Steelers CB Donte Jackson finally realizes what a winning culture looks like after years in Carolina
In life, the grass is often greener where you water it. But in the NFL, a player is only a small part of an organization, and everything starts at the top. Some franchises don't operate with the efficiency and culture that others do, and that's often why, even in a league built on parody, the […]
In life, the grass is often greener where you water it.
But in the NFL, a player is only a small part of an organization, and everything starts at the top.
Some franchises don't operate with the efficiency and culture that others do, and that's often why, even in a league built on parody, the same organizations are often stable.
So for CB Donte Jackson, coming from the Carolina Panthers, who were the worst team in the NFL for back-to-back years, to the Pittsburgh Steelers has been eye-opening.
Jackson enjoying Pittsburgh
“When you are on the outside looking in, you think exactly what you see,” Jackson told reporters during the offseason. “You think that he [Mike Tomlin] is a very genuine guy and he loves football and he loves the Steelers. When you get here, that is exactly what it is. He is a very transparent guy on how he feels. He is just a football guy and he is a big reason for the standard and the culture being the way it is here. … It’s a blessing being here, you get to see that type of greatness.”
Jackson has been through his fair share of coaches during his time in Carolina, knowing that stability is a rarity in a league where the margins between winning a Super Bowl and having the first pick in the draft are closer than many realize.
“It’s been great. This is a football building,” Jackson said when asked how his acclimation period is going. “It’s great to get in here with these guys, learn the system, learn the Steelers way and how everybody does things, it’s been amazing. It’s everything I thought it would be when I first found out I got traded here.”
Jackson may only be 28, but he's the veteran in a youthful CB room, with names like Darius Rush, Cory Trice Jr., and of course Joey Porter Jr. all looking to Jackson for guidance.
“Especially with a young guy, you love that confidence,” Jackson said about Porter at during OTAs. “Joey spent a lot of the season last year following guys, matching up with guys and he did a really good job. Just to know that he is coming into this season with that confidence, it only gets [me] excited to see what he is going to do for us.”
Peezy Jr. is anything but short on confidence, and having a proven veteran will only help him grow as a professional, setting up the 2024 Steelers secondary to be the best it's been in a while.
