Bears' rookie Jackson ready to start at safety
Less than 11 months ago, Eddie Jackson suffered a fractured left leg returning a punt for Alabama against Texas A&M.
Sunday he's scheduled to be the Bears' starting safety against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field.
The 6-foot, 202-pound safety slid into the fourth round of the draft, partly because his injury prevented him from working out at the Scouting Combine or even at Alabama's pro day. But his smooth transition to the NFL is making him look more and more like one of the better bargains in the draft.
Considering the Bears' recent history of mediocrity at the safety position, Jackson fills a gaping hole. Bears scouts and GM Ryan Pace believed that Jackson's skill set and potential outweighed the injury. Playing him alongside wily veteran safety Quintin Demps provides an optimum mix of youth and experience.
"What we saw in the (pre-) draft (evaluation) is his ball skills jump out right away," Pace said. "He's got natural instincts and anticipation. That's something back there that we've been looking for for a while now, and I think he pairs really well with Demps.
"We've got the savvy vet with Demps, and the emerging rookie with Jackson. You can just see him anticipate routes, break on things early and just have a great feel and natural instincts back there. (The moment) is not too big for him. He plays with a confidence and swagger that's refreshing to see in a young player."
That self-confidence is understated in the soft-spoken Jackson. He's familiar with performing on a bigger stage early. He moved into the starting lineup as a cornerback for the Crimson Tide as a true freshman.
"I'm just approaching every day ready to work, coming to practice every day wanting to get better," Jackson said. "You don't feel complacent and don't feel like you're better than anyone. You just keep working and looking up to the older guys."
Jackson has used to his advantage the experience of the Bears' older defensive backs, especially Demps.
"He's helped me a lot," Jackson said. "He sent me a text, 'Study film at least 20 minutes a night.' He's been around the game for a long time. He treats me like a little brother and he always tells me, 'Stay on your keys,' and he says to make sure my mind is fresh."
Jackson doesn't need any help with the physical aspect of the game. His ability to make game-changing plays with the ball in his hands is one of his strongest attributes.
That athleticism jumped off the screen when the Bears watched his tape. As a junior, he picked off 6 passes, returned 2 of them for touchdowns and averaged 38.3 yards per return. Last year he averaged 23.0 yards on 11 punt returns and brought 2 of them back for touchdowns.
But Jackson had to demonstrate more than athleticism to become the only Bears rookie in the starting lineup.
"Eddie has a good background and obviously has a good football IQ," coach John Fox said. "That's what enables guys to come in and learn and grasp and execute under pressure.
"For any rookie to earn a starting position, regardless of position, it speaks to that (intelligence). It's their work ethic, their football acumen, and how fast they adjust."
The transition to the highest level of football hasn't been difficult for Jackson, who started in all four of his years at Alabama, matching up with top SEC talent.
"He's played a lot of high-level college football," Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "The game hasn't been too big for him at this point."
So he won't be a star-struck rookie, but Jackson doesn't trivialize the importance of Sunday's game.
"That was college," he said. "This is the NFL, so it's a big difference."
But not too big for the Bears' only rookie starter.
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