Josh Jackson’s meteoric rise in football can’t be talked about enough. Jackson left Lake Dallas high school as a WR for Iowa ranked 1,807 nationally, and a position ranking of 147 according to 247sports. Iowa quickly moved him to CB, and entering spring drills last March he had one career collegiate start under his belt. In 26 games as a freshman and sophomore, Jackson made just 18 tackles with six pass breakups.
When Opportunity Knocks…
After Spring practice in 2017 ended Jackson was named first string, and it’s as if the fuse was lit…and there was no stopping it! His 2017 season was nothing short of miraculous. Jackson became a national name in 2017 by finishing as the nation’s leader with eight interceptions and 26 passes defended, 48 tackles, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. He earned first-team AP All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honors. He also won the 2017 Jack Tatum Award last fall, given to the nation’s top college defensive back.
Check Out This Pick v Ohio State
“I’m trying to stay focused and show them my knowledge of the game and that I know what I’m doing,” Jackson said. “I’ll keep training, get ready for the Draft, and be the best player and person I can be.” ~ Josh Jackson
Photo: David Scrivner/Iowa City Press-Citizen
There is a lot of talk out there about his underwhelming NFL combine results. In my opinion and experience you can throw most of the combine stuff out of the window when it comes to game day. The truth is Josh Jackson is a football player with exceptional athleticism and game speed that should propel him up the first round draft ladder. He’s that pass defender teams like Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Washington, Denver and Pittsburgh are looking for.
I’m not alone in this assessment of Jackson’s ability as Sports Illustrated’s Peter King has him going to Green Bay Packers with the 14th pick. King goes on to say, “his eight picks last year in the Big Ten caught scouts’ eyes, and some think he could be Richard Sherman. He’s tall (6’1”), instinctive, a former wideout like Sherman, and, like Sherman, has a frame that can add some strength.
Checkout These Josh Jackson Highlights
Speaking of rising stars, Josh Jackson has also signed with the new “it” sports agents with VaynerSports. VaynerSports is changing the mold when it comes to the traditional sports agent. In my opinion, this is also part of the “culture of change” that football must undergo. Their players will know personal branding and business like no other—It’s in the Vaynerchuk genes. AJ Vaynerchuck who heads up VaynerSports was the co-founder and COO of VaynerMedia, a 800+ person agency working with Fortune 500 brands with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chattanooga, and London. His brother Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of VaynerMedia. If you own your own business and haven’t heard Gary speak…it’s a must. Together with sports agent veterans like Mook Williams, Tommy Simms and Brian McLaughlin you have the makings of the next NFL super agents. A smart decision made by a smart football player who I expect will go pretty early on day one of the draft this week.
Brought To You By
