DeSean Jackson: Rookie of the Year

The term, “Million dollar arm, ten cent head,” was initially used to describe quarterback Jeff George, an extremely talented quarterback with a cannon arm and incredible skills, who simply refused to listen to coaches or use common sense on the football field.

The term has also been used to describe Ryan Leaf, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 1998, who had the physical tools to be a superstar in the NFL but lacked the brainpower to run an NFL offense or read a defense.

And now add one more name to the list: DeSean Jackson.

The rookie wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jackson was blessed with incredible speed, good hands, amazing quickness and agility... and a cockiness and swagger unmatched by any rookie in quite some time.

Jackson is a phenomenal athlete who already is pushing to be the team's No. 1 receiver after just four games in the NFL, and projects to be one of the most dangerous punt returners in the league, ala Devin Hester or Joshua Cribbs. Yet despite his remarkable athletic ability, Jackson has some learning to do if he hopes to exceed in this league.

Jackson has already made his fair share of rookie mistakes, none more famous than his near touchdown against Dallas on Monday Night Football.

Jackson caught a deep pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb and upon reaching the end zone, proceeded to throw the ball away a yard before he reached the end zone for his first career NFL touchdown. In front of a national audience, Jackson's blunder was shown countless times, as video replays clearly showed Jackson tossing the ball behind him still a step short of a touchdown.

What made the whole situation even more amazing was that Jackson had made a similar mistake years earlier – and had failed to learn from that one.

In a 2004 high school playoff game, DeSean Jackson attempted to somersault into the end zone, following a long play that would have given his team the lead late in the game. Jackson landed on the one yard-line and failed to score the touchdown.

While that mistake was simply a high school mistake, and Jackson's team came back to win the game behind Jackson's two touchdowns, committing the same error years later in the National Football League, is simply inexcusable.

Two weeks after his Monday Night miscue, Jackson ran the wrong route on a post pattern.

McNabb fired a strike to the location where Jackson should have been, but since Jackson had cut to the wrong side of the field, the pass was picked off by a Chicago Bears defender. McNabb was seen publicly expressing his displeasure toward Jackson following the pass.

Coupled with a muffed punt that gave the Bears great field position late in the game, Jackson's list of rookie mistakes kept on growing.

Nevertheless, Jackson still has made his fair share of memorable plays, and looks to be a big factor for the Eagles this season and many more to come.

Jackson's NFL debut was hyped to the point where anything less than a stellar performance would have been greatly disappointing.

And Jackson didn't disappoint. His first career NFL catch, on the second play from scrimmage, was a beautiful, leaping 47-yard grab over the Rams' first round draft pick in '06, cornerback Tye Hill. Later, he took a punt 60 yards to set up a field goal.

The following week, Jackson became the first rookie wide receiver in nearly 70 years to catch over 100 yards in each of his first two games.

His numbers through four weeks project to 88 catches, 1308 yards, and four scores over a full season (and eight TDs if he didn't throw the ball away in Week 2), stats that will most likely earn him the first Pro Bowl invitation by a homegrown Eagles receiver since Fred Barnett in 1992.

While there will be some growing pains for Eagles fans watching DeSean Jackson this season, Jackson will undoubtedly mature quickly and become one of the most dangerous and valuable players in the league.

He may cost his team at times due to inexperience and poor judgment, but he will certainly account for more wins than losses due to tremendous athletic skills and the ability to take over a game. With a Pro Bowl quarterback throwing to him and one of the best offensive minds in the game (Andy Reid) as a head coach, Jackson seems primed to do some serious damage.

Let's just hope the damage is done to the other 31 teams around the league, and not his own.