Kareem Jackson has made his mark on the Denver Broncos in his short tenure with the team.
More impressive, Jackson’s been able to leave a mark on newly-hired coach Nathaniel Hackett. For reference, the latter’s been with the team for less than six months.
And if you didn’t know, the Broncos acquired Russell Wilson this offseason. But it’s been Jackson catching his coach’s attention at practice thus far.
Speaking with the media last week, Hackett spoke about his appreciation for Jackson — even the safety’s smack talk at practice.
“I love me some Kareem,” Hackett said. “I love his intensity and competitiveness. I think that’s something that shows up every day. You get out there and this is a guy — heck, he may be as old as me, but he plays hard every snap. He gets into it. He’s talking nonstop. He plays the game like it should be, and I love that about him. I love chirping back and forth with him. It just brings that energy and excitement to practice because that’s real football.”
Hackett wasn’t being completely literal about their ages: Jackson is 34 and Hackett is 42, but that’s just eight years apart. As opposed to, say, star cornerback Pat Surtain, who is 22. Jackson, meanwhile, also appreciates getting into it with Hackett at practice.
“For him to kind of go back and forth with me with the energy that he brings every day on a consistent basis is a sign of a great leader,” the safety said. “For us, it’s a lot of fun. I think it kind of gets everybody going. It gives us something to look forward to daily, rather than everybody just being quiet. Sometimes that stuff gets kind of old. For me, it’s all fun. It’s one of the things I look forward to daily.”
Speaking of Surtain, he’s pleased with the competitive battles at OTAs thus far. We’re now in the double-digit days remaining until the NFL season starts. Check out the Broncos’ schedule while we wait.