Top 50 Cal Pros: No. 34 -- DeSean Jackson, Big-Play Machine

Jackson was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and led the NFL in yards per reception four times

DeSean Jackson as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles / Photo by Eric Hartline

We are counting down Cal’s top 50 athletes based on their careers as post-collegiate professionals. Their performance as Golden Bears is not factored into the rankings.

34. DESEAN JACKSON

Years at Cal: 2005 through 2007

Sport: Football

Pro teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens

Age: 38

Hometown: Long Beach, California

Why we ranked him here: A second-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft. DeSean Jackson was a big-play weapon as a receiver and punt returner in his 15 NFL seasons. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times, led the NFL in yards per reception four times, and had over 1,000 receiving yards in a season five times. His best season was 2013 when he had 82 receptions for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson finished his career with 641 catches for 11,263 yards and 58 receiving touchdowns, and his career average of 17.6 yards per reception ranks 39th alltime. He also had 22 receptions for 364 yards and two touchdowns in eight postseason games. Jackson caught six passes for 92 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles in their NFC Championship Game loss to the Cardinals during the 2008 season. Jackson had 72 career rushing attempts for 463 yards and four TDs while averaging 6.4 yards per rush. He also returned four punts for touchdowns in his NFL career, including a game-winning 65-yard punt return on the final play of a game against the Giants in 2010. His 15.2 yards-per punt return in 2009 led the NFL, and he returned two punts for touchdowns that season. Jackson averaged 9.4 yards per punt return for his career.

DeSean Jackson on a Cal punt return for a touchdown / Photo courtesy of Cal Athletics

At Cal: Considered the second-highest-rated recruit (behind Keenan Allen) ever to play for Cal, Jackson was ranked as the nation’s 14th-best prospect in the class of 2005 by On3 Sports. In his three seasons at Cal, Jackson had 162 receptions for 2,423 yards and 22 touchdowns. He returned six punts for touchdowns, including four in 2006 as a sophomore when he averaged 18.2 yards per return. Jackson returned only one punt as a freshman in 2005, but he returned it 49 yards for a touchdown in his first college game. When Jackson left Cal he held Pac-10 records for punts returned for a touchdown in a season (four) and in a career (six).

Other: Jackson was named the head coach at Delaware State on December 27, 2024 . . . Playing for the Eagles in a 2008 game against the Cowboys, Jackson had an apparent 61-yard touchdown reception nullified because he casually dropped the ball at the 1-yard line, before crossing the goal-line. . . . Coming out of high school, Jackson was also expected to play for Cal’s baseball team, but after his football success as a freshman, he opted to focus only on football.

DeSean Jackson as head coach at Delaware State / Benjamin Chambers/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

DeSean Jackson's famous 2010 punt return against the Giants on the final play of the game:

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