As he prepared for the 2008 NFL draft, then-Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson had a mentor with a very impressive resume: Jerry Rice.
“He has all the talent in the world,” Rice said of Jackson before last year’s draft. “There’s no reason he can’t be everything he wants to be at the next level.”
Now Jackson is in his second season with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he says Rice is still in his corner.
“He’s a good guy and when he sees me doing things on Sundays, he definitely calls me and congratulates me and things like that. It’s a pretty good relationship,” Jackson tells Jordan Raanan of CSNPhilly.com. “He knows my talent and stuff, so he’s definitely confident. He knows what I’m capable of doing.”
At first glance, Rice and Jackson might seem like an odd couple: Jackson’s greatest asset is his blazing speed, while Rice was known more for good route running and good hands. Rice was the consummate professional, while Jackson has had his share of bonehead plays, most memorably dropping the ball before crossing the goal line on Monday Night Football last year.
But Rice and Jackson have one major thing in common: Huge talent for playing the wide receiver position. Even if their talents aren’t quite the same, Rice appreciates what he sees from Jackson.