ATLANTA 鈥� About a week into New England Patriots training camp last summer, 10-year pro Jason McCourty had a question for rookie cornerback J.C. Jackson.
鈥淗ow did you not get drafted?鈥�
It was a mystery Jackson had likely given plenty of thought to during the months since the NFL Draft, when all 256 picks went by without any team calling his name.
But shortly after the University of Maryland product signed with New England as an undrafted free agent, McCourty and the Patriots realized he could make an impact on defense. Not even Jackson anticipated having the role he鈥檚 taken on late in the season; he enters Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams with six starts in New England鈥檚 past seven games.
鈥淓verything鈥檚 kind of eye-opening for him,” McCourty said at a news conference Tuesday. 鈥淓verything鈥檚 a new learning experience.鈥�
With Jackson and McCourty watching from the bench while the Patriots鈥� offense marched down the field in overtime of the AFC Championship Game, it was Jackson鈥檚 turn to ask the veteran a question.
鈥淗e鈥檚 asking me, 鈥業f we go down and score right now, what does that mean?鈥�” McCourty recalled. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥業f we go down and score, just come with me. We鈥檙e going to sprint on the field because the game鈥檚 going to be over.鈥欌��
Sure enough, quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots finished off the Kansas City Chiefs with a touchdown and set off the celebration for Jackson and the rest of the team.
It鈥檚 a height that Jackson seemed unlikely to reach at many points during his career. A four-star recruit from Immokalee, Florida, Jackson played the first game of his true freshman season at Florida but suffered a season-ending injury. He would never take the field again for the Gators, who cut him from the program following an arrest on charges for which he was later fully acquitted.
The 6-foot-1, 198-pound defensive back went across the country to Riverside City College in California for a season that tested his resolve and desire to play football before returning to play Division I football at Maryland.
鈥淭ry to get to the NFL — that was my main goal [at Maryland]. Get my degree and try to make football a living,鈥� Jackson said at media day Monday. 鈥淚 was more honed and more focused. Going to Maryland, it was just different. That was the most focused I鈥檝e ever been.鈥�
In his two years as a Terp, Jackson started 23 of 24 games, tallying four interceptions, 13 pass breakups and 80 tackles. He declared for the draft after the 2017 season and received an invite to the NFL combine, where he had respectable results across the board and maintained his late-round draft stock.
Instead, he went undrafted, which Jackson still struggles to find the words to describe.
鈥淚t was just 鈥� I had to deal with it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was out of my control. I just dealt with going undrafted, and I took advantage of my opportunity. All I really needed was an opportunity.鈥�
Reviewing his options as a free agent after the draft, Jackson chose to sign with the Patriots due to the quality of their organization, he said.
New England cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer was impressed by Jackson鈥檚 skillset but also saw a need for further development.
鈥淗e was a physical player, he had good movement skills, he was strong at the top of the route. And there was some things that you鈥檙e like, 鈥極k, we need to work on this, but we can work with this,鈥欌�� Boyer said. 鈥淭he college game and the pro game is different. 鈥� There鈥檚 an adjustment period there.鈥�
So despite Boyer describing Jackson as 鈥渧ery competitive鈥� during offseason team activities and training camp, the rookie was inactive for the first two weeks and was a healthy scratch again in Week 6. He鈥檚 played every game since, however, earning his first start in Week 13 and starting every game except the divisional round since.
鈥淭he kid can play, and he can cover his butt off,鈥� McCourty said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun to see him just work and work.鈥�
One of the keys to Jackson鈥檚 emergence, Boyer said, was coachability. Cornerback Duron Harmon, who鈥檚 been with the Patriots since 2013, said Jackson frequently asks him questions during meetings and film sessions.
鈥淚 saw a hungry young player who had phenomenal man-to-man skills who was eager to learn,鈥� Harmon said Monday. 鈥淎lways wanting to talk football. It鈥檚 the reason we have asked him to go out there and play the significant plays that he鈥檚 played, and he鈥檚 played them at a high level.鈥�
Jackson has three interceptions and eight pass deflections this season, and he’s been featured in the both Patriots鈥� nickel and base packages at various times late in the year. Despite being undrafted and not becoming a key part of the defense until the end of the season, however, Jackson and his teammates feel he鈥檚 still a similar player to the one that came into training camp and quickly caught McCourty鈥檚 attention.
It didn鈥檛 take long to realize Jackson belonged on the field, and since he first made it there, it鈥檚 been hard to take him off.
鈥淥nce he got his opportunity to play and go out there, he showed he can play at a high level,鈥� Harmon said. 鈥淓ver since then, he hasn鈥檛 looked back.鈥�
Indeed, as Jackson milled around the Super Bowl media night festivities, he wasn鈥檛 overly eager to reflect on the moments of his life when it seemed he wouldn鈥檛 be here. But he knows what reaching the Super Bowl represents, no matter the path he took there.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 easy, but I鈥檓 here now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to let this speak for itself. Being here is going to speak for itself. You鈥檙e at the Super Bowl, that means you鈥檙e doing something.鈥�
James Crabtree-Hannigan is a senior in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, covering the Super Bowl for the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism.
