V-Jax details rookie torture and huddle dancing

So much for Vincent Jackson being a robotic and rather stoic workaholic, a man whose military upbringing let him fit right in with Greg Schiano and have a Pro Bowl season in 2012.

Jackson revealed on his radio show Friday night that he makes an effort to help rookies through the rookie wall, which he believes in and says is more mental than physical.

One method Jackson uses is scaring the crap out of rookies to lighten the tension. It’s not “hazing,” Jackson said on the Buccaneers Radio Network, it’s just “pulling a prank” on rookies to shake things up.

“‘Hey, you didn’t hear about that meeting we had this morning? Where were you at?'” Jackson will ask a rookie in a firm tone.

“They get that look. They go white in their face, you know what I mean,” Jackson said. “So you just get’em like that, and that gets their heart pumping. And it’s just fun like that. Everybody has a good laugh. Whatever it is, man, if I can just keep these young guys going. Because they have haven’t been in a season like this coming from the college ranks. And I remember being in that stage and being like, ‘Wow, this is a lot of work for a long time.’ And you know, you got to be mentally tough, more so than even physically.”

Man, Joe had to laugh hearing that. That’s quality mental torture right there, convincing a poor young rookie he missed a meeting.

Jackson also acknowledged trying to keep veterans from feeling stuck in a grind. One of his favorite practice activities is to get starting center Joe Hawley to dance in the huddle to music playing during the session, and get other guys to join in.

“We turn the huddle into a little 30 seconds dance club, and then we start our drive,” Jackson said. “So it’s small things like that are just fun and energy. You know what I mean, it keeps guys upbeat.”