Getty Jerry Jacobs on the field with Arkansas in 2020 against Georgia.
The end of the NFL preseason and training camp can be both exhilarating and nerve wracking for players, considering all that is on the line, and the Detroit Lions displayed once again why this is the case during cuts.
In spite of being buried on the depth chart behind plenty of veterans, cornerback Jerry Jacobs shocked the world and scrapped his way on the initial 53-man roster for the team. It was a surprise considering not only Jacobs’ stature on the team, but who he beat out to make it as well.
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Jacobs managed to fight off the likes of Mike Ford, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Corn Elder in order to crack the roster. The last two names were veteran free agent signings of the team. At a spot where an NFL team often goes with experience, the Lions went young with Jacobs as well as A.J. Parker.
Safe to say that Jacobs was more than thrilled with the news. As he took to Twitter and explained what a surreal feeling it was to hear he had made an NFL team and his hard work had paid off, he also shared a great message of never giving up no matter the circumstances.
Speechless rn all I can say is never give up and never let nobody control your destiny….I’m the 1%💙
Jacobs’ story is a good one, and it mimics that of Parker as well as Bobby Price. The Lions are committing to some youth in the defensive backfield, and that will put touted secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant to the test this coming year to see how he can develop these players and how quickly it might happen.
Jeff Okudah Congratulates Jerry Jacobs
It wasn’t just Jacobs that was pumped to make the roster, but teammates were as well. As soon as Jacobs found out and made the post, fellow cornerback Jeff Okudah took to Twitter to share his own excitement with a very classy congratulations post of his own. As he said, Jacobs earned his spot on the roster with hard work.
Obviously, team chemistry is very important, especially on the back end. The Lions will need their team to be connected with all the young players they have, and seeing Okudah’s joy for his teammate is especially cool and notable with this in mind.
Jacobs’ Stats and Highlights
To say Jacobs was an underdog for the team was an understatement. When he signed after the NFL draft this past May, few people knew who the defensive back from Arkansas was or figured he would be sticking around for the long haul. In college, Jacobs did have decent stats, with 70 tackles and 4 interceptions to his credit to go with 2 forced fumbles and 10 passes defended. That was between two stops at both Arkansas State and Arkansas.
Coming into the league, it was easy to see why folks were a bit excited about Jacobs given the tape. Here’s a look at what he brings to the mix:
Obviously, there is some scrap to Jacobs, and that already served him well trying to crack the Detroit roster. Now, the team hopes it serves him well again as he chases a full-time role as an NFL mainstay.