Contention

Ever polite, friendly and outgoing — but immature to a fault — the Chargers young wide receiver spent his first four seasons in the NFL playing around and making a lot of silly mistakes off the field…and not working hard enough so that he could be consistently good on it.

Jackson, of course, has flashed brilliance ever since being drafted (wisely again by A.J. Smith) with a third-round pick in 2005 out of Northern Colorado. But for every time he would raise our hopes with a spectacular play, he would frustrate us with a lapse of concentration. For every smile and word of good will off the field, there would be a selfish lack of judgment.

When Jackson was stopped on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence back in January, I thought it was going to be the end of his Chargers career. Already on probation for the exact same offense, Jackson figured to become the latest victim of Smith’s sweeping attempt to rid his organization of troublesome talent.

Good thing last Sunday he was allowed to stay. Seemingly no longer wet behind the ears, Jackson has grown this season into a legitimate big-time player at wide receiver. And his two touchdowns against the New York Giants included the game-winner with 21 seconds remaining.

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