Jerald Christopher Jackson (born November 17, 1995) is an American professional football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Jackson earned Pro Bowl honors during the 2021 season and was part of the Patriots team that won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LIII. After his rookie contract expired in 2022, he joined the Chargers before being traded back to the Patriots in 2023.

J. C. Jackson
refer to caption
Jackson with the New England Patriots in 2019
Personal information
Born: (1995-11-17) November 17, 1995 (age 29)
Immokalee, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:Immokalee
College:Florida (2014)
Riverside City (2015)
Maryland (2016–2017)
Position:Cornerback
Undrafted:2018
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:201
Forced fumbles:1
Fumble recoveries:3
Pass deflections:64
Interceptions:26
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

edit

Jackson attended Immokalee High School and played high school football there.[1] He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and ranked as the 20th-best wide receiver in the class of 2014 by 247Sports. He committed to play football at the University of Florida.[2]

College career

edit

Florida

edit

Jackson began his college career with the Florida Gators but injured his shoulder in the opening game and did not play for the rest of the season. He was able to use this as a redshirt year. After being acquitted of an armed robbery charge, he did not return to Florida.[3][4]

Riverside CC

edit

Following his acquittal, Jackson left Florida and transferred to Riverside City College.[5]

Maryland

edit

While Jackson was a student at Riverside, college teams including the Michigan Wolverines and Penn State Nittany Lions expressed an interest in recruiting him. He began practicing with the Maryland Terrapins in April 2016 and transferred there for the 2016 season.[6][7] After the 2017 season, Jackson announced he was forgoing his senior season and declaring for the 2018 NFL draft.[8]

Professional career

edit
Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 9+34 in
(1.77 m)
201 lb
(91 kg)
31+12 in
(0.80 m)
8+18 in
(0.21 m)
4.46 s 1.54 s 2.59 s 4.28 s 6.92 s 35+12 in
(0.90 m)
10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)
14 reps
Sources:[9][10][11][12]

New England Patriots (first stint)

edit

2018

edit

On May 11, 2018, the New England Patriots signed Jackson to a three-year, $1.72 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $10,000.[13][14][15]

After a stellar training camp and preseason performance, Jackson was named to the Patriots' Week 1 53-man roster. In a Week 4 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Jackson recorded the first interception of his career on a throw from Ryan Tannehill.[16] He recorded his second during a Week 7 road win over the Chicago Bears.[17] He recorded his first career start during a Week 13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, playing in 54 of the team's 61 defensive snaps.[18] Jackson finished the 2018 season with 24 tackles, 6 passes defended, and 3 interceptions.[19] Jackson helped the Patriots reach Super Bowl LIII, where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3.[20] In practices Jackson moonlighted as a receiver playing for the scout team.[21]

2019

edit
 
Jackson in a 2019 game against the Washington Redskins

In 2019, Jackson again made the Patriots' 53-man roster. In week 4 against the Buffalo Bills, Jackson intercepted quarterback Josh Allen twice and blocked a punt which was recovered by teammate Matthew Slater for a touchdown in the 16–10 win.[22] In week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson recorded his third interception of the season off a pass thrown by Patrick Mahomes during the 23–16 loss.[23] In the Patriots' 34–13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson intercepted quarterback Andy Dalton twice.[24] All of Jackson's career interceptions to date have come on pass attempts of at least 15 yards.[21]

2020

edit

In Week 1 playing in a game against the Miami Dolphins, Jackson recorded his first interception of the season off a pass thrown by Ryan Fitzpatrick late in the fourth quarter to secure a 21–11 Patriots' win.[25] In Week 6 against the Denver Broncos, Jackson intercepted a pass thrown by Drew Lock during the 18–12 loss.[26] In Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, Jackson recorded another interception, this time off a pass thrown by Jimmy Garoppolo, during the 33–6 loss.[27] In Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills, Jackson recorded an interception off a pass thrown by Josh Allen during the 24–21 loss. This was Jackson's third interception in three games.[28] In Week 9 against the New York Jets, Jackson recorded another interception off a pass thrown by Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter after allowing two long touchdown passes from Flacco to wide receiver Breshad Perriman earlier in the game during the 30–27 win.[29] In Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens, Jackson recorded another interception from Lamar Jackson, setting a new franchise record for games in a row with an interception with five. This interception prevented the Ravens from scoring to end the first half and helped the Patriots earn a 23–17 upset victory.[30] In Week 17 against the Jets, Jackson recorded his 9th interception of the season off a pass thrown by Sam Darnold during the 28–14 win.[31] He was ranked 49th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.[32]

2021

edit

On March 17, 2021, Jackson received a second-round restricted free agent tender worth $3.384 million from the Patriots.[33] He signed a one-year contract on April 16.[34]

Jackson finished the season with 8 interceptions, including his first career pick six, and a league-leading 23 pass deflections. He was selected for the Pro Bowl, along with teammates Matthew Judon and Matthew Slater. He was also named a second-team All-Pro.[35][36] He was ranked 20th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[37]

Los Angeles Chargers

edit

On March 16, 2022, Jackson signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.[38][39] In August, he underwent ankle surgery, which forced him to miss the preseason and the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.[40] He made his Chargers debut the following week in a 27–24 loss to the Chiefs.[41]

Jackson struggled while playing for the Chargers, leading to him being benched for Michael Davis in the Week 6 Monday Night Football matchup with the Broncos.[42] He returned the following week against the Seattle Seahawks, but suffered a non-contact patellar tendon rupture that ended his season.[43][44]

New England Patriots (second stint)

edit

On October 5, 2023, the Chargers traded Jackson and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, following an injury to Christian Gonzalez.[45][46] Jackson wore 29 as his old number 27 was already worn by Myles Bryant. He was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list on December 19.[47] He was released on March 1, 2024.[48]

On August 23, 2024, Jackson was suspended one game by the NFL as a repercussion for his criminal speeding charge.[49]

NFL career statistics

edit
Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

edit
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF FR Yds
2018 NE 13 5 23 21 2 0.0 3 9 3.0 9 0 6 0 0 0
2019 NE 16 6 34 27 7 0.0 5 39 7.8 19 0 10 0 0 0
2020 NE 16 12 37 31 6 0.0 9 80 8.9 30 0 14 0 3 0
2021 NE 17 17 58 44 14 0.0 8 92 11.5 88 1 23 1 0 0
2022 LAC 5 5 15 12 3 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 0 0
2023 LAC 2 2 3 3 0 0.0 1 9 9.0 9 0 3 0 0 0
NE 8 6 25 22 3 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 6 0 0 0
Career 77 52 201 166 35 0.0 26 229 8.8 88 1 64 1 3 0

Postseason

edit
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD FF FR Yds
2018 NE 3 1 7 5 2 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 0 0
2019 NE 1 1 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0 0
2021 NE 1 1 6 5 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 5 3 14 11 3 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 0 0 0

Personal life

edit

On April 18, 2015, Jackson was arrested in connection with an armed robbery.[50] He was later formally charged with three counts of home invasion with a deadly weapon and one count of burglary of an occupied dwelling.[51] On November 14, 2015, Jackson was found not guilty of all charges.[52]

County commissioners in Jackson's home county of Collier County, Florida, declared April 9, 2019, "J. C. Jackson Day" in his honor.[53]

On December 19, 2022, Jackson was arrested in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, following a 'non-violent family issue'.[54]

On September 25, 2023, a warrant was issued for Jackson's arrest in Massachusetts. The warrant was a result of Jackson not appearing in court for a probation violation hearing, which stemmed from a criminal speeding arrest in 2021.[55]

References

edit
  1. ^ Hannable, Ryan (September 7, 2018). "NFL: Immokalee's J.C. Jackson goes from undrafted to New England Patriots". Naples Daily News. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "JC Jackson". 247Sports. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  3. ^ Hutchins, Andy (May 10, 2015). "Report: J.C. Jackson will not return to Florida". Alligator Army. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Hutchins, Andy (November 13, 2015). "Jackson found not guilty, says he wants UF return". Alligator Army. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Bernstein, Daniel (April 26, 2018). "A series of life-threatening events didn't halt J.C. Jackson's NFL dreams". DBK News. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  6. ^ Stubbs, Roman (August 10, 2016). "J.C. Jackson, once sidetracked by legal issues, is practicing with Maryland football". Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  7. ^ Bartow, Ryan (July 24, 2016). "Jackson arriving at Maryland this week". 247 Sports. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  8. ^ Stubbs, Roman (December 10, 2017). "Maryland defensive back JC Jackson will skip senior year to enter NFL draft". Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  9. ^ "*J.C. Jackson, DS #18 CB, Maryland", draftscout.com, retrieved June 9, 2020
  10. ^ "Jerald Jackson Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  11. ^ "J.C. Jackson".
  12. ^ "NFL Draft 400: Ranking the Draft's Top Cornerbacks". Bleacher Report.
  13. ^ Handel, Craig (April 28, 2018). "NFL Draft: Immokalee's J.C. Jackson signs with Patriots as free agent after not being picked". Naples Daily News. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  14. ^ "Patriots sign six of nine 2018 NFL Draft selections; Sign nine rookie free agents; Release OL Tony Garcia". Patriots.com. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018.
  15. ^ "Spotrac.com: J.C. Jackson contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  16. ^ "Former Terp JC Jackson grabbed his first NFL interception on Sunday". DBK News. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  17. ^ McBride, Jim (October 26, 2018). "Patriots rookie J.C. Jackson showed a gift of grab vs. Bears - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "Patriots defensive snaps". twitter.com. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  19. ^ "J.C. Jackson Stats, News, Bio". ESPN. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  20. ^ Shpigel, Ben (February 4, 2019). "Patriots Win in Lowest-Scoring Super Bowl Ever". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Cox, Zack (December 16, 2019). "How J.C. Jackson's Receiver Skills Are Paying Off For Patriots' Secondary". NESN.com. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  22. ^ "Patriots stay undefeated, hang on to beat Bills 16-10". ESPN. Associated Press. September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  23. ^ "KC survives mistakes, take AFC West with 23-13 win over Pats". ESPN. December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  24. ^ "Brady throws 2 TDs, Patriots beat Bengals to clinch playoffs". ESPN. December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  25. ^ "Newton runs for 2 TDs, Patriots hold off Dolphins 21-11". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  26. ^ "Denver Broncos at New England Patriots - October 18th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  27. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots – October 25th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  28. ^ "New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – November 1st, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  29. ^ "New England Patriots at New York Jets - November 9th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  30. ^ "Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots - November 15th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  31. ^ "New York Jets at New England Patriots - January 3rd, 2021". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  32. ^ "2021 NFL Top 100". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  33. ^ Alper, Josh (March 17, 2021). "Patriots apply second-round tender to J.C. Jackson". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  34. ^ "Patriots Sign Restricted Free Agent DB J.C. Jackson; Release OL Dustin Woodard". Patriots.com. April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  35. ^ "Patriots Matt Judon, J.C. Jackson, Matthew Slater named to 2022 Pro Bowl". Boston Herald. December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  36. ^ "Jackson, Slater named second-team All-Pro".
  37. ^ "2022 NFL Top 100". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  38. ^ Maya, Adam (March 14, 2022). "Chargers expected to sign former Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson to five-year, $82.5M deal". NFL.com. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  39. ^ "Los Angeles Chargers Announce Free Agency Moves". March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  40. ^ Shook, Nick (August 23, 2022). "Chargers CB J.C. Jackson undergoes ankle surgery, out 2-4 weeks". NFL.com. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  41. ^ Cole, Mike (September 16, 2022). "'Premier' J.C. Jackson Had Horrendous Chargers Premiere Vs. Chiefs". NESN. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  42. ^ "Chargers' J.C. Jackson benched: $82M CB replaced at halftime vs. Broncos; Brandon Staley explains move". October 18, 2022.
  43. ^ Benjamin, Cody (October 24, 2022). "NFL Week 7 injury roundup: Breece Hall, J.C. Jackson out for season; Mike Williams, David Njoku to miss time". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  44. ^ "Los Angeles Chargers Sign Jeremiah Attaochu; Place J.C. Jackson on Injured Reserve". Chargers.com. October 26, 2022.
  45. ^ Walder, Seth (October 4, 2023). "J.C. Jackson trade: Grades for Patriots, Chargers in draft pick swap". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  46. ^ "Patriots Acquire CB J.C. Jackson in a Trade with the L.A. Chargers". Patriots.com. October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  47. ^ "Patriots Make A Series of Transactions". Patriots.com. December 19, 2023.
  48. ^ "J.C. Jackson: Released by New England". CBSSports.com. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  49. ^ Alper, Josh (August 23, 2024). "J.C. Jackson suspended one game". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  50. ^ Thompson, Edgar (April 19, 2015). "UF football player J.C. Jackson arrested in connection with armed robbery". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  51. ^ Thompson, Edgar (July 20, 2015). "Ex-Gator J.C. Jackson formally charged in connection with April 18 armed robbery". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  52. ^ "Ex-Florida player J.C. Jackson found not guilty in robbery case". Orlando Sentinel. Associated Press. November 14, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  53. ^ Fisher, Adam (April 9, 2019). "NFL: Collier commissioners declare J.C. Jackson Day for Immokalee's Super Bowl winner". Naples Daily News. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  54. ^ Lemoncelli, Jenna (December 20, 2022). "Chargers' J.C. Jackson arrested after 'nonviolent family issue'". New York Post. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  55. ^ Mason, Chris (September 25, 2023). "Ex-Patriots standout J.C. Jackson has new arrest warrant in Massachusetts". masslive. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
edit