There are some grinds that you can’t run from.
Panthers receiver Laviska Shenault, deep into his arsenal of moves, tried in vain to elude Donte Jackson. All of the cuts, the jukes, and hesitations didn’t matter because Jackson was always there- step by step in coverage. Bryce Young forced the pass to Shenault regardless. Pass deflected and incomplete.
“That’s what we do!” Jackson yelled in celebration. “That’s what we do!”
After tearing his Achilles in November, Jackson had a grind of his own that he couldn’t run from. Surgery and rehab challenged the sixth-year cornerback not only physically, but also mentally. After Wednesday’s joint practice against the New York Jets, Jackson shares with Carolina Blitz his process in rehab and what he’s excited about this season.
Describe your rehab experience and process. I know it was a grind.
Jackson– Yeah! Definitely, that was a great word for it. It was a grind. Everyday trying to get better. Just trying to keep my mental right. That was the biggest thing for me. The rehab process was a lot of ankle strengthening, a lot of calf work, and just trying to get that push-off strength back, and get back to normal. It was a long process about eight months but definitely worth it.
What about the mental? Can you describe mental strain?
Jackson- Just not being able to be out there with my brothers. It’s something that we worked towards all year. You’re working to play all season and be out there with your boys. The worse part of the mentals for me was just having to accept not being able to play and having to be out for the rest of the year. That was the hardest thing for me.
Rehab can be isolating at times. Who reached out to you and kept in contact with you during it?
Jackson- All of my teammates.
Really?
Jackson- My two daughters and my fiancee. They stayed by my side the whole time—my family. My support system made sure I kept my head up and knew that I was going to get back to normal. They just kept feeding me positive thoughts.
While in rehab, what did you notice about the team and your unit of DB’s?
Jackson- They kept me in coverage. Those guys work hard. Their biggest focus was ‘go out there and make it like ‘Jax is still out there.’ Keeping me in the loop, sharing film with me, sharing game plans with me, and making sure I was staying positive.
What has you excited about the defense this year? What are you looking forward to and your impact?
Jackson- I expect to make a big impact. I know what I can do in the league and what I’ve done in this league. I’m just going to go out there and put my best foot forward. I’m just blessed to be back in the position I’m in and being out there is just a blessing. My impact is going to be through the roof.
What you’d expect from this defense is a lot of communicating, a lot of flying around and a lot of guys having fun and just happy to be out there with each other. Sky’s the limit for this group.
