Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has displayed the impact that he can have off the field going back to his visit to "The View" with Nadin Khoury and more recently with Donovan Troy, the young boy featured in the ESPN SportsCenter "My Wish" series.
On the field, there is no question about the impact that Jackson has. After a down 2011 season, one in which Jackson didn't net 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since his rookie season, it looks like Jackson is ready for a rebound year. At least, quarterback Michael Vick thinks Jackson will make a bigger impact on the field in 2012.
"I think his attitude in minicamp and OTAs was outstanding," Vick said of Jackson on NFL Network's Total Access. "I think he came in and wanted to work hard. He worked extremely hard with a different attitude, a different mindset. I'm proud of DeSean, I'm proud of how far he has come and just him being patient. Obviously our organization felt like it was important to get him signed and keep him happy, so I'm proud of both parties."
Jackson was frustrated by his lack of a long-term deal entering the 2011 season. The tipping point was when Jackson missed a team meeting prior to the Arizona Cardinals game. Head coach Andy Reid responded by benching Jackson.
"When coach Reid sat him down against Arizona, that was probably the final straw. That was an eye-opener for DeSean that the world really didn't revolve around him and he came back and played the last couple of weeks extremely well and was very productive for us," Vick said. "DeSean is a good kid; he works hard, he wants to be one of the best and he will be. He loves the game, he loves Andy – our entire team loves the guy. That's our little brother."
Even with a subpar season, Jackson finished with 58 catches for 961 yards and four touchdowns. Heck, Jackson might have broken the 1,000-yard mark if he played in the Arizona game. The former second-round pick is the first player in league history to post 3,500 receiving yards and 1,000 punt return yards in his first four NFL seasons. Armed with a new contract and focused solely on football, Vick expects to see his big-play weapon firing often in 2012.
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