MOBILE, Ala. – As players and media struggled to keep from bumping into one another at Mobile Convention Center for media day at the Senior Bowl, former Georgia safety Dan Jackson could only smile.
This was surreal.
Starting as a walk-on and then becoming a starting safety, culminating with an invitation to take part in Saturday’s Senior Bowl, this week was not precisely on Jackson’s bucket list when he arrived in Athens five years ago.
But thanks to a lot of hard work, there he was, rubbing elbows with many of the best players that college football has to offer, on the cusp of realizing his NFL dreams.
“The number one thing is just to thank God for allowing me to be here,” Jackson said. “But you know, I feel like this is right where I need to be, right where, you know, Georgia has prepared me to be. I feel like I can play with anybody. I'm just thankful for the last two days and just want to keep it going.”
Jackson’s story is one of the more heartwarming among the players participating in this year’s Senior Bowl week.
Many participants here this week in Mobile were highly ranked four- and five-star players before making it big at their respective schools.
Jackson’s journey began with considerably less fanfare. But look at him now.
“I mean, I think it's every kid's dream. I think that my journey has helped me,” Jackson said. “It’s awesome just knowing that hard work works. That’s what I tell myself. I try to wake up every morning with a chip on my shoulder, and I think I will for the rest of my life.”
But it’s not about trying to prove people wrong.
“I think just most of my life … I'm not trying to prove people wrong but just proving myself right,” Jackson said. “It’s just the belief in my abilities that God has blessed me with. I’m just thankful for every opportunity. I'm just trying to maximize every opportunity.”
For many, Jackson still might have been an afterthought had former NFL star Shannon Sharpe not gone on TikTok and bragged about Jackson for his performance in Georgia’s loss to Alabama.
Jackson admitted that’s when a lot more people started paying attention. Even Jackson took Sharpe’s words to heart.
“I mean, guys like that that have been around the game for so long, and especially in the NFL, that they say good things about you definitely makes you feel great,” Jackson said.
“I’m thankful for everything. I say it every time, I’m just most thankful for the relationships I've built with my teammates and, you know, just being able to call on those guys the rest of my life. I've played with a lot of great, talented players that are even better people.”
