V-Jax Recognizes His Age: “I Know My Role”
August 30th, 2016
V-Jax talks to Ian Beckles
What could be more fun than Vincent Jackson loosening up during an interview with former Bucs guard Ian Beckles?
The duo hooked up Sunday on 102.5 FM. Beckles, the longtime WDAE-AM 620 host, now has his own Sunday show on “The Bone” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Broadcasting from Jackson’s South Tampa restaurant, Cask Social, V-Jax humbly made it clear that he’s not a diva wide receiver entering a contract year.
“I know I’m in the fourth quarter of my career. But I accept it. I know my role,” Jackson said.
He added that he is “so impressed” with the quality of coaching staff under Dirk Koetter. Training camp “really tests the soul of a man,” Jackson said, but Koetter has done a masterful job keeping everyone fresh, not just veterans getting special treatment.
In his 12th NFL season, Jackson said he grinds through camp focused on how the work is about preparing for a 22-week season that includes the Super Bowl. It’s more than being about ready for opening day.
Beckles lectured Jackson about how leadership is overblown in an NFL locker room, and Jackson wholeheartedly agreed.
Jackson said he believes in leading by example, not grabbing teammates for chats. He said he’s all about approaching the game, even after 11 seasons, with a mindset that you should get better daily, not that you could get better. And Jackson hopes young players take that example from him and see him working every bit as hard as they do, without exception.
Among other nuggets, Jackson said he looks forward to a long life in Tampa.
“After my career is done. I really want to be a local,” he said, citing how neighborly his Tampa community has been to him compared to six years in San Diego. “Being able to put down roots here is a blessing to me.”
And a fun fact, Jackson said at 16 years old he was 5-9, 130 pounds.
Nobody, he said, ever would have pegged him to be a future professional athlete.
August 30th, 2016 at 10:09 am
Tampa loves you V-Jax!! One of the best free agent pick ups in team history
August 30th, 2016 at 10:13 am
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo loves him sum Vincent Hackson…….Haboo to Hackson….yea….Pablo loves the combo…..now Pablo was also only 5’9 when he was 16 years old but Pablo has grown to a healthy 6’1″…..Pablo is studly”
August 30th, 2016 at 10:18 am
Best WR in Bucs History!!
He helped change the culture of the team!!
Vincent Jackson is also a deep thinker!
Go Bucs!
August 30th, 2016 at 10:21 am
That’s odd picking Tampa over San Diego as a place to live. That’s like going from the penthouse to the outhouse.
August 30th, 2016 at 10:25 am
Humidity wise, I would kill to retire in San Diego. There’s only 5 locations with a Mediterranean climate in the entire world.
Although, when you have VJax $, you just leave for the summer, and come back when it’s nice again.
August 30th, 2016 at 10:37 am
love vjax and all he does for our military and vets. it’s a shame the bucs ownership never put a quality front office and or team together while vjax was still in his prime. I believe he is about to be Grubered…. Hopefully vjax health can hold up long enough for him to taste the playoffs.
August 30th, 2016 at 10:39 am
Expect us to go WR with first or 2nd round pick next year.
August 30th, 2016 at 10:39 am
Hopefully he is at the begining of the 4th quarter and continues to get 16ypc and stays healthy. That would be a “blessing”
August 30th, 2016 at 10:48 am
Feed the beast!!!!!
August 30th, 2016 at 11:03 am
2016 worst contract of the year- 12 milly for ancient jackson
should have cut him and brought him back for 2 mill
Not 1 team would have given Vjack 2 mill for the year
we could have 2 free agent receivers WITH VJ for the 2016 season
“Im the luckiest man on the face of this earth” Lou VJ Gering
August 30th, 2016 at 11:06 am
James Jones hit FA last nite. I’d be happy to see him as a Dontae replacement.
August 30th, 2016 at 11:06 am
My favorite Buc! He is a tremendous player, and more importantly- a great man.
This area and this team are blessed to have Vincent Jackson here
August 30th, 2016 at 11:10 am
i wonder if jackson will call it a day or sign on for one more year earning significantly less. i don’t see him doing the andre johnson\anquan boldin thing bouncing around looking for playing time in his final years. Jackson has his head on straight and is well prepared for life after football and would only come back if he’s enjoying being a buc. I’d love to see VJax finish with an Andreychuck type of legacy: being the veteran in the room for a turnaround, helping the youngsters gel and retiring with a strong core of talented professionals in place
August 30th, 2016 at 11:29 am
We have all the pieces now-GMC. I’m preparing for a 22 week season that includes the Superbowl-V jax. Seems to me the expectations of the individuals in that lockerroom greatly exceed those of many here on this site.. Thank God..
August 30th, 2016 at 11:51 am
ALOT of games are won in the fourth quarter..that’s when alot of players step up and play their best! V-Jax is going to have a monster season!
August 30th, 2016 at 12:15 pm
@Kobe- C’mon man. Seriously! The guy’s been nothing short of stellar for one of the worst franchises and you bemoan his contract.
Forest through the trees!
Vjax, you the man!
August 30th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
lol @ kobe’s random as hell contract numbers. This guy is a character for sure.
August 30th, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Kobe
It’s not our money and it’s not like we have cap issues.
August 30th, 2016 at 12:49 pm
Is he over-paid? Yes… But I cant think of another player more worthy of being over-paid than Mr. Jackson.
Go Bucs!
August 30th, 2016 at 12:50 pm
I wonder what name Kobe Faker used before this one?….
August 30th, 2016 at 1:47 pm
Hopefully, when it comes time to negotiate a contract for next year, VJax will remember the loyalty and appreciation shown to him by Licht in not requesting a reduced salary negotiation this year. Of course the $10M Jackson earns this year is overpaying for a 33 y.o. WR. He’s probably worth half that or less on the open market. But Licht decided to reward VJax by letting him finish out his big contract as a Thank You for his consistently excellent play over the last 5 years – as well as his exemplary behavior as a team leader and mentor to the younger players.
Would love to see VJax play another year or 2 after this one and end his career as a Buccaneer. A 2 year deal for $9.5M with 1/2 that guaranteed in 2017 sounds about right if Jackson is willing to reciprocate Licht’s generosity in letting his current expensive contract conclude naturally.
August 30th, 2016 at 3:34 pm
VJ is a great man and great person. VJ does great and commendable work outside the game but…
You cant win in the NFL by paying an old slow WR 10 million over what he is worth and not bringing in 2 players that can help the team. It didnt work before and it wont work
You bring in the most and best players in the team under the salary cap
***Every year the playoff teams have the best players in there roster. Every year. That is a fact and it is that simple
Having a Travis Benjamin and a Andquan Boldin WITH a 2 mill VJ would allow us to be in the NFC Championship game THIS YEAR
This isnt rocket science. Acquire the most and best players in your roster
***Every year since the beginning of the NFL. The playoff teams had the best players in there roster.
ITS THAT SIMPLE
August 30th, 2016 at 3:37 pm
I would love for him to go out a world champion, and I believe it will happen within the next 2 years. Either way, V-Jax will retire a Buccaneer and 1 day we will see his name in the ring of honor. He’s my number 2 FA signing of all time with Tampa, Number 1 being Hardy Nickerson and #3 is Rice.
August 30th, 2016 at 4:22 pm
Vincent went through some really rough years here…specifically the MRSA\Fire Schiano\Freeman meltdown year and then a year with Lovie Smith, McClown and no coordinator. It was not what anybody expected when he signed his Freeman-inspired 5 year/$55,555,555 contract, but Jackson has been the best pro you could hope for through it all. I know it sounds like something that should be a given when you earn $11 million a year to play a sport, but we have seen plenty of WRs with similar or larger paychecks that are a distraction to their team at the best of times and a loafer or a cancer at the worst of times. I really criticized the signing because all i know about VJax was the holdouts and the inconsistent production, but in hindsight i really appreciate what he’s done on the field and in the community during some dark years for the franchise
August 30th, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Keep playing fantasy football, Kobe Faker.
#1: As far as I can recall, teams with bad records and weak rosters who go nuts in free agency generally don’t wind up in the conference championship game – they wind up like the 2013 and 2014 buccaneers
#2: Vincent Jackson is not going to agree to an 85% pay cut while making room for a veteran of similar experience and profile and a downfield threat. he is either on the team for something close to his current salary or he’s daring the bucs to cut him.
#3: if the bucs wanted boldin and\or travis benjamin, they could have pulled it off without a major haircut from jackson. those guys (or any other FA WR) did not even visit the building because the buccaneers thought they had some young guys who deserved a chance. they might be very wrong about their WR talent, but to me the decision to not even bring in free agent WRs for a visit seemed more strategic than financial
August 30th, 2016 at 4:49 pm
Kobe – I rarely devolve into name calling – but I’ll make an exception for you this time.
You are a knowledge deprived moron!!!!
Firstly, that “old slow WR” is going to make dozens of fabulous plays for your favorite team this year.
Secondly, The Bucs are approximately $13M under the spending cap as it sits right now. They could sign Julio Jones tomorrow if Atlanta was stupid enough to cut him.
Point being that VJax big salary this year has nothing to do with the perceived lack of talented receivers at the bottom of the WR depth chart. The scouts and GM and coaches all know who is out there and who is available. They have collectively decided thus far to roll with their own young talent at the bottom of the depth chart and let it develop. That strategy last year yielded the emergence of UDFA players like Adam Humphries and Cam Brate and Hey Jude who will all play important roles this year and moving forward.
When you have good coaches, and a GM/scouting team that is good at identifying young talent and acquiring it – you can afford to hang onto perceived talent long enough to allow it to blossom into productivity and keep yourself out of salary cap hell year in and year out in the process. That’s what the Bucs are becoming. A team that can afford to invest time in its hand picked prospects and “coach em up” into productive contributors. Ask Kevin Pamphile – he’ll tell ya all about it.
This time next year, we may even be talking about how great our WR depth is because VJax maintains excellent productivity and re-signs, Evans blows up and wrecks the league in 2016, Humphries establishes himself as a solid #3, Russell Shepard continues to improve and makes some plays when called upon and either Dye or Bell makes enough plays to prove they belong and can contribute if needed. This to go along with a shiny new 2nd round stud WR prospect.
August 30th, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Kobe faker once again proving he knows nothing about football.
August 31st, 2016 at 8:36 am
For what Jax has done for this team and what he STILL means to this offense he is worth every penny right now. Where would this offense be without 83?? O I know, let’s go back to last season when we had Dye starting opposite of Evans. How’d that go?? #LANDSLIDE for this offense. We went downhill quickly after Jax got hurt. He’s been the most productive weapon on offense since he’s got here not counting last year. Your a idiot I’d u can’t realize what 83 means to this franchise and everything he’s done for this team on and off the field. Get a clue FAKE ASS KOBE.
August 31st, 2016 at 8:39 am
Hey KOBE FAKE or water your name is why don’t u go join the Falcons or the saints fansite since all u do is degrade everything about the bucs. A real fan supports there team and what they do. Not demoralize all there players and moves. We don’t need that negative crap around here. We have enough of it.
August 31st, 2016 at 11:13 am
Come eat at goody goody I serve there the other night one of the glazers was eating there.