Michael Vick, Desean Jackson Embrace After Former Teammates Face Off As Hbcu Coaches

Michael Vick rehabbed his shot profession arsenic a personnel of nan Eagles from 2009 to ‘13, winning nan NFL’s Comeback Player of nan Year grant successful ‘10 aft his 21-month condemnation for his engagement successful a canine fighting ring. Philadelphia awesome DeSean Jackson was among Vick’s favourite targets during his tally pinch nan Eagles. More than a decade later, nan brace are pursuing successful nan footsteps of Deion Sanders, entering nan world of coaching by instantly taking complete assemblage caput coaching jobs astatine FCS-level HBCU programs: Vick astatine Norfolk State and Jackson astatine Delaware State.

The 2 friends and erstwhile teammates are now rivals successful nan MEAC, and played their first crippled connected Thursday night—the showdown was appropriately moved to nan Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field wherever 47,266 fans were successful attendance. They were greeted by an breathtaking 27–20 triumph for nan Hornets. Jackson was known for his large play expertise and it was DSU that made nan biggest plays successful Thursday’s win, including a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown by Amir Anderson, a 76-yard touchdown tally for James Jones and a 24-yard touchdown walk from Kaiden Bennett to Tahmir Ellis, which capped a 17-play, 97-yard touchdown drive.

The erstwhile teammates-turned-coaching rivals shared a lukewarm clasp aft nan game.

“I would person ne'er envisioned this,” Jackson said aft nan game, per Andscape. “I could person ne'er imagined it. I could person ne'er predicted it. It conscionable shows you really good God works.”

Sanders, who took complete nan programme astatine Jackson State earlier parlaying his occurrence into nan occupation astatine Colorado, was outspoken successful his support of some Vick and Jackson landing their respective jobs past winter. He took to X aft nan crippled Thursday to stock nan emotions that seeing nan 2 erstwhile NFL stars coaching gave him.

Vick landed nan occupation astatine Norfolk State connected Dec. 17 past year, taking complete nan programme astatine a schoolhouse conscionable 30 miles from his hometown of Newport News, Va. The Spartans went 15–31 complete 4 years nether coach Dawson Odoms. The programme hopes that Vick tin build beardown recruiting in-roads successful his location authorities acknowledgment to his awesome section starpower.

"Today marks a historical time for Norfolk State University," diversion head Dr. Melody Webb said successful a release announcing nan hire. "I americium thrilled to invited Michael Vick and his family backmost to nan Hampton Roads area to lead our shot program. One of nan top athletes nan region has ever seen, Coach Vick's leadership, knowledge, and dedication will move into nan basal layers of nan instauration we dream to build for Norfolk State football."

Less than 2 weeks later, Jackson landed a akin opportunity astatine Delaware State. While Jackson is simply a Los Angeles autochthonal and played astatine Cal, his champion years came successful Philadelphia and he besides spent clip successful nan greater northeast playing for some Washington and Baltimore. The program, based successful Dover, sits successful nan mid-Atlantic region wherever Jackson became a family name.

In his introductory property conference, Jackson stressed his expertise to link to modern assemblage players.

“The biggest point astir having a domiciled exemplary successful a coach is you person to understand nan players,” Jackson said. “We are going to get nitty and gritty, we are going to activity hard, but I americium going to beryllium capable to subordinate and understand my players. How tin you expect a young man to spot and judge successful you if you don’t cognize what they person been done and wherever they want to go? My imagination is to thief these young men make it to their dream.”

Jackson inherited possibly an moreover bigger rebuild than Vick. His predecessore Lee Hull was 2–21 complete 2 seasons. The Hornets haven’t posted a winning play since Kermit Blount went 6–5 successful 2012.

How person Michael Vick and Desean Jackson fared successful their debut seasons?

Vick is still uncovering his measurement astatine Norfolk State, while Jackson whitethorn upwind up contending for coach of nan twelvemonth honors for his activity astatine Delaware State.

The Spartans fell to 1–8 pinch Thursday’s loss, though nan squad has been competitory done overmuch of its schedule, dropping games to Sacred Heart, Wagner, Hampton and DSU by azygous scores. ESPN expert Bill Connelly’s SP+ ratio metric has Norfolk State classed astatine nan bottommost of nan MEAC. The squad still has games against North Carolina Central, Morgan State and Howard to extremity nan season.

The Hornets, meanwhile, are having their champion play successful much than a decade. Thursday’s triumph pushed their grounds to 6–3 and 2–0 successful MEAC play, and nan squad is connected a three-game winning streak. Delaware State was reasonably competitory to unfastened nan play against Delaware, which has been 1 of nan amended teams successful Conference USA successful its first twelvemonth arsenic an FBS program, and dropped games to Sacred Heart by 4 and Monmouth—one of nan champion teams successful nan CAA—by 11. The Hornets presently beryllium atop nan MEAC and are successful bully style to make their first-ever travel to nan Celebration Bowl astatine season’s end, nan de facto HBCU nationalist title that pits nan apical programs from nan MEAC and SWAC against 1 different played annually astatine Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“We still haven’t done anything,” Jackson said aft nan game, per Andscape. “We sewage 3 much convention games, and our extremity is to spell undefeated and hopefully we tin make it to our destination successful Atlanta.”

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