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Well, unforunately, you’re not going to hear DeSean Jackson offer any sort of follow-up commentary about his comments last Friday on a live radio show in which he responded to a question he didn’t much care for with an anti-gay slur. When his toughness was questioned during a live call-in segment, Jackson responded by saying ‘what kind of question is that you gay a** fa***t.’ Yikes. As I mentioned, no follow-up questions from Stephen A. Smith, the host of this particular interview with Jackson. Whether the timing didn’t line up correctly or whether Jackson said he wasn’t interested in fielding any questions about the matter, I’m not sure. But take a listen anyways to the star wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles to hear his take on a number of other relevant and interest topics.
Jackson joined ESPN Radio New York to talk about what his offseason has been like personally throughout the lockout, what he’s been hearing from fellow players around the league throughout the four-plus month work stoppage, why he thinks the Eagles are on the cusp of great things as a team in 2011, what he thinks Philly needs to do to take that next step forward collectively, hanging out with Plaxico Burress in California recently, being excited about the possibility of Plax joining the Eagles, why he was excited to see Michael Vick assume the quarterbacking duties last season in Philadelphia, and what the Eagles need to do to get by the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in future years.
On what this offseason has been like for him throughout the lockout:
“Honestly man, life has been pretty good. I’ve just been focused on my off the field things as far as having a record label right now, some foundation work, you know I’ve got a bullying campaign. I’ve really been able to spend time doing things that if we were in season or during the offseason, I probably wouldn’t have time or too much time to do. But first and foremost I’ve been working out every day of the week, going back to my stomping grounds of Long Beach, and just training with my track coach, lifting weights, eating healthy, you know, just doing a lot of extra activities. But it’s definitely been a blessing having this extra time to be able to focus on the things I love to do.”
On what the chitter-chatter between his friends and acquaintances in the league has been throughout the whole lockout process:
“Honestly the best thing I can really answer that as far as far as me and other peers and players in the NFL is we’ve just really been ready to get back to work. It’s something that got taken away from us, you know, our liveliehoods…We’ve just all been kind of patiently waiting, it’s been a long process, and we’ve just been hopefully praying and putting our fingers together and just hoping that the ownership comes to an agreement with the players. We just feel the owners have so much equity and are already set for life, and we’re just hoping to keep feeding our families and doing what we love first and foremost. Myself, I’ve been playing since I was seven years old, so taking the game of football away from me has really been tough. But I’ve been trying to stay as positive as possible, and you know, just keeping God first and keep my hope up, man.”
On what his thoughts are about the Eagles’ chances as a team in 2011:
“Man, I think our hopes are real. I think if you ask the majority of fans or people around, I think we definitely have a great shot, especially with Mike Vick having a full year under his belt. You know, just me and him and Jeremy Macklin and McCoy, just all of us playing together for a couple of years. You know, it’s really at a time for us right now. I think we just need a couple of replacements on defense and at a couple of other positions, but I think we’re very close man to winning that Super Bowl. And that’s something I’ve always been dreaming about, just winning the Super Bowl. And being that close that year, man….I went to college with Aaron Rodgers, he was a great quarterback and he’s done some great things. That was just tough, we lost to them twice last year, and if we would have beaten that one team, honestly, I think we would have made the Super Bowl. So we’ve just got to stay tight together as a team, man, and keep working hard.”
On Plaxico Burress being adamant about wanting to join the Eagles:
“Honestly, Plaxico just came out to California, me and him just catching up. You know, he was actually a good frind of mine, just looking up to him, playing with the Giants he was just always a phenomenal receiver. So that’s crazy everybody just talking about the Eagles, asking about other teams. But in my mind, I think he would love to come play for the Eagles, you know, he and Vick — he already kind of had a connection with Vick — with him being in prison and him kind of talking to him before. So it might be a connection, bro, I don’t know. But regardless, I wish the best for him, and if he was to come to Philadelphia I think it would be a dangerous combination.”
On him seeming extremely happy about Vick becoming the full-time starter last season:
“Honestly for myself, it was a dream come true. Especially looking up to Vick, always watching him at Virginia Tech then going to the Atlanta Falcons, being the first quarterback picked No. 1 in the NFL, I mean, I’ve always had so much respect for him. And for him going through what he’s been through and still be able to get a second opportunity and making the best out of it, first of all I’ll say for the Eagles to believe in him after all the other teams just doubted him and said he couldn’t do it, and for myself to actually watch and witness the every day hard work, the things he was doing in the community, for myself it was really like a dream come true. I was just happy for that man to get that second opportunity and prove that he could do it.”
How the Eagles will get past Green Bay this after losing to them twice a year ago:
“Man, like I said bro, we’ve just got to work together. If we’re working together as a team as the Philadelphia Eagles, I don’t think anybody can stop us. We’ve got to be able to take advantage of our opportunities. We’ve got to be able to protect Vick, we’ve got to be able to stop quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, and like I’ve said, just keep working together. As long as we’ve got that camaraderie as a team to work together, and know we can’t be stopped, I think we’ve got it bro. Period.”
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