The NFL Network has announced the names of the next 10 players (30 to 21) on their top 100 of 2011 poll, as voted for by NFL players. Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson comes in at 29.
Jackson’s teammate Todd Herremans spoke about him on the NFL Network when Jackson was revealed as number 29.
“DeSean’s like one of the biggest competitors I’ve met,” Herremans said. “He wants to win and he wants to be the guy that makes it so that we win.”
Jackson’s speed is his greatest asset. In the 2008 combine he ran the fastest 40 yard dash at 4.35. His size, when it came to the draft, was his weakness. At 5’9″, 170 lbs., teams were leery of drafting him, and as a result he wasn’t drafted until the second round. But his determination has made him a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.
“He’s that playmaker that always wants the ball in his hands as the game’s running out,” said Herremans.
And Jackson never did it in more dramatic fashion than on December 19th in one of the all time greatest comebacks in Eagles history. The Eagles were playing the Giants in the Meadowlands, and they were down three touchdowns with seven minutes left on the clock. The Eagles tied up the game, and with 14 seconds left in regulation, Jackson returned a line drive punt for a touchdown.
Since Jackson started playing in the NFL he leads the league in yards per catch as well as punt return yards. And in 2009 he became the first player ever voted into the Pro Bowl for two positions in one season.
“Weary” means tired. “Leery” means apprehensive.