“I shed all my tears,” Jackson said of getting the call Saturday afternoon from the Packers. “All my emotions came out.”
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst liked Jackson’s combo of physical traits, as well as the competition he faced in the SEC. But what he’s overcome also stood out in the evaluation process.
“He’s been through some adversity and he’s made it to the other side of that, which I thought was something that drew us to him a little bit,” Gutekunst said. “I think what we ask of those guys playing outside corner as far as size, length and speed, he has that.”
In discussing his setbacks, Jackson used the same word – perseverance – to describe how he pulled through.
With the injury, “You’ve got to figure out something else to make you feel better. You just work as hard as you possibly can and, eventually, it’ll all work out.”
Then getting benched last year? “It’s about … finding yourself again and just doing everything that coach asks you to do to win for the team.”
That included contributing on special teams and remaining a good teammate. He credits former Packers safety and 2014 first-round draft pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who’s the director of player development at Alabama (his alma mater), for helping him keep his head up.
“Ha Ha, he became a brother to me,” Jackson said. “He just pulled me aside and had real life conversations. That adversity I was going through during the season helped me get out what I was going through.
“He always told me how great the organization is over there (in Green Bay), the fans, everything about it. So God works in crazy ways. And you know, I guess I’m following his footsteps. So it all works out.”
Jackson (6-0¾, 194) is a speedster, having tied the California state record in the 100-meter dash in high school, clocking a 10.25-second time that ranked second in the nation in 2021.
During the pre-draft process, he ran a 4.41-second 40 at the scouting combine and then a 4.45 at Bama’s pro day.
He was clued in to the Packers’ interest from a couple of calls, the first a Zoom with one of the team doctors (perhaps to discuss the old knee injury) and then a second just this past week from new cornerbacks coach Daniel Bullocks who said he loved his game and told him to “keep an eye on the Packers.”
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Jackson said. “I’m going to prove them right. I’m ready to work whatever it is for the team to win.”
