Cal alum DeSean Jackson follows in Michael Vick’s footsteps with new career move

Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson were perennial Pro Bowlers in the NFL and former teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick owns numerous quarterback rushing records, while Jackson has the most NFL career touchdowns from 60+ and 80+ yards.

Jackson was a key part of the Eagles and played a significant role on a handful of other franchises during his professional career. He last played in the NFL in 2022, and he's since been taken to coaching at the high school level. In 2024, he served as an assistant coach at Woodrow Wilson High School in California.

Days after Michael Vick was named the Norfolk State coach, the California product is set to follow in his former teammate's footsteps and become the new head coach of the Delaware State Hornets of the MEAC.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, coaching an HBCU (historically Black college or university) has been a "dream" of Jackson's.

Jackson's job won't be easy, as the Hornets are fresh off a 1-11 season in 2024. The program ended the year on a jarring 10-game losing streak, which is bound to be on their minds once the new season comes around.

With Jackson's Delaware State and Vick's Norfolk State in the same conference, the former Eagles stars will square off sometime during the 2025 college football season.

DeSean Jackson latest NFL star set to coach in college amid Coach Prime's success

It's surreal to see players who lit up college football and the NFL now beginning their coaching careers. It's a sign of continuity in professional sports, and it will only become more frequent in the coming years.

One major example of a successful transition from professional stardom to coaching excellence has been Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime. Sanders is a Hall of Famer who's now one of the highly rated coaches at the collegiate level.

Sanders was highly enthusiastic about the news of Vick coaching in college. And now, another former NFL star in Jackson has joined the college coaching ranks.

It's still too early to tell whether DeSean Jackson will have the same amount of success as Coach Prime. However, he has a decent launching pad at Delaware State. It hardly gets worse than 1-11, so even a two-win season will be seen as an improvement. He can work from there and carve out a stellar new career path, especially with a former teammate coaching a conference rival.