DeSean Jackson Says This About Coaching at Delaware State

“I watched how Coach Prime moves. He surrounds himself with great assistants and leads through presence,” Jackson said. “I’m doing the same.”

But don’t get it twisted. Jackson wants the support, too. He called on everyone to bring that Colorado-level energy to Dover. Despite the smooth on-field transition, Jackson admitted the biggest challenge has come off the field.

“The football part? That’s easy, Jackson said. It’s the rest. compliance, academics, being a father figure to 90 dudes. That’s the part nobody talks about.”

It’s a full-time job and then some, but Jackson says it’s more fulfilling than he ever imagined. “I didn’t think I’d love it this much," Jackson added.

There’s no sugarcoating with Jackson. He’s looking at the Hornets’ roster with fresh eyes and a tough-love approach. “Some of these dudes… I don’t know how they got D1 offers,” he said, half-laughing, half-serious. Jackson is setting the bar higher than it’s ever been at Delaware State.

Jackson was candid about his playing career. Yes, he was a natural. But he now admits that coasting on talent came at a cost.

“Football came easy to me," he said. "Maybe too easy. I didn’t always work as hard as I should have.” Now, he's using that hindsight as fuel to drive home accountability. His players may not have his speed, but they’ll have his lessons.

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the sit-down interview came when Jackson talked about education. “Once you walk across that stage, they can’t take that paper from you,” he said. “Husbands, fathers, brothers... That’s what I’m coaching these young guys to be.”

It's clear that Delaware State didn’t just get a coach. Jackson is working harder than ever to bring success to Dover one piece at a time.