This time last year, just days before Christmas, DeSean Jackson had no clue Delaware State Hornets would be loading his plate like this. But it makes sense. Under his watch, the Hornets cooked up a historic season. Now, the Deion Sanders disciple has cashed in, locking down an extension through 2028.

“DeSean Jackson was rewarded with a new contract following the Hornets’ most successful season in two decades,” reported the official page of the HBCU Sports on X on December 23. 

Jackson planted his flag at Delaware State after orchestrating one of the loudest turnarounds in recent HBCU football memory. A year ago, he took over a program lost in the wilderness. Now, the Hornets have juice, national shine, and a clear runway under their first-year head man.

“Just two days before Christmas last year, I began the next phase of my professional career, as a first-time head coach, in a community I did not know, with players I did not recruit,” Jackson recalled his times from last year in a recent presser. “It was not easy, but it was important. Giving my whole self to these young men.”

Under Jackson, the Hornets cooked, 32.25 points per game and a nation-leading 291.2 rushing yards. This made them the toughest run-stopping in the FCS. Before Jackson showed up, Delaware State was stuck in neutral, facing an absolute drought with just two wins across the 2023 and 2024 seasons and no winning year since 2012.

That script flipped fast. In his debut year, Jackson powered the Hornets to an 8-4 record, a 4-1 MEAC run, an FCS-best rushing attack, and their first MEAC Championship Game appearance in nearly two decades. Even with a loss to eventual MEAC and Celebration Bowl champ South Carolina State, the season signaled a full-blown program reset.

Jackson enjoyed a 15-year NFL career with six franchises, entering the league as a second-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008. He spent the first eight seasons in Philadelphia, where he earned three Pro Bowl selections. One of the league’s premier deep threats, he later suited up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, returned to Philadelphia, and finished his career with stops at the Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens.

The 39-year-old spent the 2024 season on the sidelines as an assistant at Woodrow Wilson High in Long Beach before leveling up to the head job at Delaware State. He replaced Lee Hull, who was shown the door earlier this month after back-to-back rough seasons, capped by a brutal 1–11 campaign in 2024.

His debut stint in college did pay off well. Two NFL legends and former Eagles teammates squared off twice in HBCU competition, and both times, Michael Vick came up empty. Meanwhile, Delaware State snapped a long drought, finishing 8-4 for its best season since 2007. This had already left Jackson’s mentor very proud. 

Deion Sanders had set the blueprint for DeSean Jackson

When Deion Sanders made the leap from star player to head coach, he set the blueprint for ex-NFL talent to follow. Jackson bought into that vision. He openly credited Coach Prime for lighting the way. Watching Deion flip Jackson State and then elevate the Colorado Buffaloes showed Jackson exactly how impact, culture, and swagger can translate from the league to the sidelines.

“Coach Prime, man, I can’t stress enough about how he’s opened doors up for guys like myself,” Jackson said on All Facts No Brakes.

Top Stories

Chaotic Brawl Breaks Out at Tulsa Shootout After Teen Flips Off Rival Driver

Why Does Troy Aikman Wear a Ring on His Middle Finger? All You Need to Know

LIV Golf Braces for Another Possible Exit in Wake of Brooks Koepka Departure

Kyrie Irving Breaks Silence After Injury Return Update Emerges

Where Is Reina Tellez From? Nationality, Ethnicity, and Religion of Amanda Serrano’s Opponent

Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones Sharply Criticizes Matt Eberflus After Coach’s Concerning Admission

When Deion took over at Jackson State, everything shifted. 27 wins, just six losses, and two Celebration Bowl appearances in a two-year takeover. So, when Jackson took over the Delaware State role, it was fully supported by Coach Prime. 

“We’ve got to wrap our arms around this game changer and give him all the support he needs to become a successful college football coach,” Deion wrote on X.

The start wasn’t easy for Jackson. He inherited a program coming off 1-11 in 2024 and 1-10 in 2023, a full rebuild waiting to happen. When the weight of it all set in, Jackson found clarity during a fishing trip with Deion. A heart-to-heart that underscored just how tight the bond between the two really is.

Months later, the pep talk from Deion Sanders is paying real dividends. Delaware State is officially locked in with DeSean Jackson. It’s time to find out how Coach Prime responded to his mentee’s extension.