Vincent Jackson Q&A: Keeping a Consistent Approach with Jameis Winston on Board By Jason Cole , NFL Analyst Jun 4, 2015 
Jeff Haynes TAMPA, Fla. — Veteran wide receiver Vincent Jackson enters his 11th year in the league and fourth season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having done two things on an annual basis since he moved to Florida: He has gained at least 1,000 yards and has played with a new quarterback each season. The second of those trends appears set to continue this year, with No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston expected to start for the Buccaneers. Regardless of whether the yards continue to come, Jackson has lived up to his end of the bargain after signing a five-year, $55.5 million contract in 2012.The Buccaneers toyed with the idea of asking Jackson to take a pay cut this offseason before deciding against it.Beyond the field, Jackson has become an important force in the community, working with the families from MacDill Air Force Base. He has also developed a growing real estate business and opened several restaurants both in Tampa and San Diego, where he started his career.BR: You went through the time with coach Greg Schiano, which was difficult for everyone. You have changed quarterbacks every year. You lost offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford on the eve of the season last year. Now you have a new offensive coordinator. I know you have been through this for a long time, but how difficult is it to maintain confidence and concentration during all of this upheaval?Jackson: For me—and I can't speak for every player on that offense—but I have always trained my mind to the way I approach the game. It really wasn't that hard with the way I approached the game. How can I maximize my (output) for the team and the offense?Did I have bad years the last few years? No, not really. Were they as good as I wanted them to be? No, but there are reasons for that. But to me, I was just always focused on, 'OK, we're all going to struggle with this, it's going to hurt us all, but how can we deal with it?' That was just how I looked at it as a leader of this team, how I went out there every day. I just said, 'I don't care what our record is. I don't care who they are. We're going to go in there prepared to win.'
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Last year was one of the hardest years I had ever been through. I don't think anyone expected to know how losing our (offensive coordinator) was going to affect us. We thought maybe we would get him back in a few weeks. But we felt we had put in so much good work in the offseason that we thought maybe some of these other guys would pick up the weight. But in this league, there's just so much to carry each week on those assistant coaches. There's no way, especially losing a guy at the helm, the head figure…that really just put a scramble on us.I don't think anybody tucked it in at any time. But I think we knew we couldn't find any continuity. Whether it was a balance between the run and the pass game or handling tough situations, we just didn't execute. Do I think that was all because of losing one guy? Of course not. It was a responsibility for us as professionals to step up and execute, and we didn't do that.Now, having a new guy like (offensive coordinator) Dirk (Koetter) in here is a breath of fresh air. His approach to the game, his attitude and energy he brings to every meeting and practice, his sense of humor…it's something we have missed.B/R: What tested you more: the past three years, or the year that you sat out almost the whole season due to a contract holdout in San Diego?Jackson: That was 2010. That was intense. That year for sure.I love this game. I love playing, and I've obviously been able to play the last few years. The wins haven't come as much as we would like, but I was able to play football, which is what I've always wanted to do. When I couldn't play that year, that was one of the hardest four or five months of my life, because I wanted to be in that locker room playing with those guys. I continued to work on my game, and when I came back, it was obviously with open arms, and everything went pretty smoothly.But it was tough. When you have that uncertainty of how your career is going to go, and when you come back, will people still respect your game? Are you going to have the same impact when you come back? Those thoughts start to creep into your mind when you have been away for a few weeks.I was blessed to have good people around me, like my agents (Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod), my family, my support group with my trainers in Arizona, Brett Fischer and his staff. I stayed on top of my game, and I was ready. I think my second game back, I had three touchdowns after not playing from August all the way through October.
Denis Poroy/Associated Press B/R: I have a gut feeling that coaches get scared when a guy scores three touchdowns in his second game back after not working out with the team for three or four months.Jackson: Yeah, I'm sure it was like, 'What the heck were we thinking?' I'm sure that was going through their minds. It's part of this league, and stuff like that happens every year. I'm an NFLPA (Player's Association) rep now, and I try to educate these guys all I can on maximizing their careers. Maximize your potential, do everything you can, and things will work out for you. I think I did the right things, and everything worked out for me. I did all the right things; I prepared, I was a good teammate, and no matter what happened with the business side of it, I feel like it worked out right for me.B/R: When players such as Adrian Peterson and Eric Weddle go through holdout situations, do they call you for advice on how to handle that? Very few players take that stand, and even fewer do it successfully.Jackson: It seems like at some point, most guys get something done, but you definitely hear during OTAs or minicamps…it seems like a little bit of that stuff comes out. You hope that professional advisers are getting better at dealing with teams. I think teams are better prepared for it. I think it's rare because people know how to deal with it and get through it.But when it does happen, it seems like both sides are going to be stern with where they are. I haven't been reached out to by any players. I talk to my agents about it all the time, and they get reached out to, so I know people look at what we did and understand that it was very valid and was a great resource on how you handle that.B/R: So you have a real estate company and some post-career plans you're working hard at. Is that right?Jackson: I'm definitely a business-minded person. That's what I studied in college, and I started a real estate company in San Diego in 2011, doing some single-family stuff, some residential homes. That has expanded, and we have pretty much moved the business to Tampa. We still do some stuff on the West Coast, Nevada, Cleveland and now in Florida. Between just the state taxes and the cost of living, you can do a whole lot more here. There's a lot more volume you can work with.B/R: Are you flipping houses?Jackson: Everything. Flipping, rentals, long-term holds, a little bit of commercial. It's very diverse, and it's what makes sense on paper, what looks good. I've actually opened some restaurants. Two original startups in Pacific Beach in San Diego, and I've done three franchises of the Tilted Kilts, a chain. They're kind of an Irish Hooters. That's not me coming up with anything; that's an established business that's been around for years.B/R: Aren't startup restaurants a pretty high-risk business?Jackson: They are, but we have survived. We started one in 2009 and the other in 2010, and both have done really well. Obviously, me being a real estate guy, the first thing I look at is really location. Location first. That's where you find value in places.One is called Dirty Birds, and the other is called Pacific Beach Fish Shop. And I've actually started one here in Tampa called Ferg's Live across from Amalie Arena, where the Lightning play. Another one we're opening in about three weeks is Cask. It's kind of some fine wines and some nice, fine bourbons and whiskies with a Southern-inspired, American menu. It's a reasonably priced, family-friendly place. But again, it's a great location. B/R: OK, but how much time can you devote to all of this? Restaurants are really work-intensive projects.Jackson: Everything I have done in the past, like in the real estate business, my partners have all been in the business, like the mortgage business, for 20 or 25 years. There are three of us in that. The restaurants are the same thing. I find people with great passion and drive. I do have some input on things I like to see, some concepts. But returns, food cost, staff cost…all the stuff that goes into running it is what I'm on top of. The restaurant I'm probably most involved with is Cask. … It's just because this offseason I've had time and it's not far from my house.The guys I work with are similar in age to me, maybe just a little older. But they have a lot of ambition and have been in the business for 15 years. So when you find people who are experts in a field, that's who I team up with. Whether that's a financial deal or something to do with sports or restaurants, find people who have the right passion.B/R: Obviously, you have a new quarterback in Jameis Winston. He has a lot of ability, but he has received a lot of attention for things that go beyond the field. How do you help make sure he's focused at a time when the clock is ticking on your career?
Chris O'Meara/Associated Press Jackson: For me, no matter what the situation, no matter who is behind the helm there, my approach is going to be very consistent. With a young guy like this, I'm obviously going to be more hands-on, helping his learning curve speed up, help him get adjusted to this game, help him learn the speed of the game.When I first got here, I tried to help Josh Freeman, then Mike Glennon and then Josh McCown. I want to bring the things I've learned from this game and share it with those guys. I want to win in everything. Every drill, every practice and especially when it comes to every game. There's no reason it shouldn't be us. No matter what our roster has looked like, there's no reason that we shouldn't win every time we step on this field.B/R: Your parents were both in the military. I know it has a special place in your heart.Jackson: My mother is more civilian-military, but she has worked in the military for 25 years, and my dad served 22-plus years. So yeah, it's my lifestyle. I grew up a military kid, travelling around different places, going to different schools, living overseas. So living out here creating my foundation, the Jackson in Action 83 Foundation, it was just the right time. I never started one when I was in San Diego because I didn't feel like I ever had the right people around me, and it wasn't right for me to divulge myself completely and really give of myself and make it what I wanted it to be.I've had this vision for a few years, and getting to Tampa was the right time. You have MacDill Air Force base, one of the key bases in this country. They have been one of the important bases as far as what has gone on in the Middle East the last 10, 12 years. They have been nothing but open arms for me, and the Bucs have a great relationship with them.B/R: Do you have one particular story that sticks out from that time working with the foundation?Jackson: Man, we get so many letters and so many requests. I think one of the key things we did was this banquet fundraiser honoring some veterans. We were able to do a little surprise FaceTime simulcast with this mother and her son. She hadn't seen him in almost a year. He was about eight years old.I was up there talking about some of the things we do and said, 'Hey, we have a guest speaker coming up.' He was one of the featured guests we had that evening, and I think because of his home situation, he hadn't been able to even FaceTime with her in a very, very long time. So we brought him up on stage, she popped up on the screen, and he looked up and it was immediate tears on both sides. That was a great memory.B/R: Was your dad ever gone that long?Jackson: My dad had a few short deployments. I don't think anything more than about four months. But I still remember those sad nights. I was like seven years old. Being up at night, crawling in bed with my mom and just crying, worrying about his safety. Those things happen at a young age. You see enough on TV to understand the gravity of the situation. So that has been one of our key pillars, focusing on that family situation.B/R: How much longer are you going to play in the NFL?Jackson: I'm feeling good. I'm feeling blessed. I definitely would love to finish in Tampa. It was definitely in my control this year. So as long as I can play and be around my family. … I have two young kids now. I have a 21-month-old boy and a five-month-old girl, so there are a lot of diapers in my house right now. Two in diapers at the same time.B/R: So you're providing some serious gifts to your wife.Jackson: Trust me, I take care of her. I take care of her.B/R: Two kids and opening two restaurants. Oh, and that football thing.Jackson: Obviously, football, as far as my businesses go, this is first. This is my love. Those other things are supplements to my diversification and my future and my finances. Those are passions that I have that I will transition into when I'm done playing. But I want to get a head start now when I can use a little bit of my platform to help these businesses go.But yeah, family is first with me. I spend as much time at home as I can, and my wife is great as far as understanding my schedule, my responsibilities at work and doing everything I can to be there.We had both our kids during the season time, so I'll get up and help with some feedings, and I'll change and do that stuff before I go to work. I understand my responsibility in the big picture. You have kids to raise for the rest of your life, and you play football for a very short time.When I started playing, I thought 12 years sounded like a good number. But now that I'm at 11 and feeling good, I think I want to keep playing as long as I can be effective and contribute. If I lose too much, then I'd probably move on. But there are other things I know I can bring to the table.I think of Keenan McCardell when he was in San Diego. He was really one of our locker room guys, a great leader for young receivers such as myself. What he was doing on the field he probably wasn't as happy with, but that's part of everybody's career. Everybody goes through that as some point. But he was OK with it, he embraced it, he came out and played pretty well for us when he was healthy. But he took that role and he knew he could be a mentor.B/R: So are you that way now with Mike Evans?
Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press Jackson: Yeah. Mike is a talented guy, a hungry guy, and he definitely takes instruction and wants to be great. He knows the steps you have to take to take care of your body, how you spend your time in the building. Everybody has to be here a certain amount of time and put in that effort, but what are you going to do to separate yourself?You can only live off those raw (talents) for so long. Nothing is (ever) promised. Just because you had a great year last year doesn't mean you're going to have a great year next year. I'm just trying to help him stay very humble, which he is, and he's excited about getting another opportunity this year.link
