Eagles news: Best stories from DeSean Jackson’s I Am Athlete interview

DeSean Jackson shares two of his experiences with two NFL legends.

It seems strange to say this, but when Andy Reid decides he’s done with coaching and he enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he’ll do so as a Kansas City Chief. That’s okay though. After 14 years of some of the best Eagles football we’ve ever seen, his place in the City of Brotherly Love is secure.

There’s still tons of love for Big Red among Birds fans. We all developed a soft spot for him. Who knew that he could be standoffish?

Andy Reid refuses to talk to DeSean Jackson during his rookie season.

Most of us have heard this before, but it hits home when you see legends discuss this, Andy Reid’s refusal to talk to rookies. It seems weird that he’d ignore guys like D-Jax and LeSean McCoy, but as they say, “you have to earn that”, meaning you still have to prove you can hack it in the NFL before the respect is given.

Hey, that’s why he’s a legend, right? Big Red definitely has his own way of doing things.

Jerry Rice shares his wisdom with a young DeSean Jackson.

There’s nothing like picking the brain of someone who’s proven themselves to be great in a field in which you’ve also found employment. Before he ever played a snap in the NFL, DeSean worked out with the great Jerry Rice (Fast forward to the 35:23 mark). Here’s some of what he had to say:

"Before I ever touched an NFL field, we (he and Jerry Rice) had the same agent, DeBartolo. I trained with Jerry Rice in the Bay Area. He said ‘run every route’. I ran every route. He didn’t critique me. He ain’t say nothing… Guess what he told me… (He said) I only want to tell you one thing on one route… It’s the five-yard speed-out. He said ‘You’re running too fast. Slow down!’. Once he told me that, I said what you mean slow down? He said ‘Look. You’re fast as hell’, but when you find out how to run these routes and not be (at) full speed, you’re going to kill it’."

Ladies and gentlemen, we can safely say, now that we’ve had time to reassess, that he figured everything out. You know the saying… Game recognizes game.