Teammates for five seasons on the Eagles, former wide receiver DeSean Jackson, the first-year Head Coach at Delaware State, and quarterback Michael Vick, also a first-year Head Coach at Norfolk State, connected on 13 touchdown passes.
Six were for longer than the 53.5-yard width of the playing surface at Lincoln Financial Field that will separate them on Thursday, October 30, when Jackson’s Hornets and Vick’s Spartans will meet in a showdown of the prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
"It's huge," said Jackson, a second-round draft pick of the Eagles in 2008. "To be able to play at Lincoln Financial Field, where me and Coach Vick made a lot of memories together and created a lot of fans, we're all appreciative of the opportunity. (Eagles Chairman and CEO) Jeffrey Lurie presented us with an opportunity to play there, and we're excited about it. We're looking forward to just putting on a show.
"I think it will be a game that will have a lot of dynamics. We're just ready. This has been a game that's kind of been on a highlight all year. So finally, it's here and we're just looking to go down to Philadelphia and put on a show in front of the world.
"The Delaware State Hornets, man, we play ball together! We have fun. I think our quarterback, our running backs, have been doing really good. Our defense, we've got a lot of players just playing good together right now."
Michael Vick's Norfolk State Spartans vs. DeSean Jackson's Delaware State Hornets
DeSean Jackson's Delaware State Hornets announced that their rivalry clash with Michael Vick's Norfolk State Spartans will take place at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, October 30th.
Having won its last two games and owning a 5-3 record, Jackson feels his first year leading the Norfolk State program has been a consistent learning process.
"I'm just taking advantage of the opportunity," he said. "I'm motivating young men, just getting the best out of them. But as far as what I learned, I've always been a leader, I felt like. It's just my time to lead at a high level.
"So that's the consistency of every day, things change. Everything from a standpoint of trying to get these young men to be the best they can, that's kind of my challenge."
Spending 15 seasons in the NFL, six with the Eagles, Jackson played for eight different head coaches. Has he utilized any lessons learned from them?
"I take bits and pieces from all the coaches that I've respected, that I played for," Jackson said. "I've kind of made my own way of coaching. I just think from the hard work and the attention to detail and all the little things that make guys be accountable, that's kind of like what I took from it."
