It’s football season and all American football players have high hopes of helping their team to victory. DeSean Jackson is a player who raised the hopes of his team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also that of the fans.
The preseason game really proved his mettle and while that doesn’t really count for scoring, it’s a positive ray of sunshine for the Buccaneers. The following is the thing to know about the wide receiver.
DeSean Jackson Bio
DeSean William Jackson was born on December 1, 1986 in California (Los Angeles to be precise) and raised in Crenshaw, Los Angeles. He went to Long Beach Polytechnic High School where he played football as a catcher. In his senior year, he led his team, the Jackrabbits to win the CIF Southern Section Championship. In all, he had 15 touchdowns for 1,075 yards and 60 passes. At the United States All-American Bowl held in San Antonio, Jackson again proved his mettle by catching 7 passes for 145 rushing yards, including a 45-yard touchdown.
By the end of his high school days, he topped college lists of likely recruits and won the 2004 Los Angeles Times – nominated Southern California Player of the Year Glenn Davis. Awards. ESPN.com’s Tom Lemming gave him a high rating as the fourth-best wide receiver in the United States at the time. Calhisports.com was also voted the state’s best soccer player in 2004 and by PrepStar magazine. Jackson also played baseball and did track events.
After initial indecision between the University of Southern California and University of California at Berkeley, he accepted the latter’s offer. The California Golden Bears, the college football team, received it with open arms and stayed there for three years (2005-2007). His freshman year was a huge success with 2 touchdowns in his very first game and a total of 7 touchdowns and 38 receptions for 601 yards this season. Cal’s baseball team also needed his winning touch, but the athlete decided to stick with football.
The American footballer had a best time in his sophomore year with 9 touchdowns and 1060 receiving yards. He has also won several national accolades, including the Randy Moss Award, as the nation’s best player. At a young age, he was considered a contender for the Heisman Trophy. Jackson broke the Bears’ spell that hadn’t won since 1987 at Autzen Stadium by leading them to victory with 2 touchdowns and 11 assists. However, he suffered injuries and missed games. When he broke some team rules, he was forced to miss several games in the first quarter of the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl tournament.
When Jackson left Cal to enter the 2008 draft, he Pac-10 had already returned a career (6) and season (4) punts record. He also ranked 3rd in receiving touchdowns (22) and yards (2,423). Several other accomplishments also bear his name from his university days.
On April 26, 2008, DeSean William Jackson was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and he signed a four-year contract with the team in July. His preseason was good, and he became the first rookie under coach Andy Reid to start on opening day due to injuries to other receivers. The season ended for him with 50 punt returns, 62 receptions, 2 touchdowns and 912 yards on a record, each of which was a record. DeSean Jackson multiplied the shots during the 2009 season and recorded several records. Most impressive was his selection as both a comeback and starting wide receiver for the 2010 Pro Bowl, the first time in history a player was selected for two positions.
A run-in with team management on their apparent reluctance to extend his contract caused Jackson to drag his feet on training, but when he got through, he still gave his best. He finished the 2010 season as a main receiver and also in 2011. His 2011 season was not as good as he suffered several acts of negligence. A five-year contract was finally agreed for him in March 2012; it was worth $51 million and its best result has been reviewed. Unfortunately, the Eagles released him on March 28, 2014.
5 days later, the Washington Redskin picked him up with a three-year, $24 million deal, $16 million guaranteed. He thrived and was considered one of the best players in the league. However, he suffered injuries that kept him out of games and had a career-low 528 yards in 2015.
On March 9, 2017, he signed yet another contract, this time a three-year, $33.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His first touchdown for them came on September 24 in the game against the Minnesota Vikings. In general, his freshman year with Tampa Bay was not great, as he recorded career lows of 13.4 and 47.7 in yards per reception and per yards respectively.
The 2018 season, however, looks very promising for the footballer as he showed good skills again in the pre-season games. He caught a total of 6 passes for 127 yards. This could mean that his speed training, which he claims to have done, was really helpful. We can only hope he leads the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl for the first time in 10 years.
His family
Jackson’s parents are Gayle and Bill Jackson, they have been his biggest supporters. Sadly, her father passed away on May 14, 2009 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Bill would have been a good man who devoted his time to his family. He actively encouraged his children and was known to push them hard to achieve their dream. Two of his sons have realized this dream of playing football at a professional level.
DeSean Jackson has five siblings, two older and two younger brothers and a sister who is also older than him. Her brothers are Byron, William, Desmond and Derrick Jackson, while her sister is A’Dreea Jackson. One of his older brothers, Byron was a wide receiver for San Jose State. In fact, he was part of Kansas City Chiefs practice for two seasons.
Wife or girlfriend, is DeSean Jackson married?
The enchanting daredevil in the field is unmarried and has never been married. He seems very comfortable in his three-year relationship with his girlfriend.
DeSean Jackson previously dated Chantel Jeffries – a model, and Brooke Bailey, a TV host. Jackson and Chantel broke up in 2013 when he allegedly cheated on her with Brooke Bailey.
Social media has many uses, Jackson met his current girlfriend, Kayla Phillips, in 2014 on a social media platform. Kayla is an Instagram model and personality with around one million followers. She comes from a family of five consisting of her sister Sarah, her older brother Brandon, and her parents, Michael Philips and Roselyn Philips.
A few months after they announced their relationship, they also told their fans that their first child was on the way. Jackson’s first son, DeSean Jackson Jr., was born on October 26, 2016. However, Kayla’s first son is named Tru and she had him with his high school girlfriend, OmynNewkirkk.
Kayla who is currently pregnant with Jackson’s second child is referred to as “the trap queen” because she seems to be “trapping” her boyfriend with pregnancy, a kind of insurance game. This allegation was heard by her ex and her baby daddy, Omyn, when he learned of her first pregnancy for Jackson just months into their relationship. Well, Jackson seems happy and the relationship is still blazing with joy forever.
Height, weight and other facts
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 80.7kg
Birth sign: Sagittarius
Ethnicity: Black American
Residence: Moorestown, New Jersey
2017 NFL career stats: 4 return touchdowns, 49 touchdowns, 548 receptions, 1,326 return yards and 9,487 rushing yards.