Getty Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson
Imagine a millionaire NFL star driving around poor neighborhoods and handing out free meals on a Saturday night. It would never happen, right? Wrong.
Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson spent his Saturday evening helping those in need, dropping off boxes of food and shirts in Nicetown and Kensington and other impoverished blocks all over Philadelphia. The sometimes controversial player seems determined to make a lasting first impression during his second tour of duty with the Eagles and his charity work is the latest indication of that maturity. Jackson was seen chatting up homeless fans, poking fun at the police cars parked outside and yelling,” “We’ve got some free food for y’all.”
👏 Eagles WR DeSean Jackson Feeding the Homeless in Philly Tonight!
@DeSeanJackson11 randomly stopped on this street in Kensington to provide food for those in need
According to 6abc, Jackson randomly handed out 500 meals from the Wegmans grocery store chain to the city’s homeless population. Each box of food contained a sandwich, apple, cookie and bottle of water. Not only did the receiver deliver the goodies, but he also took time to talk with the strangers and pose for pictures.
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Earlier in the day, Jackson hosted a free youth football camp for the Blackhawks Athletic Club in North Philadelphia. The clinic was part of his ongoing community outreach on behalf of the DeSean Jackson Foundation.
“I am very blessed and fortunate to be back in Philadelphia and I feel it’s my responsibility to give back,” Jackson said. “This is about helping the community and inspiring our youth to strive for greatness. This is about community and sharing, and I hope by doing this, I can encourage others all across the country to hear the call to impact their community.”
Eagles WR DeSean Jackson hosting his Foundation Football Camp in North Philadelphia at the Blackhawks Athletic Club
Kids learned how to play from @DeSeanJackson11 & were provided a T-shirt, shorts & lunch for free!
The 32-year-old remains one of the fastest deep threats in the league. Over the past 10 seasons, Jackson leads the NFL in deep receiving yards by a wide margin and his average depth of target in 2018 was an unfathomable 19.6 yards. In addition, he has averaged the second-highest yards-per-reception (40.0) among receivers with at least 100 targets.
Desean Jackson saw an average depth of target of 19.6 yards past the L.O.S. last year!
This spring, Jackson has been a revelation in practices as he continues to build chemistry with quarterback Carson Wentz. The two have a budding on-field romance, with Wentz saying that Jackson is a “great teammate” and believes they can “do something special.” Jackson threw the love right back when asked about the possibilities of playing with Wentz.
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“It’s great, man,” Jackson told ESPN about working with Wentz. “He’s a good quarterback. A good young kid, man. He’s very smart, intelligent. At first, he wasn’t back to full speed, but now he’s at full speed, out there throwing. I’m guessing his injury is back to where it needs to be, so just excited to be out there practicing and going at it with the guys.”
Jackson and Wentz will look to continue building their special connection when the team holds mandatory minicamp this week. The entire Eagles roster is expected to show up.
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