DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagle (PIMP)

[Seabiscuit36]

Eagles Trying to Keep Jackson Humble



by Jordan Raanan
ComcastSportsNet.com Contributor

DeSean Jackson walks a bit differently. He talks a bit differently. It has nothing to do with where he's from or what he's done. It's just who he is — a wide receiver with plenty of confidence in his ability.

Jackson possesses an air of confidence (some say cockiness) that is rare among rookies. But it's not so unique among wide receivers. Terrell Owens has it. So does Chad Johnson. Even a much quieter, less flamboyant Jerry Rice, Jackson's mentor, had it. It's seems like a prerequisite for greatness at the high-profile skill position. It just usually takes a few years in the NFL for such self-assuredness to develop. Not for Jackson.

"He's just getting his personality a little bit earlier than some dudes," cornerback Lito Sheppard said. "It's not like he has a top-notch vet receiver over here to tell him to be quiet or anything. So why not?"

Maybe the situation would be different if Jackson was caddying for Rice like Owens did. But Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis are relatively soft-spoken themselves and still trying to carve their own niche.

The Eagles are well aware Jackson struts rather uniquely, especially for a rookie. They appear worried he is going to become overconfident and hit a wall in the regular season. That's likely why they have made a concerted effort to publicly downplay his early success. Jackson is tied with former Eagles receiver Billy McMullen for the NFL preseason lead with 16 receptions. He's fourth with 189 yards. Still, there has been relatively minimal public patting on the back.

"You have to understand, this is exhibition play," quarterback Donovan McNabb said earlier this week. "When you get into the regular season, obviously it's a lot different. Teams are game planning for you, they're coming up with schemes to try and stop some of the things that we've done. So, there are a lot of things that he'll see and he'll be faced with. That's why I say 'just be patient, it's just the preseason.'"

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg reminds Jackson "every day" there is plenty of room for improvement. Coach Andy Reid stated publicly Jackson's "got things to refine." It's been a full-blown assault on the rookie's ego.

Jackson admits he hears it a little bit more than usual from the coaches in meetings and film sessions. "You haven't done anything yet," they say. "We expect this out of you. We expect you to go out there and make the plays you've been making."

The constant pestering doesn't bother the second-round pick out of California one bit.
"That's how it is. You're a rookie," Jackson said. "With the success I've had, they just want to humble me and make sure I'm a humble person.

"But I feel like I'm humble no matter what. It's good for them to get on me, but I don't think I'm going to get a big head. I'm just going to keep going out there and making big plays."

Some construe Jackson's supreme confidence as cockiness. Really, though, it's all just semantics, and all that matters is production.

"It doesn't matter if he's cocky," Sheppard said. "It's the preseason but there are still NFL players out there. They're not letting him do that. If he continues to do what he is doing, I don't know why he shouldn't be happy with it. He's playing good football."

With both the Eagles' starting wide receivers, Curtis and Brown, currently injured, Jackson's workload is expected to increase. Even if Brown's hamstring improves and he returns as expected for the regular season opener a week from Sunday against St. Louis, Reid still isn't ready to name Jackson as the other starting wide receiver. He said Tuesday that Jackson, Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant are all in the running for the vacant starting spot.

It doesn't matter that Jackson has statistically outperformed his competition. The Eagles remain reluctant to bestow the honor on the scrawny, diminutive wideout. They remain reluctant to bestow any praise. Maybe it's because they don't want Jackson's head getting too big too early. Or maybe it's because he still has room to improve. Likely, it's both.

"There are so many things you can get better at every day," Jackson said. "Whatever it is, I look at film and go out there and progress every day."

Cocky or not, progression is good.

Jordan Raanan is a regular contributor to ComcastSportsNet.com. Jordan also runs the Eagles blog, Eaglesville.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Pissed off Lito is much more fun than regular Lito.

That said, he missed on no less than two INT opportunities against the Patriots, so he's got to channel his anger better on the field.

[SunMo]

i love it...the Eagles finally get a receiver with talent and attitude to match and all they want him to do is fall in line with all the other emotional cripples on the team

[Seabiscuit36]

i could give two shteins about what Lito is saying, but the fact that they are trying to break Jackson down is hilarious. 

[shorebird]

I don't care if it's just pre-season or not. I luuuuuuuv what I see. I'm so farging starved for a game breaking wideout that I can't help but get excited about what I see from Jackson.

If he doesn't start in the season opening game, someone should slip a mickey in one of Andy Reid's cheesesteaks.

[reese125]

I hope he watched a lot of tape on how to pull a. Marvin Harrison or Holt before he gets tackled.

[Syracuse]

My hope is that he'll be too fast to take a big hit. Kind of scared about the consequences of said big hit.

[BigEd76]

was just checking to see if anyone bashed the pick but loves him now

Honestly. I hate to be a downer here, but he won't help us right away. This team is a joke.

shocking

[rjs246]

Ha

[SD_Eagle5]

lol

[ice grillin you]

I hate to be a downer here, but he won't help us right away.

lol

what funnier that cole actually thought other people would be down on jackson because he said so or that he had a 50 yard catch on the second play of his first game ever


i wanted this cat last november when i started looking at the potential eagle first rounds picks...hard to believe they got him in the second round

[shorebird]

He was one of the most vauable players on the team this past week. It's shocking that Dmac and Reid have that much conficence in him to call his number the first play from scrimmage. Dude must have picked the offense up with the quickness. He's a two pronged threat. Returns and receiving.

I'm dying to see what he does against Dallas. He's got me stoked. He might be short in stature, but against the Rams he played like he was 7' tall. He'll get tested this week. It's only a matter of time 'till he takes on to the house. The perfect time to do it will be against Dallas at their stadium. Shut that crowd up quick.

[BigEd76]

Dude must have picked the offense up with the quickness.

The same way TO and Stallworth did?

Maybe it wasn't the offense.  Maybe it's talent.

[shorebird]

Dude must have picked the offense up with the quickness.

The same way TO and Stallworth did?

Maybe it wasn't the offense.  Maybe it's talent.

True, but this is a rook right out of college, the other two were seasoned vets who had played on teams with similar offenses.

[Tomahawk]

what funnier that cole actually thought other people would be down on jackson because he said so or that he had a 50 yard catch on the second play of his first game ever

You need to pull back on the throttle, killer. It was only a 47 yard gain