Facts That Make the Eddie Jackson Performance Even Crazier

I normally try to stay humble about most things but this is one of the few times I'll choose to toot my own horn. Back on April 29th I stated that Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson would've gone in the first round of the NFL draft had he not been injured during his final year at Alabama. A number of people thought I was merely talking him up because the Bears had just drafted him in the fourth round after trading up with the Rams. That was not the case. After months of watching Jackson on film it became clear he was one of the best ball hawk safeties in the entire 2017 college class and was being undervalued because he happened to get hurt at a bad time. It was clear if he could stay healthy that he would end up being a steal for the Bears defense. Seven games into his rookie year that became a reality as the Alabama alum singlehandedly carried Chicago to their second-straight victory with easily the best game by a safety in a decade. That in itself is something to celebrate. Yet when digging a little deeper, the facts around it get crazy. (continue to next page)

Eddie Jackson performance surrounded with insane history

Best start with the performance itself. In addition to being a continued presence against the run, Jackson showcased his opportunistic instinct. First he took a bobbled pitch by Panthers rookie Curtis Samuel back 75 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring. Then to add the icing on the cake he snagged a tipped Cam Newton pass via teammate Prince Amukamara back 76 yards for another touchdowns. Those two scored proved the difference in a 17-3 win. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Eddie-Jackson-with-a-Fumble-Recovery-and-Touchdown-BuiltByBama.mp4"][/video] [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/@EJackson_4-is-EVERYWHERE-today.mp4"][/video] Where it gets interesting is when stat maestros started looking back through NFL history for similar circumstances. Has a Bears player ever done something like this before? Yes he has, but not for over 69 years.

It's also been a considerably long time since an NFL rookie has done something like this. A decade in fact according to ESPN.

What's most fascinating about this game though is the timing of. As it turns out October 22nd was the exact same day that Jackson injured his leg last year. The injury that knocked him out for the rest of 2016 and likely cost him a shot at going in the first round.

Proof positive that there is a somewhat fitting symmetry at work. The Bears have lacked a safety for years and needed somebody with first round talent. Jackson needed a defense that could showcase his skills and allow him to prove people wrong. It's so fitting that both sides found each other, and Bears fans stand to benefit for years to come.