DeSean Jackson

Early life

Jackson was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles of the city. Jackson is the son of Bill and Gayle Jackson, and his oldest brother, Byron, is a former San Jose State wide receiver who spent two seasons on the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad. His father was hospitalized with pancreatic cancer during the Eagles run in the 2009 playoffs, and passed away on May 14, 2009. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, the same high school as future Philadelphia Eagles teammate Winston Justice and many other current NFL players. He became one of the top wide receiver recruits in the nation, with many collegiate football programs pursuing his services. He was named the 2004 Glenn Davis Award winner by the Los Angeles Times as Southern California's player of the year. He also ran track and played baseball and was scouted by both the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies in his senior year. In track, he was timed at 10.5 seconds in the 100 meters.

Jackson caught 60 passes for 1,075 yards for 15 touchdowns his senior year, leading the Jackrabbits to a CIF Southern Section championship. He was pressed into service last minute as a defensive back in the section title game against Los Alamitos High School, responding with two interceptions, one which he returned 68 yards for a touchdown to help fuel Long Beach Poly's 21–6 victory.

To cap off his high school career, Jackson was voted the Most Valuable Player at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, where he caught seven passes for 141 yards and passed for a 45-yard touchdown in leading the West to a 35–3 victory in a game that featured 80 of the nation's top players. However, he was also involved in an embarrassing play when he attempted to somersault from the five-yard line for a touchdown, but landed on the one-yard line, leaving the football there. ESPN.com's Tom Lemming rated him as the number four wide receiver in the country, PrepStar Magazine named him an All-American and a member of its Dream Team Top 100 players, and Calhisports.com voted him the 2004 Mr. Football State Player of the Year. He committed to the football program at the University of California, Berkeley under Coach Jeff Tedford, making his announcement on Southern California's FSN West. Jackson waited until the deadline to choose between scholarship offers for California and the University of Southern California.

College career

Jackson attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played for the California Golden Bears football team from 2005 to 2007. Wearing the number 1, in his first collegiate game against Sacramento State in 2005, he scored both an offensive and special teams touchdown, returning a punt 49 yards for a score. Throughout his freshman season, Jackson picked up 38 receptions for 601 yards along with seven touchdowns, eclipsing the 100-yard mark three times. In the 2005 Las Vegas Bowl game against BYU, Jackson tallied 130 yards and two scores. Jackson was also expected to play for Cal's baseball team but, due to the success of his freshman football season, he chose to focus exclusively on football.

Coming into his sophomore year with high expectations, Jackson displayed more of his talent and playmaking ability, tallying 1,060 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Jackson also returned four punts for touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors as both a punt returner and a wide receiver. Jackson garnered national recognition with selections to first-team All-America by the Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America, the Sporting News, and Rivals.com as a punt returner. Jackson also captured the inaugural Randy Moss Award as the top returner in the nation. In one of only two California losses in Pac-10 play, Jackson had a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown against Arizona.

Jackson entered his junior season being considered a Heisman Trophy candidate. His season began promisingly, with a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee in the opening game of the season. Against eleventh-ranked Oregon, he caught 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bears to their first victory in Autzen Stadium since 1987. Jackson finished the 2007 season with 65 catches for 762 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver, and an NCAA-leading four punts returned for a touchdown. Jackson was named an All-American as a return specialist. Jackson suffered several minor injuries that limited his effectiveness at times during the season, along with a right thigh injury that forced him to miss most of the game against Washington and the Big Game against Stanford. He also missed the first quarter of the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl for violating undisclosed team rules.

Jackson left Cal following the 2007 season and declared for the 2008 NFL draft. He departed holding Pac-10 records for punts returned for a touchdown both in a season (four) and in a career (six). Jackson ranks third all-time at California for receiving yards with 2,423 and receiving touchdowns with 22. He is sixth in receptions (162). Jackson finished with 52 career plays of 20 yards or more, making up 23 percent of his 226 touches.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Going to the 2008 NFL draft, Jackson was considered one of the top 10 wide receivers available in a draft class with many talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice was quoted saying that Jackson "has all the talent in the world. There's no reason he can't be everything he wants to be at the next level." At the 2008 NFL Combine, Jackson had an impressive showing, running an official 4.35 40-yard dash. He performed well in positional drills, running routes fluidly, and catching passes very well displaying his well-known agility and quickness. He also posted a standing broad jump of 10 feet.

Philadelphia Eagles (first stint)

On April 26, 2008, Jackson was selected in the second round (49th overall) of the 2008 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was the seventh wide receiver taken, the first time no wide receivers were drafted in the first round. On July 20, he agreed to terms on a four-year contract with the team.

Jackson had a good preseason performance, which included a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown against the New England Patriots in the third preseason game. After the Eagles' roster was cut to its maximum 53-man limit for the season, he was listed as the starting punt returner and as a second-string wide receiver.

Due to injuries sustained by Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, Jackson was the first rookie to start opening day for head coach Andy Reid. On September 7, Jackson collected six catches for 106 yards in a 38–3 win over the St. Louis Rams. He also returned eight punts for a total of 97 yards, including a 60-yard punt return to set up a field goal. He had over 200 all-purpose yards, a record for a rookie wide receiver. During a Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys on September 15, Jackson celebrated prematurely before running into the end zone by flipping the football behind him at the one-yard line. This led to what would have otherwise been his first NFL touchdown to be challenged and overturned, with Brian Westbrook running in for a touchdown from the one-yard line on the next play. The Eagles lost the game to Dallas 41–37. Jackson finished the game with 110 yards on six receptions, becoming the only receiver in NFL history to have over 100 yards receiving in each of his first two games besides the Eagles' Don Looney in 1940.

On September 28, Jackson recorded his first offensive touchdown against the Chicago Bears. During this game, he also fumbled a punt return that set up the Bears' go ahead score. The following week against the Washington Redskins on October 5, Jackson returned his first punt return for a touchdown 68 yards. Jackson scored his first rushing touchdown on November 9 on a direct snap in the wildcat formation with a nine-yard run against the New York Giants. A rematch against the Giants on December 7 which resulted in a 20–14 upset of the defending Super Bowl champions marked the first time in the season that Jackson did not have a reception. The following week, Jackson rebounded, recording 77 yards on five catches in a 30–10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. In the playoffs, Jackson recorded just 1 catch for 34 yards in the Eagles' wildcard victory over Minnesota, and four catches for 81 yards in a win over the New York Giants. Jackson's final touchdown of the season came in the NFC Championship game on January 18, 2009, against the Arizona Cardinals, when he managed to haul in a 62-yard touchdown to cap a six-catch, 92-yard game. Jackson narrowly finished second to Curtis in postseason receiving yards with 207 to Curtis's 211.

Washington Redskins

On April 2, 2014, Jackson signed with the Washington Redskins to a reported three-year, $24 million contract with $16 million guaranteed.

On September 14, 2014, Jackson suffered a bruised left shoulder against the Jacksonville Jaguars and was forced to leave the game in the first half. Despite the injury, he would play the following week against Eagles in his return to Philadelphia, where he caught an 81-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins. The jersey that Jackson wore in that game would be featured at the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he became the third player in NFL history to record an 80-yard touchdown both for and against a team. On October 17, 2014, Jackson was fined $16,537 for a horse-collar tackle on Arizona Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson in Week 6. Jackson broke 100-yards receiving in six games that season, and ended with 56 receptions for a team-leading 1,169 and six touchdowns, and led the NFL for the second time in his career with 20.9 yards per catch. He was ranked 50th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

On August 6, Jackson suffered a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for most of pre-season training, and then injured a hamstring in the first quarter of the season opener against Miami. Jackson did not return until November 8, and even then saw limited duty over the remaining 10 games of the season. While injured, Jackson's home in Tarzana, California, was reportedly attacked and violently defended by guests while he was away. On December 20, Jackson caught a 77-yard touchdown pass from Cousins as part of his only 100 yard game of the season (6 catches for 153 yards). The next week, Jackson was booed by the Philadelphia crowd as he contributed to the Redskins' 38–24 division-clinching victory. He ended the season with 30 catches for 528 yards (career lows) and 4 touchdowns.

Jackson appeared to return to form with 6 catches for 102 yards in a season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He caught at least one pass in each of the 16 games that season, though production was lower during the season's middle. In Week 4, he was fined for wearing police caution tape on his shoes to protest the role of race in the American criminal justice system. He went over 100 yards in four-out-of-five games late in the season, including 3 catches for 102 yards, and a go-ahead 80-yard touchdown on December 11 against his former team in Philadelphia. Following a 7-reception, 111-yard effort the next week, Jackson was fined a second time in the season for the color of his cleats. Both he and teammate Pierre Garçon reached 1,000 yards receiving in a season-finale loss to the Giants, becoming the first Redskins tandem since 1999 to achieve this feat, and also becoming the 7th and 8th Redskins in history with multiple 1,000 yard receiving seasons. He ended the year with 56 receptions for 1,005 yards and 4 touchdowns, leading the NFL for the third time with 17.9 yards per catch.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On March 9, 2017, Jackson signed a three-year, $33.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On September 24, Jackson caught his first touchdown as a Buccaneer against the Minnesota Vikings. On October 5, Jackson caught five passes for 106 yards in a 19–14 loss against the New England Patriots. Overall, in the 2017 season, he recorded 50 receptions for 668 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

On September 9, 2018, Jackson caught five passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the season-opening 48–40 win over defending NFC South champions New Orleans Saints. The performance was his second career game with two receiving touchdowns (58 and 36 yards), despite leaving the game with a concussion. His 58-yard touchdown reception was his 27th-career touchdown over 50 yards, which tied him for third most in NFL history, behind Randy Moss (29) and Jerry Rice (37). He also surpassed 100 yards in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles (129 yards and a touchdown) and Week 4 against the Chicago Bears (112 yards), to enter Tampa Bay's bye-week seventh in the NFL in receiving yards and first in yards-per-reception at 24.9. His output significantly declined from this point, however. Over the next seven games, he averaged three receptions for 47 yards per game, and had only one touchdown reception (though he added a rushing touchdown in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns), before an Achilles tendon injury sidelined him for all but one reception over the last five weeks of the season. The one receiving touchdown, a 60-yard reception in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals, was Jackson's record-setting 24th NFL receiving touchdown of 60 yards or more, breaking a tie with Jerry Rice. The record came a week after Jackson became the 47th NFL player to reach 10,000 receiving yards.

The 32-year-old Jackson ended the 2018 season with enough receptions (41 for 774 yards) to qualify as the league-leader in yards-per-reception (18.9) for the fourth time in his career.

Philadelphia Eagles (second stint)

On March 13, 2019, Jackson and a 2020 seventh-round selection were traded to the Eagles in exchange for a 2019 sixth-round compensatory selection (Pick #208, used to draft Scotty Miller). Jackson made his return to the Eagles in Week 1 against another former team, the Washington Redskins. In the game, Jackson caught eight passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns (his third and final multiple touchdown game) as the Eagles won 32–27. Both touchdowns were long, putting him at 31 career touchdowns receptions over 50 yards, passing Randy Moss (29) for second in NFL history. He underwent core muscle surgery on November 5, and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.

In the first three weeks of the 2020 season, Jackson caught 10 passes for 121 yards before missing the next three games due to a hamstring injury. He returned in Week 7, but suffered a lower body injury in the game and was placed on injured reserve on October 26, 2020. He was activated on December 26, 2020. In Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys, Jackson caught an 81-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts during the 37–17 loss. The touchdown was his record-extending 25th of 60 or more yards and his record-tying 5th of 80 or more yards, joining Jerry Rice, Lance Alworth, Bob Hayes and Derrick Alexander. He finished the 2020 season with 14 receptions for 236 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in five games. Jackson was released on February 19, 2021.

Los Angeles Rams

Jackson signed with the Los Angeles Rams on March 21, 2021. Jackson recorded his first touchdown with the Rams in their Week 3 win against the Buccaneers, on a 75-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. On November 2, Jackson was released by the Rams upon request. With the Rams going on to win Super Bowl LVI, Jackson was awarded with a Super Bowl ring due to being on the active roster during the season.

Las Vegas Raiders

On November 8, 2021, Jackson signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. In Week 12, against the Dallas Cowboys, he had three receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown in the 36–33 victory. In the 2021 season, Jackson had 20 receptions for 454 yards and two touchdowns.

Baltimore Ravens

On October 18, 2022, Jackson was signed to the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad, and became the oldest active receiver in the NFL. He appeared for the first time in Week 9, and in Week 12 he caught a 62-yard pass to set up the go-ahead touchdown late in the 4th quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was signed to the Ravens' active roster on December 5, 2022. He was released on January 7, 2023.

Retirement

On November 29, 2023, Jackson signed a one-day contract with the Philadelphia Eagles to officially retire as a member of the Eagles.

Career statistics

College

Additional sources:

Coaching career

Woodrow Wilson HS

In 2024, Jackson was hired as the offensive coordinator for Woodrow Wilson Classical High School.

Delaware State

On December 27, 2024, Jackson was named the head football coach at Delaware State University. He led the team to a 8-4 winning record in his first season.

Personal life

Jackson was featured on the cover of the PlayStation 2 version of NCAA Football 09. Jackson took part and won a competition of Hole in the Wall in April 2011. Jackson had a small role in the 2017 film All Eyez on Me.

Jackson has also received media attention for plays that critics say show poor judgement on his part, and in particular, multiple premature celebrations which have resulted in lost touchdowns. In the movie Silver Linings Playbook, a psychotherapist encourages the protagonist (played by Bradley Cooper) to wear Jackson's jersey.

Antisemitism

In July 2020, Jackson posted an Instagram story featuring a quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler, espousing Black Hebrew Israelite ideology, that read: "because the white Jews knows [sic] that the Negroes are the real Children of Israel and to keep Americas [sic] secret the Jews will blackmail America. They will extort America, their plan for world domination won't work if the Negroes know who they were [sic]." The post also read "Hitler was right."

Jackson posted several quotes from Louis Farrakhan on his Instagram account in which Farrakhan accused Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates of desiring to "depopulate the Earth" with a COVID-19 vaccine. Farrakhan has been labeled an antisemitic extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Jackson later deleted the posts in question and apologized for his statements.

After the incident, Jackson spoke with leading Philadelphia Jews including Rabbi Doniel Grodnitzky of Chabad Young Philly, Philadelphia 76ers co-owner, Michael G. Rubin, and David J. Adelman, Chairman of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation. Jackson also talked with a Holocaust survivor Edward Mosberg and agreed to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, a museum on the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp.