DeSean Jackson Cut by The Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have parted ways with their number one receiver, DeSean Jackson.  Jackson, 27, is coming off his best statistical season (82 grabs, 1,332 yard and 9 scores), but his off-the-field  lifestyle is what the sporting world will be talking about in the coming days and weeks.

There were rumors of Jackson rolling with a rough crowd dating back to his days as a Cal Bear.  Those rumors dropped DeSean out of the first round and into the laps of the Eagles early in the second.  Jackson’s early success catapulted him into the starting lineup, and his off-field behavior kept him out of the papers.

That came to an end in 201o, when an LAPD investigation of a gang murder placed Theron Shakir as a suspect.  Shakir, a purported member of the Crips and Jackson were  seen in pictures together and Shakir was also apart of Jackson’s rap label.  Shakir was acquitted of the murder and spent over a year in jail awaiting trial.  Jackson faced more ties to gang murder when in 2012 he again was contacted by the LAPD after a murder took place outside a home leased or owned by a member of the Jackson family.  Jackson never responded to the phone calls.

Jackson also started his own rap label named Jaccpot Entertainment.  At the time, Jackson was still earning $750,000 a year.  Those close to Jackson were worried he was setting himself up for bankruptcy with diamond chain purchases and 25,000 dollar nights out but Jackson said that he was just trying to help out his friend from back home. “It’s just a different lifestyle and things like that I’m getting into.  And just kind of helping out my boys that I grew up with, and just hopefully make it a career as far as rapping and things like that.”

Jackson’s days of hanging out with/employing gang members and flashing gang signs at D’Angelo Hall only to later claim it is “reckless” for anyone to assert he could be involved with gangs are over.  Well at least in Philadelphia.

Jackson being cut is a huge story. We are talking non-stop-Sports-Center-coverage big.  An assertion by
Barry Petchesky of Deadspin is that NJ.com’s big story was released in a PR ploy where NJ.com colluded with the Eagles front office to get the dirt for the story.  http://deadspin.com/eagles-cut-desean-jackson-amid-claims-of-gang-ties-1553730474  Check it out.