PHILADELPHIA – Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson shared an affectionate embrace at midfield – Jackson pulling a hood over his mouth to hide his message to Vick – after a game in the same NFL stadium they called home for five years as teammates. philadelphia eagles,
The Pro Bowl player is now improbably linked as an HBCU coach, pursuing a career path that might have surprised Vick and Jackson when they both shined in the NFL.
“I never thought I’d look out on the field and see him coach,” Vick said. “I know it was the opposite for him as well. It was a really cool moment, a surreal moment. You never know what life is going to throw at you.”
Jackson got the better of Vick in their first meeting as a historically black college coach, largely thanks to rich andersonPunt has been blocked for points passed Delaware State to one win 27-20 Above norfolk state On Thursday night.
This was no ordinary regular season victory. Jackson had incorporated the game into his office schedule, and the Hornets carried him off the field on their shoulders as if they had just won a Super Bowl, lauding the victory and how – like Vick – it has raised the profile of HBCU programs.
“I’m proud of both of us,” Jackson said. “We’re in a position where we’re inspiring, changing the lives of young people at HBCUs. Man, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Caden Bennett threw a 24-yard TD pass to Tahmir Ellis for the Hornets, and james jones A 76-yard run in the fourth quarter secured the latest conference win for Jackson’s team.
Vic and Jackson The signature attraction for each program was the nationally televised weeknight game, a rarity for HBCU programs in an NFL stadium.
Both players played key roles in the Eagles’ run to the 2010 NFC East Championship, where a banner was flown at the top of Lincoln Financial Field. wiki, The strong-armed, left-handed QB and Jackson electrified the NFL that season when they connected for an 88-yard touchdown pass against Washington and a 91-yarder against Dallas, helping both players earn Pro Bowl nods.
“Man, when I walked on the field, smelled the grass, that energy flowed through my veins,” Jackson said.
Jackson, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams and retires after the 2022 season, made a pitch to move the game from campus to Philadelphia. Former NFL stars Hugh Douglas, Marshon Lynch and Cam Newton, and Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham were on the links, and thousands of fans – more than each program’s average in a home game – were waiting for some early rain before Delaware State shocked them.
Norfolk State leads 6-3 – when did the good times begin otto kuhns Kill jj evans When he struck deep in his own territory – for a dynamite 13-yard score. Anderson recovered on the punt and scooped the ball into the end zone for a 10–6 lead, which Delaware State took into halftime.
Kuhns and Evans broke up the old Vick-to-Jackson dynamic on a 70-yard score that pulled the Spartans to within 19–13 at the end of the fourth. Kuhns threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns and Evans had five catches for 124 yards. dresin kendrick Had nine catches for 112 yards.
“Getting a chance to work with guys like JJ, guys like Dressin, guys in that locker room, being a part of that HBCU culture is awesome,” Vick said. “I hope for better days.”
Patrick Fisher-Butler Made field goals of 30 and 26 yards for the Hornets (6-3, 2-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).
With emotions running high while playing in front of a large crowd under the lights, the teams came to a scuffle at the end of the third play and Delaware State’s offensive linemen Isaiah Cook Was thrown out for punching.
Jackson and Vick’s mission is clear – use their celebrity, connections and football smarts to revive two long-suffering programs in the HBCU community, just like Deion Sanders did at Jackson State when he left for Power Four program Colorado.
The 45-year-old Vick, who starred in college at Virginia Tech and was a four-time Pro Bowler in 13 NFL seasons, is off to a hot start in his rookie season.
Norfolk State, with an enrollment of about 5,100 students, is 1-8 and has lost seven straight games. Vick has recently fired some assistant defensive coaches as he tries to revive a Spartans program that has made only one playoff appearance since moving to the FCS in 1997.
Jackson plans a rapid turnaround at Delaware State with an enrollment of approximately 6,500 students, including its first conference win since 2022. The Hornets beat rival North Carolina Central 35-26 last week for their first win in Durham since 1977.
“We [eight] The games before that, and every game, it was hard not to think about this game,” Jackson said.
