Safety Eddie Jackson has an unmatched hunger for making plays, and he’s been that way since arriving at the University of Alabama in 2013 as a four-star prospect from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
He missed the last seven games of the Crimson Tide’s 2016 season; however, it did not scare head coach John Fox and the Chicago Bears from selecting him in this year’s NFL Draft. A fourth-round pick, Jackson has turned up the heat in training camp after being limited throughout organized team activities. He recorded an interception during Sunday’s practice on a pass that was intended for wide receiver Reuben Randle, and on Wednesday he struck again with another pick according to Larry Mayer – a senior writer for the franchise.
Per Mayer’s article, Fox has been very impressed with Jackson.
“Kids who come out of Alabama get pretty much a good taste of a pro defense, in particularly from a coverage standpoint, Nick [Saban] having been a secondary coach in the NFL for a long time. So they’re well-schooled, and like I mentioned earlier in camp he’s been a return man and particularly tracking punts. Typically, those guys—going as far back as a guy like Rod Woodson—they have good ball skills and he seems to do that pretty naturally.”- Fox said
Jackson recorded nine career interceptions at Alabama, including a team-high six picks during its College Football Playoff National Championship run in 2015. He returned three interceptions for touchdowns and displayed quickness as a return man – two punt return touchdowns last season.
Jackson is focused on helping defense create turnovers. Chicago forced 11 takeaways in 2016.
Stephen M. Smith is a managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebookor “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
