and was named Big South/Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year.
And that followed perhaps the poster child for NFL stars going to HBCUs in Deion Sanders, who coached at Jackson State from 2020-22. Sanders, known as “Coach Prime,” quickly improved from 4-3 in his first season shortened by COVID-19 to 11-2 in 2021 and 12-1 in 2022 before landing a job at Colorado in 2023.
“College football is so different now,” said Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who describes one of his career highlights as intercepting a pass intended for Jackson in 2022.
“A lot of kids aren’t just signing with schools that they feel like want them,” Rodgers added. “They’re signing with schools that either have a big name or a great coach like the Deion Sanderses and things like that. So I think by bringing those NFL guys into those programs can help turn them around.”
That’s especially true for HBCUs that don’t have the NIL money to offer recruits − and that’s compared with other FCS programs, and it’s nowhere close to the NIL money FBS programs can offer.
So by going with a big-name NFL star like Jackson, Delaware State might be able to compensate for that difference.
That might already be the case as Michigan State wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr., a four-star recruit and the son of the former Pro Bowl tight end by the same name, is transferring to DSU.
Gates played only 2 games last season, with 4 catches for 49 yards after playing in 12 games as a freshman in 2023. So he would have three years of eligibility remaining.
DESEAN TO DSU:Eagles great DeSean Jackson explains why he is taking over as Delaware State head coach
“I think it’s great for those (NFL) guys to go back and get those opportunities to help the guys who are coming up and lead them in the right direction,” Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith said. “(Jackson) can show them how to do things the right way, show them what it takes to be a pro.
“I’m pretty sure those guys have heard a lot about him and seen him play. You just want to be around those types of guys and pick their brains.”
Added Eagles cornerback Darius Slay: “You got a trend going on, and I’m loving it. Those guys, after playing, they don’t do anything but sit around. They’re able to find a way to stay around football and end up being head coaches. They’re real inspirational people. I think they can do a great job inspiring kids.
“Kids seem to trust and believe in people that did it before, that know what it takes to get to the NFL.”
Jackson is certainly proof of that.
As an undersized wide receiver, Jackson relied on his speed to become a prolific wide receiver. Jackson set an Eagles rookie record with 912 yards receiving in 2008. The record stood until Smith beat it by 4 yards in 2021.
Jackson had his best season as a receiver in 2013, with Vick as the Eagles’ quarterback. Jackson had career highs in receptions with 82 and yards with 1,332 that year.
But former Eagles coach Chip Kelly released Jackson the following spring after an nj.com story falsely linked Jackson to gangs in Los Angeles. Jackson, however, wasn’t always the best teammate. He was fined and suspended for a game by former Eagles coach Andy Reid in 2011 for oversleeping on a game day.
Jackson was also fined by the Eagles in the summer of 2020 for reposting anti-Semitic comments on social media. Jackson apologized.
Learning from mistakes is another lesson Jackson can impart to his players.
DeSean Jackson can teach the tricks of the trade
On the field, Smith admired the way Jackson instilled fear into opposing cornerbacks.
“He ran a hell of a blaze-out,” Smith said. “He was just so fast. He’d be running vertical, and DBs would just be getting (turned around). That was one of the routes I loved watching the most because you can see how scared the DBs were of him just running by them.”
Brown, however, said he didn’t try to emulate Jackson because they’re different kinds of receivers.
“You have to be really fast to look up to a guy like that,” Brown said. When reminded that Brown is fast, he responded: “Yeah, but he’s really, really fast.”
Slay knew all about Jackson, going against him in 2016 when Slay was with the Lions and Jackson was with Washington. Slay also covered Jackson in 2017 when Jackson was with Tampa Bay. Slay was traded to the Eagles in 2020 in Jackson’s final season in Philly.
Slay and the Eagles didn’t play against Jackson on his final three teams − the Rams, Raiders and Ravens in 2021 and 2022.
In the two games against Slay, Jackson had a total of nine catches for 76 yards. Slay said his strategy for covering Jackson was simple.
“Don’t let him get behind me because it can get real ugly real quick,” he said. Then Slay added with a sense of pride: “He never scored on me. He could have, maybe twice, but the quarterback missed him.”
While it’s true Jackson can’t coach speed, he can coach tricks of the trade, like moves to get the defensive back to turn the wrong way, or how to prepare for a game, that could benefit a college player.
And Jackson can assemble a staff with other former NFL players at other positions, and perhaps a former NFL assistant coach that he might have worked with during his career.
“That definitely pulls in kids because you want those coaches who played the game at a high level,” Rodgers said. “So knowing that you got Hall of Famers as your coach is going to make you want to sign with those schools.”
Then Rodgers added this, which ultimately is what Delaware State is trying to get from hiring Jackson: “You can really only go up from (2-21). There’s not too much further you can go down.
“I think it’s a good stepping-stone for DeSean, and I hope the best for him.”
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.
DeSean Jackson, a former NFL wide receiver known for his speed and playmaking ability, recently announced his decision to join the coaching staff at Delaware State University. With his experience playing at the highest level of football, many fans and analysts are wondering if Jackson can have the same impact at Delaware State as Deion Sanders did at Jackson State.
Deion Sanders, a Hall of Fame cornerback and former NFL star, made headlines when he became the head coach at Jackson State University in 2020. Sanders brought a level of excitement and energy to the program, helping to attract top recruits and generate buzz around the team. His presence on the sidelines and in the locker room revitalized the program and brought attention to HBCU football.
Now, with DeSean Jackson joining Delaware State as a coach, there is speculation about whether he can have a similar effect on the program. Jackson’s speed and skill as a player made him a standout in the NFL, and his knowledge of the game could prove invaluable to the players at Delaware State. If he can bring the same level of passion and enthusiasm to coaching as he did to playing, there is potential for him to make a significant impact on the program.
Only time will tell if DeSean Jackson can have the same effect at Delaware State as Deion Sanders did at Jackson State. However, with his talent, experience, and dedication to the game, there is reason to believe that Jackson could help elevate the program and bring success to the Hornets. Fans will be eagerly watching to see how Jackson’s coaching career unfolds and whether he can leave a lasting legacy at Delaware State.
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DeSean Jackson, Delaware State, Deion Sanders, football, college football, HBCU, impact player, wide receiver, NFL, sports, athletics, success, comparison, athlete, performance, legacy, potential
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