Jackson Goes for Big Catch
Heisman Win Would Put WR in Rare Co.
By Eric Prisbell
August 12, 2007
DeSean Jackson was only 4 years old on Nov. 23, 1991, but the California wide receiver has since seen replays of a certain 13-second sequence from that day so many times he can visualize the dramatic events with clarity.
A man in maize and blue caught a punt, stutter-stepped right, then dashed down the left sideline in a blur for a touchdown that a famous broadcaster aptly stamped "Hello, Heisman!" After the 93-yard return, Jackson recalls, Michigan's Desmond Howard struck the Heisman Trophy pose in the end zone, a fitting punctuation to his trophy-winning campaign.
"I never made the pose, but it has always been something on my mind," Jackson said in a telephone interview. "He is very inspirational to me. I try to do everything like him and hopefully win a Heisman like him."
Jackson, a junior, hopes to become the first wide receiver since Howard to win the Heisman, a trophy long monopolized by quarterbacks and running backs. Only two wide receivers in the modern era -- Howard and Notre Dame's Tim Brown in 1987 -- have won the award.
One of the nation's most dynamic players, Jackson blends speed and athleticism to become a scoring threat almost every time he touches the ball. Elite playmakers on the West Coast have recently starred at Southern California, but this season Jackson commands the spotlight. His university-produced Heisman promotional Web site bears the appropriate addre ss http://www.the1towatch.com.
"It is tougher for a receiver" to win the Heisman, Dan Ferrigno, California's wide receivers coach, said in a telephone interview. "He has to have a great year. We have to have a great year. And he has to improve on what he did a year ago. If there is not a great quarterback or tailback out there, he might have a chance."
As a sophomore, Jackson caught 59 passes for 1,060 yards and nine touchdowns. But defenses often attempted to eliminate him from plays by summoning two defenders his way or by positioning an oversize linebacker opposite him to outmuscle Jackson. In those instances, Coach Jeff Tedford had choices: either get the ball to Jackson by creative means, such as a reverse or screen pass, or go in a different direction. As a result, two other California receivers caught 46 passes last season.
Unlike a running back or quarterback, Jackson must rely on someone else throwing him the ball to put him in position to make a game-breaking play. But like Howard and Brown before him, Jackson is a dangerous return man who can distinguish himself on special teams. Jackson, who led the nation with a punt return average of 18.2 yards, set a Pacific-10 Conference record last season with four punt returns for touchdowns and has five in his career. Now that teams this season will kick off from the 30-yard line, instead of the 35, because of an NCAA rule change, Jackson knows he could be particularly dangerous on kickoff returns if Tedford opts to use him in that capacity.
Because of the position he plays, Jackson understands he is a Heisman dark horse, which means his trophy fate will also hinge on his team's fate. Winning the Pacific-10 title will, as always, depend on whether the Golden Bears can topple USC, which manhandled Cal, 23-9, last season, holding Jackson to two receptions.
While the Nov. 10 game against the Trojans is critical for BCS hopes, the importance of the season opener against Tennessee cannot be overstated. Cal players have universally eyed the Sept. 1 rematch after the humbling 17-point defeat last year in Knoxville, Tenn., that spoiled a season that began with lofty ambitions. This year's game at California Memorial Stadium, which is going to be televised nationally by ABC in prime time, provides Jackson an opportunity for greatness.
"We have got to get revenge to get them back," Jackson said. "It is going to be a big stage in my career."
To that end, Jackson has long emulated Howard because of his ability to thrive when the stage was largest, be it with his "Hello, Heisman!" punt return against Ohio State in 1991 or his 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that earned him Super Bowl XXXI MVP honors as a member of the Green Bay Packers. But Jackson also gravitated toward Howard because neither player is particularly large in stature: Jackson is 6-foot, 172 pounds; Howard was 5-9, 176 pounds at Michigan.
Jackson said he first met Howard during an awards ceremony last year in Florida. This year, he knows the formula to follow in his gilded footsteps.
"I just have to be exceptional on kickoffs and punt returns," Jackson said. "And make big plays."
