The Extra Point: Former Alabama Safety Eddie Jackson a Player to Watch This Season

Chicago Bear standout is looking to improve his overall game, and also to make a few more picks.

Everyone knows that former Alabama safety Eddie Jackson is a ball hawk, who can always take a turnover to the end zone and repeatedly done so. 

This season, he's looking to improve his overall game with the Chicago Bears. 

It begins with tacking, and Jackson's been putting in a lot of extra time after practices with one of his defensive backs coaches, Deshea Townsend — another former Crimson Tide standout who had a long NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"In practice, we've got a heavy bag," Jackson told Bear Digest. "We call it Big Bertha. It's like a 300-some-pound bag. Just stand there hitting it after practice. Wrap up drills, tackling drills.

"Coach Deshea does it with us every day, tackling drills, hitting the ground, see what that feels like, breaking on angles when somebody gets the ball, just come in a little squat, lead with your right foot or left foot, same foot, same shoulder. Just little tendencies, it helps you, it rolls over to the game

Jackson is taking this year personally after his status seemed to take a hit in safety circles last season. Part of it had to do with the way the Bears used him, but it also had to do with his tackling. 

NFL stat partner SportRadar put his missed tackle percentage at 13.7%, which actually was better than he had in 2018 and 2019. However, some of the misses led to scores or big gains.

"I think for him that is one area he knows he can improve in," Townsend said. "I don't think there's ever been one player, including all of us that's played—flag, touch—that you hadn’t missed a tackle.

"But for him, he understands those are the things that makes his part of the game more complete, and I think that's just part of wanting to get better."

Jackson returned three turnovers for touchdowns only to see nullified by penalties. He still has six for his career.

"That's fuel to the flame," he said. 

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