Bennett was back for camp with the Giants in 2015 but tore his ACL in their second pre-season game, missing the entire year. The Giants would end up releasing him at the end of pre-season the following year.
You ever have a player in any sport you take a special fandom to for an odd reason? We all do, that’s a silly question.
Here’s the tale of one of mine, a Notre Dame grad who is pretty much the NFL example of Rudy.
Do you remember Bennett Jackson, the former Notre Dame cornerback?
Jackson was a member of the Notre Dame football team from 2010-2013 and a starting cornerback on the 2012 team that wound up playing for the national championship game. After an entirely random encounter and high-five with him after the Michigan game in 2012, I took a special-liking to the young man.
After his eligibility was up in 2013 he was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and was signed to their practice squad that fall.
Bennett was back for camp with the Giants in 2015 but tore his ACL in their second pre-season game, missing the entire year. The Giants would end up releasing him at the end of pre-season the following year.
Fast forward to 2018 and Jackson still hadn’t let that dream of playing in a regular season NFL game go and in January of ’18, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Unfortunately injury again hit Jackson who was put on Injured Reserve on August 31 before being released a week later.
Yet he didn’t quit, instead fought to get back and re-signed with the Ravens practice squad that November. Shortly after their season concluded the Ravens and Jackson then agreed to another reserve/future contract.
However again at the end of this past pre-season Jackson was waived by the Ravens before being claimed by the New York Jets a day later. He was waived by the Jets on September 16 before having played in a regular season for the Jets, but did sign with their practice squad.
Finally on October 15 the Ravens signed Jackson to their active roster, the only way they could get him off the Jets practice squad.
Jackson played in his first NFL game five days later, playing 14 special teams plays and one defensive snap when the Ravens won at Seattle, 30-16.
He’d play three more games for the Ravens, getting a career-high 22 defensive snaps played in their November 11 rout of Cincinnati.
Jackson was however waived Monday by Baltimore but not out of work long as Tuesday he again was signed by the Jets.
Props to him for never giving up on his dream regardless of how many times he was hit with injuries or cut. Whether he takes another snap in an NFL regular season game or not his story is already Hollywood-worthy.
