Eagles' Malik Jackson gives back during COVID-19 pandemic

Jamie Apody Image
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Eagles' Malik Jackson gives back during COVID-19 pandemic
Eagles defensive tackle Malik Jackson is giving back to Philadelphia and his hometown of Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- When Malik Jackson signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles before last season, it was a big deal.

Jackson teamed with Fletcher Cox was supposed to make the Birds' defensive line unstoppable. And then just 32 snaps into his career in Philadelphia, Jackson's season was ended with a Lisfranc foot injury.

"I have to worry about where the team trusts me and sees me as who I am and not somebody they need to replace," Jackson tells Action News.

Injuries were the story of the season for the Birds -- 15 players were on injured reserve in a 16 game season.

Ironically that wasn't supposed to happen to Jackson--he had played 107 straight games prior to getting hurt.

Now healthy, he says he'll be ready for camp, and can't wait.

"I'm very excited," he says. "I had some unfortunate things happen in Jacksonville and Philadelphia. I'm very excited to show people who I am, what I bring, mostly show them myself."

Jackson is much more than a football player. Jackson is also a guy who loves to give back.

During this pandemic, he donated over 700 meals to hospital staff in his hometown of Los Angeles, and has pledged $100,000 to help Fred's Footsteps, an organization in Philadelphia helping pay the bills of families caring for medically fragile children.

"It's rewarding, it's refreshing, it's nothing that a trophy can give you," Jackson says. "You walk around and you help people, you care. It's just a blessing to be a blessing, and that's what I'm trying to be."

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