A Conversation with Trishton Jackson

Cuse.com recently caught up with 2019 All-ACC wide receiver Trishton Jackson to talk about his preparation for the NFL Draft and how COVID-19 has impacted his training. The first junior in program history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season, Jackson decided to turn pro in December.

Cuse.com: First, where are you right now and are you safe?

Jackson: "Yeah, I'm good. I'm back home. I'm in Detroit right now. I'm training with my strength and conditioning coach at "The Garage." Due to the coronavirus, a lot of the gyms closed, so I'm working out in "The Garage" with him right now, along with any field or track that we can get to."

Cuse.com: Who's your trainer and what exactly is "The Garage"?

Jackson: "I'm training with Stan Edwards [former Michigan and NFL receiver Braylon Edwards' father]. He's been training people for a long time. People just call it "The Garage." But it literally is his garage. It's well-known in Michigan. A lot of guys train there."

Cuse.com: Have you done all your pre-draft training there?

Jackson: "No, I was training in California in Westlake Village. I was working with my own team. I had the person who is training me right now in Detroit, Stan Edwards. Then I had Charles Collins as my receiver and field-work coach. He was with the Bengals and coached Chad Ochocinco. Then I had a chef named Susie Miller. She was the chef for the U.S. Women's Soccer Team."

Cuse.com: When did you return to Michigan?

Jackson: "I came back probably two weeks after the NFL Combine. I heard the coronavirus was starting to spread in California and my agent [Brian Donaldson] and I didn't want to take the chance of me getting sick or being at risk, so I flew home."

Cuse.com: What does a typical day look like for you?

Jackson: "I'm still waking up early in the morning and eating a good breakfast. Then I get a workout in – whether that's weights or speed training. Then later that day I'll go to the field and catch balls and do some drills by myself. That's normally what I do. I make sure to catch at least 100-200 balls a day."

Cuse.com: Tell us about your NFL Combine experience. What don't people know about those five days?

Jackson: "It's very time consuming. All people see on TV are the workouts, but there's a lot that goes into it. You definitely have to find little moments where you can rest up throughout the day. You have a lot of interviews. You have medical exams. You have to get a light jog in or something like that at the end of the day, just so your muscles are ready to run later in the week. It's a busy time, but it was a good experience for me. There's a lot of good wide receivers in this draft class and we got to know each other, so it's a bonding trip, as well. I got to know a lot of people."

Cuse.com: Any specific takeaways?

Jackson: "Just talking football. For instance, talking with [LSU quarterback] Joe Burrow and learning about what he was seeing or thinking on a certain play. Having conversations and trying to learn as much football as I could from what other schools might be teaching their players."

Cuse.com: Were you pleased with your Combine performance?

Jackson: "Yeah. Obviously, you always want to run faster [in the 40], but I ran a good time still, so I was happy with that."

Jackson posted a 4.50 in the 40-yard dash, tied for the sixth-fastest time by a Syracuse player at the Combine since 2000.

Cuse.com: NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter shouted you out on Twitter after. What was that like?

Jackson: "It was cool. It actually wasn't the first time Cris and I interacted with each other. It was a surreal feeling seeing the tweet because during the week I was thinking to myself 'Wow, I'm actually developing a relationship with Cris Carter.' The first day I got there he and I talked for a while in a group, then after we talked one-on-one for a long time. Gradually, it kept happening to the point that I was on the field and he took a selfie with me. After that, all of my nervous jitters went away. I had a Hall of Famer in my corner, so it gave me more confidence to go through the day."

My guy @TrishtonJ was very impressive #NFLCombine2020 faster than anticipated, great route runner, soft hands, and a better person. NFL Wr coaches love him ... See you #NFLDraft in Vegas.
— Cris Carter (@criscarter80) February 28, 2020

Cuse.com: Were you a Cris Carter fan growing up?

Jackson: "Definitely. I played quarterback in high school, so when I switched to receiver all I watched was Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Chad Ochocinco because those guys were just different. The way they played – it was like a work of art. Cris Carter ran very nice routes and had some of the best hands of anyone to ever play in the NFL. I looked up to him and I want to do things like he did. Hopefully, I'll get a gold jacket like he did one day."

Cuse.com: Without the opportunity for face-to-face contact, have you been meeting virtually with NFL teams?

Jackson: "Yeah, either using FaceTime or Skype. I literally just got off a call with a team."

Cuse.com: How many of the 32 teams have you met with?

Jackson: "Probably half."

Cuse.com: What sort of things do they want to know?

Jackson: "Most of it has been seeing how well I learn and can pick things up. They'll ask me how I view myself and what type of player I am. Things like that. All football-type stuff, not really full-blown interviews."

Cuse.com: Any plans to watch the NFL Draft?

Jackson: "Yeah, I'm probably going to have a draft party with my family and friends in Detroit."

Cuse.com: Last thing. Do you have a message for Syracuse fans?

Jackson: "I do. I just want to thank them for the time I spent at Syracuse. It was nothing but a good experience for me and I hope everybody stays safe and stays indoors."

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