WR Jackson Seeks Speedy Transition

By ROY CUMMINGS

TAMPA - Dexter Jackson showed up for the Bucs' rookie minicamp on Friday still wearing the golden slippers that helped launch one of the greatest upsets in college football history.

"They're my lucky shoes," Jackson said of the gold-trimmed black cleats he wore during Appalachian State's stunning upset of Big 10 power Michigan in September. "The Bucs gave us shoes, but these are already broken in and I need to be light on my feet here."

Being light on his feet has never been a problem for Jackson. A year ago at this time, long before he became the face of the Division I-AA Appy State program and a Sports Illustrated cover boy, he ran a 4.3 40-yard dash at a workout for pro scouts.

That 40-yard run put Jackson on every NFL scout's radar, but it was the 68 yards he ran while turning a short pass reception into a touchdown against Michigan that got him where he is today.

"It really helped kick-start this whole journey for me," Jackson said of the first-quarter pass play that launched the upset. "After that game, it was like, let's check him out and see what he can do. Let's do some research on him. It really helped."

It mostly helped Jackson's stock. Before the Michigan game, most NFL scouts saw Jackson as a late second-day selection - a fifth-, sixth- or seventh-round pick, according to Bucs pro scouting director Mark Dominik. After that game, scouts looked at Jackson more like a second-round option.

And that's where the Bucs took him, their thinking being that his speed could one day allow him to replace Joey Galloway as the wideout who stretches defenses like taffy. In the meantime, the Bucs plan to use Jackson's speed for other purposes.

In particular, they want him returning punts and kicks. In fact, Jackson's ability to help the offense before it even takes the field is the primary reason the Bucs selected the 5-foot-9, 182-pounder from Dunwoody, Ga.

"We looked at him as a returner-receiver who hopefully can develop," Dominik said. "In this league, if you want a returner you've got to go get one. They're hard to just pick off. And we haven't done that in forever."

It shows. Not until last year, after 511 games and 1,865 attempts, did the Bucs have a player return a kick for a touchdown. Jackson, though, gives the Bucs the ability to start a completely different kind of streak.

"He's a quick-strike guy," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said of Jackson, who returned 93 punts for 837 yards and 35 kicks for 619 yards during his college career. "He'll give us a real kick in the return game."

To warrant the second-round pick the Bucs used to get him, Jackson will have to do more than return kicks and punts. He also will have to become a reliable pass catcher, and many believe he can.

He obviously has the speed. And he has good hands and runs good routes, scouts say. The concern is his size. Mention that to Jackson, though, and he immediately rattles off the names of receivers who have not let their lack of ideal size slow them down.

"Steve Smith, Santana Moss, Roscoe Parrish - there are a lot of small receivers who have made a big impact in the game," Jackson said, "and I feel like if I can get to the outside and get one-on-one, I can use my speed to my advantage."

Jackson obviously made good use of speed at Appalachian State. He didn't get to use it very often, though. Opponents often double-teamed him to force the ball to other areas, limiting Jackson's usefulness but not his impact.

"When he did get the ball it was usually for big yards or a touchdown," said former Appalachian State receivers coach Lonnie Galloway. "But now it's time for him to go to work. I told him, plug in that Jugs machine, find somebody to feed it for you and catch, catch, catch. If he does that, he'll be fine."

Jackson has every intention of following his old position coach's advice. He said he came to the Bucs to work on his game and prove he can be the double-edged weapon they drafted him to be.

"Coming from App, I have to work twice as hard as the next guy," he said. "But I'm going to work hard every day, because I feel like if we're in a two-receiver set, I can be one of the receivers out there."

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