William Jackson Believed He'd Be With Steelers Years Ago

It took six years for the Pittsburgh Steelers to finally land William Jackson III.

PITTSBURGH -- In 2016, the Pittsburgh Steelers had their hearts sold on one player in the NFL Draft. But one pick before they were on the clock at pick 25, the Cincinnati Bengals ruined their plans with a shocking selection. 

That player was William Jackson III. The Houston standout had plenty of buzz surrounding him after he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash and showed impressive ball skills at the University of Houston. But everyone, draft experts, the Steelers and Jackson himself only saw one team that was going to select him in the first round. 

That team was the Steelers. Until it wasn't - leaving them to select Artie Burn out of Miami.

"Did you think you were going to be drafted here?" Jackson was asked during his first press conference as a Steeler. 

"I did. I did," he replied. "I sat down with Mike T[omlin] and all of them and we were talking, and I just thought it was going to happen, but things happen in the draft."

Jackson didn't see the Bengals, who selected him 24th in the 2016 draft, coming. They popped up on his visits sheet last second and before you knew it, he was spending five seasons there. 

"It was crazy," Jackson said with a smile. "But it is what it is. Either way, I was blessed to actually even go first round. I dreamed about that as a kid. I mean, I just took it all in and I just moved forward."

Now, he's here. At 30 years old, 18 months into his second NFL contract, Jackson finds himself being shipped in a trade package from the Washington Commanders to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He says that 4.37 speed is still there - and always will be - and already has some experience working with defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who coached him for a year in Cincinnati. 

"I had him for a year and he did great with me," Jackson said. "It’s just crazy how it all came back around.

Jackson drove up from Washington overnight after receiving the news of the trade. He's spending the first few days adjusting to the new organization and learning from the coaches. 

He does believe he fits better in Pittsburgh's scheme than he did Washington's. The Steelers focus more on man-to-man coverage, an area of expertise for Jackson. 

"I’ve been playing man all my life, but obviously we’ve got to work at it every day and get back used to playing man," Jackson said. "It’s going to come with repetition."

All that will play out over time. The new cornerback has a week and a half to adjust to the playbook before the coaches need to decide if he's ready to step into a game. For now, he's just going to put his head down and work. But you can't help but think about the wild ride it's been for the Steelers to finally land William Jackson III. 

"It was definitely crazy," Jackson said. "Pittsburgh’s a great organization to play for. I played them for five years, twice a year, so it’s cool. It’s really cool to be over here playing with these guys."

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