One month ago DeSean Jackson was still a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. It wasn't until March 28 that the Eagles officially parted ways with the three-time Pro Bowler and, after a few days on the free agency market, Jackson came to terms with the Washington Redskins.
DeSean Jackson’s final call with Chip Kelly
Jackson spoke about his release from the Eagles during an interview on The Arsenio Hall Show on Monday night.
Rob Carr
On Monday, Jackson spoke on The Arsenio Hall Show about the whirlwind that came at the end of March (via CSN Philly):
“It was almost unreal, honestly. My agent called me because I missed the call from head coach, and I’m sitting there like, what’s the reason behind it, what’s going on? Somebody tell me,” Jackson recalled.
“Basically, [Kelly] told me ‘I think it’s best for the team and I think it’s best for yourself [to part ways]. We’re gonna let you negotiate with 31 other teams.’ So I’m like ‘Are you sure?’ I asked him one more time, I asked him what’s the reason, he said that’s what it was. I’m like, let’s get it started, let’s get it going.”
Jackson's release from the Eagles came shortly after a report released by NJ.com linked the former Long Beach Poly High School and California Golden Bears player to Los Angeles gang activity. Jackson quickly denied the claims and the NFL Player's Association launched an investigation to find out if the report was a smear campaign by the Eagles used to justify the release.
During his interview with Hall, Jackson addressed the questions about his attitude and said he wasn’t a problem for his former team:
“I’m an honest person, I’m a realist at the end of the day. I’m human, I’m not perfect,” he said. “At the end of the day I came in the NFL 20 years old, so that was a lot given to me. Coming from where I came from I had to get along, I had to learn some things, I had to go through what I did to get to where I am now. I’m 27 now. I can definitely say I learned a lot. For sure I’m gonna do some things different but as far as like overall, being a bad energy in the locker room, none of that stuff ever occurred. I love my teammates.”
Jackson had the best season of his career in 2013, tallying 1,332 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. Through six NFL seasons, he has averaged more than 1,000 yards receiving per season and has 39 total touchdowns, including three rushing and four as a punt returner.
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