Nate Jackson

The First Game Of The Rest Of Our Lives

Eighteen years ago this morning I awoke to shouts from the hall of my dorm. “We’re going to war! We’re going to war!”…

8/29/19

The Game No One Cares About Is The Biggest Game Of Their Lives

“Don’t count your reps, make your reps count.”

8/28/19

Football Doesn't Let You Leave

Empathy isn’t one of football’s commanding virtues. You don’t play because you care about the other guy’s pain. You…

8/14/19

Why Antonio Brown Needs His Helmet

Antonio Brown is the most prolific wide receiver in football over the last eight seasons (or so), even while being…

8/2/19

What It Was Like To Be Covered By Champ Bailey

I was playing in NFL Europe in the spring of 2004, eating schnitzel in Düsseldorf for the Rhein Fire, when I learned…

7/29/19

I Got The Last Laugh At Broncos Training Camp

For the past year, I’ve been dipping a mangled toe into the stand-up comedy waters around L.A. It’s hard, but not…

6/25/19

How Playing In The NFL Ruined Me For Life On The Outside

Some NFL players will tell you the league is like prison—prison with paychecks. Each well-paid inmate has a…

3/13/19

What Weed And The NFL Can Do For Each Other

In the quest for homeostasis, pain is your friend. Pain tells you when you’re wrong. When you need to change your…

2/15/19

The Promise Of The AAF Has Been Made And Broken Before

Football is a lie unto the body. The better you tell it, the better you play. Whether running routes, disguising…

1/24/19

Let's All Calm Down About Tony Romo

Mike Tyson was a predictable boxer. Michael Jordan was a predictable basketball player. Tom Brady is a predictable…

12/5/18

Merril Hoge's Book Is As Desperate As The People Who Need Him To Be Right

Brainwashed: One man’s defiance of the science that threatens his legacy.

10/23/18

The NFL Broke Former Players Like Me. Here's One Way To Fix Us.

Roger Goodell is a benevolent man. Last season, while negotiating his own new salary, he demanded lifetime health…

9/24/18

Can Matt Patricia Break The Belichick Curse?

Many of the modern NFL’s legendary coaches have impressive coaching trees. Hefty branches that bore much fruit.…

11/28/14

Odell Beckham Jr.'s Catch Was A Culmination: A Former WR Explains

A few days ago, in the Cowboys-Giants game, Odell Beckham Jr. made a very difficult catch. How? He just did it.

9/19/14

How I Let Go Of My NFL Career

Excerpted from the new epilogue to Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile, now…

12/12/13

My Injury File: How I Shot, Smoked, And Screwed My Way Through The NFL

Adapted from Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile (Harper).

Nate Jackson's posts