When it comes to DeSean Jackson, one aspect of his game stands above the rest: The ability to create big plays down the field with his speed. And although he doesn’t like to be pegged as a one-trick pony, he’s made it 13 years in the NFL because he’s a deep threat.
With the Rams, he hopes to be more than just that in Sean McVay’s offense, but he will still run plenty of downfield routes and hopefully catch a bunch of deep throws from Matthew Stafford.
In his first media session last week, Jackson discussed how he became such a prolific deep threat and what he attributes that skill to. As a former centerfielder, he credited his ball-tracking prowess to his time on the diamond.
“As far as what makes me that special deep-threat, dynamic receiver – I take credit to when I was younger, I actually played baseball,” he said. “I was a centerfield man. I was always like in the outfield, I used to tell my left fielder or my right fielder, ‘Anything that comes in the gaps, don’t even think about running to come get it’ because I was like selfish, I wanted every ball, wanted to be diving in the alley and the gaps to make every throw, every catch. So, I think I take credit to being in the outfield and just being able to judge a little white ball.”
Tracking the ball off the bat is a critical part of playing in the outfield, along with getting a jump on it immediately after it’s hit. The immediate reactionary skills aren’t as relevant in the NFL when receivers are running defined routes. However, tracking the ball in the air and high-pointing it is critical on the football field.
Jackson says his brothers helped him hole those skills as a kid, throwing the ball to him and having him track it over his shoulder.
“Transitioning over to being in the NFL is like when as a young kid, my older brothers just trained me and we used to just go out in the park from the age of like 7, 8 years old,” Jackson added. “It was just like every step of the way, we were able to continue to just work and just on my craft. It was just like, I can remember like being a little kid and they just throw the ball up to me and it was like I’m running just over catching, overlooking it on my shoulder. Just so many years of just working on that traction and going down the field and catching the ball is what I really give credit to.”
Jackson expects to run more than just deep shots with the Rams, based on what McVay had him do last time they were together in Washington. He caught screen passes, ran crossers, quick hitches and other intermediate routes, not just deep ones.
He’s excited to see what McVay has planned for him, but the primary reason he was brought to L.A. was his speed. The Rams will take full advantage of that whenever they can.
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