Theo Jackson (American football)

Thedarrius Jackson (born October 2, 1998)[1] is an American professional football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee.

Theo Jackson
refer to caption
Jackson in 2022
No. 26 – Minnesota Vikings
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (1998-10-02) October 2, 1998 (age 26)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:Overton
(Nashville, Tennessee)
College:Tennessee (2017–2021)
NFL draft:2022 / round: 6 / pick: 204
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
  • Second team All-SEC (2021)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 3, 2024
Total tackles:33
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:2
Interceptions:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Jackson was born on October 2, 1998. He was raised in Brentwood, Tennessee.[2] He played on youth teams coached by his father Nate Foster who formerly played college football for Western Kentucky.[3]

Jackson played high school football at Overton where he earned several accolades during the 2016 season. He was rated a three-star recruit and top-25 prospect in Tennessee.[3] On February 1, 2017, Jackson signed a letter of intent to the University of Tennessee.[4]

College career

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Jackson played five seasons (2017–2021) for the University of Tennessee, as a member of the Volunteers football team. He played under head coaches Butch Jones, Jeremy Pruitt, and Josh Heupel.[5][6] He started 24 of 56 games and recorded 190 career tackles. He earned an undergraduate degree in communications.[3] He earned Second Team All-Southeastern honors for 2021.[7]

Professional career

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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
6 ft 0+78 in
(1.85 m)
198 lb
(90 kg)
32+34 in
(0.83 m)
9+38 in
(0.24 m)
4.46 s 1.54 s 2.59 s 4.25 s 7.34 s 37.0 in
(0.94 m)
10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)
12 reps
All values from Pro Day[8]

Tennessee Titans

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Jackson was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round, 204th overall, of the 2022 NFL draft.[9] He was waived on August 30, 2022, and signed to the practice squad the next day.[10][11]

Minnesota Vikings

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On October 11, 2022, Jackson was signed off the Titans' practice squad by the Minnesota Vikings, who were in need of safety depth after a season-ending injury to Lewis Cine.[12] As a rookie, he appeared in 11 games in the 2022 season.[13]

In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Jackson recorded his first professional interception against the Philadelphia Eagles.[14] He appeared in 15 games in the 2023 season.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Theo Jackson Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  2. ^ Woodroof, Cory (April 30, 2022). "Brentwood native, Vols standout Theo Jackson heads to Titans in 2022 NFL Draft". Williamson Home Page. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Theo Jackson - Football". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  4. ^ Theo Jackson's Profile on "Theo Jackson, Tennessee Titans, Safety". 247Sports. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  5. ^ "Theo Jackson College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "Tennessee Volunteers Coaches". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  7. ^ "VFL Theo Jackson signed by Minnesota Vikings". WBIR.com. October 11, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  8. ^ "2022 NFL Draft Scout Theo Jackson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Wyatt, Jim (April 30, 2022). "Titans Select Former University of Tennessee Safety Theo Jackson in the Sixth Round (204th Overall) of the NFL Draft". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  10. ^ Wyatt, Jim (August 30, 2022). "Titans Trim Roster to 53 Players with 29 Roster Moves". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  11. ^ Wyatt, Jim (August 31, 2022). "Titans Add Players to the Team's Practice Squad". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  12. ^ Ragatz, Will (October 11, 2022). "Vikings Sign S Theo Jackson, Place RB Ty Chandler on Injured Reserve". FanNation. Sports Illustrated Media Group. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  13. ^ "Theo Jackson 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Butler, Ric (September 15, 2023). "Theo Jackson Snags First Career Interception Against Jalen Hurts". Rocky Top Insider. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  15. ^ "Theo Jackson 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
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