Stonewalled Jackson charges ahead with Broncos
Former Division III receiver won't take 'no' for an answer
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 21, 2008 at 8:05 p.m.
Chris Schneider © The Rocky
Converted Broncos tight end Nate Jackson, left, ignored people who told him, “No, you’re too slow; no, you can’t play here.”
* Where: Invesco Field at Mile High.
* When: 7 tonight.
* TV: CBS 4.
* Radio: KOA-AM (850).
1. Flip-flop. Thus far, it has been Broncos rookie left tackle Ryan Clady who has had to handle the defense's best pass rusher. But against the Packers, right tackle Ryan Harris will get the toughest assignment. Green Bay lines up its best rusher, Pro Bowl end Aaron Kampman, on the power side. It will be a quality test for Harris.
2. Join the club. Packers quarterbacks have been sacked nine times in two preseason games, and six times it was Aaron Rodgers who went down. The Broncos' rush still is a bit of an unknown until the game plans are in, but it has four sacks in two games, though only two of them are by defensive linemen.
3. Continue to look. The Broncos know they are going to be without Brandon Marshall to start the season. They also know Brandon Stokley is going to be productive in the slot on third down. But all that means is that somebody besides rookie Eddie Royal must produce out of their base formation, especially early in the season, when Royal figures to get extra attention from defenses in Marshall's absence.
4. Keep it up. The preseason passer rating of quarterback Jay Cutler, above, is a heady 110.7, and he is averaging 7.9 yards per attempt. In the regular season, 8.0 usually puts a quarterback among league leaders. He will face two veteran cornerbacks tonight, Charles Woodson and Al Harris.
5. Stay smooth. This will be the last work of the preseason for virtually all the team's starters, who are scheduled to play through halftime. There is some momentum to be had.
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From time to time, Broncos tight end Nate Jackson has taken the plunge into the pool of the written word.
He has arranged those words across the pages of various publications and for DenverBroncos.com, offering insight in between the punctuation. But what if, just what if, the subject of the paragraphs was . . . Nate Jackson?
"Born on a cold, June morning . . . I don't know, man, but I've always aspired for big things," said Jackson, who has taken creative- writing classes at the University of Denver. "I've always believed in myself, I've always felt like I was destined for big things. I felt like the pursuit of those things and the belief in one's self is the most important part."
And when the Broncos face the Green Bay Packers tonight at Invesco Field at Mile High (7, CBS 4), Jackson is expected to have climbed his way into the starting lineup. A guy who played at the smallest collegiate football program of anyone in the game - perhaps in the league; a guy who was told "no" so many times, he says he has learned to appreciate the times he has heard "yes" all the more.
"I've been rejected many times," Jackson said. "But I've also been told 'yes.' To me, it's important to have a balance between the people who don't believe in you and the people who do. For all the people who were not believing, who were saying, 'No, you're too slow; no, you can't play here, you can't play there,' there were people who said, 'Yes, you can.'
"But I could have very easily slipped through the cracks and never gotten the opportunity. But I've met some great people along the way that gave me the chance."
With Daniel Graham recovering from a hamstring injury, Jackson has spent time as the team's top tight end in recent practices. Even with Graham in the lineup, Jackson was added to the formation when the team has gone to its two-tight-end look in practice.
That's a long way from a high school offense that didn't throw the ball, a long way from Division III Menlo College - it's believed to be the second-smallest football school in the NCAA - and a long way from being a wide receiver just two seasons ago before being moved to tight end.
"But the game's not too big for him. When he plays in a game, it's like he's playing in practice," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "Every time he's played in a game, he's made plays. Some guys, with the pressure that they have going into a game, they just don't play. They get a little too nervous because they're onstage.
"Nate's never been like that, and, usually, you know right away. . . . I've just got my fingers crossed that he can stay healthy, that's been his only problem."
Health has been an issue, at times. Jackson missed the 2002 season recovering from shoulder surgery after the San Francisco 49ers released him, then fractured a little finger and tore knee ligaments while playing in NFL Europe in 2003. He suffered a left ankle injury in 2004 that kept him out of four games, a hamstring injury during training camp in 2005 and missed 11 games in 2007 because of a groin injury.
The injury last season came in his first career start.
"But he's got great hands, right near the top of anyone on our team," Shanahan said. "And we've had some success moving people who were college wide receivers who were in the 220-, 225- pound range - Shannon Sharpe, Billy Miller, Desmond Clark, Byron Chamberlain - to tight end. If they're tough, like Nate, I always believe they can make the transition. If not, they don't make it."
His football story, though, wouldn't be complete without a nod to the late Bill Walsh. The Hall of Fame coach persuaded the 49ers to take a chance on an undrafted wide receiver from nearby Menlo - while there, Jackson had 261 catches for 3,976 yards and 43 touchdowns - and Walsh made a call to Shanahan in 2003 when the Broncos traded a conditional draft pick for Jackson.
"I know I wouldn't be here (without the call)," Jackson said. "It was wonderful, he went above and beyond. He didn't have to do any of the stuff he did, he didn't have to call Shanahan, and he did. He didn't have to convince the 49ers to sign me as an undrafted free agent, he didn't have to tell scouts he thought I could play, he didn't have to tell anyone anything.
"But if someone reads something or sees something where Bill Walsh said - whatever the hell he said - they think, well it must be true. . . . I've always believed in myself in all of this, but getting the OK from Bill was a huge boost."
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August 21, 2008
9:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
crushon77 writes:
really? there was a time when byron chamberlain was in the 220-225 lb range? as a bronco?
August 22, 2008
7 a.m.
Suggest removal
LingLingfor_prez writes:
Go Chargers!
August 22, 2008
11:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
westword writes:
Pioneer High School did indeed throw the ball. Just not very well.
August 22, 2008
11:41 a.m.
Suggest removal
westword writes:
Just kidding. Justin Stenger is a high-school quarterback God.
August 22, 2008
12:59 p.m.
Suggest removal
Spider writes:
Chargers are going to have to try to win without Mary Man.
August 22, 2008
2:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
sbhchawk writes:
This is a great insightful article and all the comments are about?
Charger fans, worry about three knees (river, lt, marry) and go play in the sandbox with the raider fans.
Nate, your playing with the big kids now and you got the best endorser known in the game behind you, go prove it and stay healthy.
August 22, 2008
4:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
myerda00 writes:
Nate Jackson has been best TE through OTA's and camp. Tony Scheffler may be a favorite target of Jay's but he will be fourth TE. Even Brett Pierce is getting reps before Tony. I love Tony but he does not work hard.
August 22, 2008
4:39 p.m.
Suggest removal
Dynamicdave writes:
LingLingfor_prez, have another Scotch.
Spider, After the Dolts play Denver, they will also have to get used to playing without Rivers, as well. He is a marked man. (I use the term "man", lightly)
myerda00, I think the problem with Sheffler is that his foot wasn't completely healed and he fell behind. He was in that boot for a month. When he shines, though, he is tough. Of course, Nate can get it done.