Jamaal Jackson Went from Undrafted to Eagles' Top No. 67
The story at No. 67 for the Philadelphia Eagles is one that might resonate with the undrafted players who may not get much of an opportunity this summer due to the expected scalebacks in a COVID-19 environment.
Back in 2003, Jamaal Jackson emerged as a little-known prospect out of Delaware State before taking over as the Eagles starting center two seasons later and keeping the job through 2009.
A Miami native, Jackson started his journey by catching on as a member of the practice squad as a rookie, and by 2004, the silver lining to a torn triceps was a redshirt year that bought the developing prospect some time.
By 2005 Jackson understood the landscape and felt comfortable enough to make a run at the roster. His big opportunity was a Hank Fraley injury and Jackson seized it, starting the final eight games that season and 71 consecutive games overall spanning the next four campaigns until a knee injury late in the 2009 season derailed the streak.
Another torn triceps derailed Jackson’s comeback attempt in 2010 and by 2011 Jason Kelce was on the scene and Jackson finished his career as a backup, not a bad run for an undrafted player.
From now until the Eagles begin the season at Washington on Sept. 13, SI.com EagleMaven will do a jersey countdown, listing the current Eagles player to wear the corresponding number to the days left before the season opener. As a bonus, we will list the top three players in team history to have that number.
Current number 67:
Nate Herbig. An undrafted rookie in 2019 out of Ohio State, Herbig impressed Jeff Stoutland and made the team by showing potential as a versatile inside backup.
Back in August of last year when the Eagles wanted to give All-Pro center Jason Kelce a maintenance day Herbig, a natural guard, took his first-ever snap in the pivot and embraced the challenge. A role is up for grabs in 2020 with Brandon Brooks out for the season with an Achilles’ tear and while Herbig doesn’t figure to be in the mix for a starting role, he should start training camp as the top gameday backup on the interior.
Top 3 to wear number 67:
3. Pete Case. A dual-AFL/NFL draft pick, Case played nine NFL seasons and it started in Philadelphia as a rookie in 1962. He was a second-round pick and the 27th overall selection out of Georgia by the Eagles and a third-rounder by the AFL’s Houston Oilers (No. 23 overall in that league) so he was well-regarded coming out.
Case spent three seasons with the Eagles as a part-time starter. In a 40-game stint in Philadelphia, stationed mainly at right guard, Case was with the first-team 22 times. From there he went to the New York Giants for the final six seasons of his career where Case has more success as the primary left guard for the Giants for most of his second act, topping out as a second-team PFWA All-Pro in 1968.
2. Stan Campbell. Ironically, Campbell preceded Case as the Eagles starting RG from 1959 to 1961, starting 33 of his 37 regular-season games with the organization. Originally, an 18th round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 1952 draft, Campbell spent his first five NFL seasons with the Lions before arriving in Philadelphia. The final year of his nine-year career was spent in Oakland as the starting LG there.
A three-time NFL champion, Campbell was a part of two title teams early in his career in Detroit and was the starter at RG for the Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship Game.
1. Jamaal Jackson. The apex of Jackson’s career from a national standpoint may have been the Sports Illustrated cover he shared with Fraley when the two were battling for the starting center job in the summer of 2006. Jackson was so impressive in camp that the Eagles felt comfortable enough to deal Fraley to Cleveland. On the field, that was also Jackson’s best season as he was named an All-Pro by SI.
Runner-up:
Dennis Kelly. A fifth-round pick out of Purdue in 2012 the 6-foot-8 Kelly spent his first three seasons as a backup with the Eagles and he ended up starting 15 of the 30 games he played for the organization, including 10 as a rookie. Kelly is perhaps best known for being traded to Tennessee in training camp during the 2016 season for talented receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.
At the time it seemed like a steal for the Eagles but Kelly settled in as a valuable backup swing tackle for the Titans and Green-Beckham was out of football by the 2017 season.
Others: Jack Sanders, John Magee, Proverb Jacobs, Erwin Will, Vern Winfield, Herb Dobbins, Jeff Bleamer, Lem Burnham, Gerry Feehery, Steve Gabbard, Ryan Schau, and Chance Warmack.
John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes, and every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SBNation Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
