The DeSean Jackson who was drafted by the Eagles and met reporters and the organization a few weeks ago bore little resemblance to the player and person depicted by media reports from his college days at Cal. This Jackson was polite, humble, team-oriented, perhaps even a little in awe of the surroundings. The Jackson who played at Cal was said to be a handful off the field -- not popular with his teammates or his coaches.

There has never been a question about the young man as a football player. He was a high school All-American at powerhouse Long Beach-Poly in California. He was recruited by every team in the country and decided to stay in state and attend Cal, where Jackson scored 29 touchdowns in 35 career games.

Jackson was a game-breaking player in college, a superstar. But he had reported problems in college, most notably a reported run in with the California coaching staff. The word in football circles was that Jackson's father stuck his nose into the coaching staff's business, complaining about the way the coaches used Jackson.

So after Jackson declared for the NFL draft after his junior season, and all the mock drafts listed Jackson as a sure-thing first-round draft pick, the NFL did its homework and found some questionable character concerns. Jackson heard the whispers and decided to do something about it: Prior to the NFL Combine he signed with The DeBartolo Sports and Entertainment Group in Florida, a full-service operation that aims to help young athletes reach their potential on and off the playing field.

One of the most impactful benefits to The DeBartolo Sports and Entertainment Group is the mentoring program, and so right away, in February, Jackson was paired with the perfect match: Jerry Rice.

Jerry Rice with Eagles WR DeSean Jackson

The polishing of DeSean Jackson was under way.

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Edward DeBartolo won five Super Bowls as owner of the San Francisco 49ers and was regarded at that time as the model owner in the league both for the on-field success the 49ers enjoyed and for the "family" atmosphere he created. Out of the NFL, DeBartolo wanted to remain in sports and wanted to continue to positively impact athletes. On the company's web site, The DeBartolo Sports and Entertainment Group is described as a company striving to provide a "comprehensive, full-service sports and entertainment agency that represents athletes and talent, provides consulting services to corporations to help build their brands through sports and is an executive ticket and hospitality provider for the most sought-after sporting events in the country."

Having a mentoring program is one of its most innovative benefits. Former players like Rice, Joe Montana, Roger Craig and Randy Cross are part of the approach that directly impacts young players about to take the biggest steps in their careers. Rice and Jackson started working together in February, and Rice saw right away that Jackson, an enormously-talented football player, had to make some difficult decisions.

"I think the thing about DeSean is that he has to have the right people around him and that is really my job," said Rice. "This kid, I just felt overall that he is a great kid, but that he needed some direction. That's what I'm doing with him. I'm providing direction and guidance. As a football player, he's excellent. He runs great routes, he catches the ball well and he runs faster than anybody out there. DeSean knows he can pick up his phone any time he wants to and call me. I'm here for him. My job is to pass some knowledge on to him.

"I think DeSean is mature and I think he is very smart. It's just that he needed to get away from some people around him. DeSean has to realize that it's time to be his own man. He is going to have to make decisions that are going to be in his best interests. That is what I'm trying to relay to him."

For three days in February, Jackson and Rice spent hours together working on the football side of things -- Rice would teach Jackson ways to use his hands to get off the line of scrimmage, run crisper routes, use his body to deceive defensive backs -- and then they would have lunch and dinner and discuss life in the NFL. It wasn't just about catching passes and scoring touchdowns, Rice told Jackson.

The NFL is a business, Rice told Jackson. It is a cruel, hard business and there is no time to let others drag you down. No matter how hard it is, no matter how much the friends and family who have surrounded you for so long wanted to be part of the next step, Rice said Jackson needed to stand up for himself.

"The first time I met DeSean, he was very cordial and very well mannered. He was excited about meeting me and he couldn't wait to work with me," said Rice. "He's that type of person and that type of player. The Eagles are going to be a better team because of DeSean. I have no doubts about him as a player. He is an electrifying guy as a receiver and as a return man. Since the time we met, it has been completely positive.

"Young players, when they come into the NFL, sometimes want to bring everyone in their life along for the ride, and you can't do that. That's what I'm trying to tell him now. He has to make the decision. He has to be a man and he is going to have to take control of his life.

"I know what he can do on the football field. I mean, watch out. He is the best route runner I've ever seen. I'm going to be honest with you, he is ready to make plays at the NFL level. He has a lot of work to do, but that's not going to be a problem. He is going to work hard and learn the offense. DeSean is far more advanced than I was at this point in his route running and he has great confidence in his hands. We all know what he can do when he has the ball in his hands. Even in the NFL, when he is out in front of guys, they aren't going to catch him. He is going to bring a whole new dimension to that team, because DeSean can put six points on the board in a hurry."

Jackson spoke in raving terms of Rice when the rookie reported for the team's post-draft camp. Jackson understands the impact a Hall of Fame receiver -- one considered the greatest receiver in the history of the game -- can have on his own career.

The rookie clearly wants to soak up every bit of knowledge he can from Rice.

"He's taught me a lot of things," said Jackson. "It's hard to put my finger on one thing. Route running, how to carry myself off the field, how to be a grown man and how to put in the hard work in order to be great. Those are some of the things he's been teaching me.

"He taught me a lot about the whole (draft) process and how to prepare for it. I've learned a lot about myself. You can never learn too much about yourself, so to learn things from Jerry, I know that can only help me."

When Jackson was drafted by the Eagles with the 49th overall pick, Rice called him and told him Philadelphia was a perfect fit.

"I'm not worried about his lack of size at all. I've worked with him on getting off the line of scrimmage and he has a good understanding of what to do. DeSean is around that 170-pound range and, to be honest, I don't think it's about being a big receiver in the NFL," said Rice, who said he has no interest in coaching. After 20 years of devoting himself to the game, Rice is enjoying the down time to work with his 16-year-old son and watching him grow. "The trend seems to be going in the other direction now with these little, quick guys being able to get off the line of scrimmage and making plays.

"DeSean has my phone number. (Offensive coordinator) Marty Mornhinweg has my phone number. I know him very well from our days in San Francisco together. If anybody needs me, I'm here for them. I want DeSean to succeed. I feel like we have a great relationship and that he knows he can count on me. We talk a lot, all the time. Anything I can do to help him be a great NFL player, I'll do it. I'm his friend. I see the kind of ability he has, and I don't want him to waste an ounce of it.

"In the locker room, he has to understand that he is surrounded by a team full of great players. He has some great veterans to work with. I know he is excited about playing with Donovan McNabb. It's important to have a great bond with Donovan, who is going to help DeSean have success. DeSean is very open to the idea of learning what it takes to be a great NFL player. I don't think he is going to have any problems fitting in. DeSean is a great person. He wants to be a great player and he knows how much work has to put in to reach that level. I've told DeSean that in Philadelphia, the fan base there loves the Eagles but that the fans expect a player to be accountable. DeSean knows that. He knows that there is an intensity in that city about football. I think he can't wait to play in front of those people and do something to make them proud of him."

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There are many steps ahead for Jackson, but he is off to a fine start with the Eagles. He went through the post-draft camp without a single dropped pass. He picked up the offense quickly. The Eagles are excited about the "juice," said Mornhinweg, that Jackson brings to the offense.

Jackson isn't here to be a savior. He is here to help the Eagles as a return man and as a receiver, to be part of an offense that expects to be much more effective and potent than it was a season ago. Jackson won't walk in and start. He admits to having a chip on his shoulder after he was bypassed in the first round of the draft.

And the image of a petulant college player won't go away just like that. Jackson has to earn his good citizenship at this level by working hard and by fitting in with the team.

Nobody in the NFL makes it for long if he doesn't fit in with the team.

WR DeSean Jackson

"The first time you meet DeSean, you see a player who is determined, who has a huge heart and who loves to play the game," says Adam Heller, Jackson's agent from The DeBartolo Sports and Entertainment Group. "He is an extremely competitive person. He not only wants to be the best player on his team, or on the field at that time, he wants to be the best player ever. He is striving to do that and he wants to do what it takes to reach that goal. You see that right away with DeSean, and when you have the opportunity to work with somebody like that, you want to work as hard as you can to help him meet those goals.

"At the end of the day, we're talking about football and about being the best football player DeSean Jackson can be. Hopefully, you get evaluated that way, and there is not a better individual out there to show a player like DeSean how to reach his potential. For a young player like DeSean to work with Jerry, to see the work ethic both men brought to the table, it was exciting to see DeSean embrace the relationship with Jerry. It was awesome."

This is Philadelphia, and the slate is clean. Eagles fans will flock by the thousands to Lehigh University in late July and early August to crowd around the training camp practice fields and watch Jackson and all of the receivers and make their own determination: Do the Eagles have enough to win the Super Bowl?

Heller, for one, is an experienced hand and understands from his perspective how the fans will feel about Jackson when all is said and done.

"DeSean will be able to back up the confidence he has. He carries himself with a swagger because he has done it at every level at which he has played. DeSean has the potential to score every time he touches the ball. I really think he expects to score every time he touches the ball. As an Eagles fan, that is the kind of player you want," says Heller. "He has a huge heart, and he will embrace that city. The fans there will love DeSean, because they will see a kid who is willing to do what it takes to help the team win. He is a good kid with a big heart who is very family oriented. I think he is going to be a big winner with the Eagles. It's a great situation for DeSean to have. If you do right by the fans of the team, it's a great, great thing."