Getting to know Tanard Jackson Not many players enter the NFL and immediately assume the role of a full-time starter. Even fewer do so after being selected near the middle of the NFL Draft; that kind of instant action is usually the province of first and second-round picks. And much rarer still is the player who accomplishes both of those feats and becomes one of his team’s cornerstones while playing a position he had never played before. That has been the amazing story of the young NFL career off Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Tanard Jackson. Jackson was a cornerback by trade while in college and even in high school, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ coaching staff saw something different in him during pre-draft workouts, something worth nurturing, and believed he had a future at safety. And when Jackson was selected in the fourth round in 2007, the organization thought it had come up with a huge steal. Thus far, Jackson has lived up to those expectations, and the position-switching experiment is now an unmitigated success. In 2007 and 2008, Jackson became the first defensive player in franchise history to start the first 32 games of his career, and he has quickly established himself as one of the finest young safeties in the league. In fact, even after missing the first quarter of the season due to a suspension, Jackson has already set a career high with three interceptions in 2009 and has recorded the first two interception returns for touchdowns of his career. The Bucs have struggled in 2009, but Jackson’s continued growth and nonstop improvement bode well for a team looking to rebuild around a handful of young stars. You were the first defensive player in team history to start your first 32 games, but obviously there’s always room for improvement. Coming into your third season, how were you looking to improve your game? “Make more plays on the ball and get my hands on a lot more balls. You’re measured in this game and you’re measured at the position I play by taking it away on defense, so that was a main focus of mine.” Beyond the obvious pursuit of a championship, what are your personal goals for your NFL career? “Obviously the ultimate goal is winning the Super Bowl, but one of the personal achievements is hopefully making a Pro Bowl. The main thing is to win a Super Bowl.” Did you ever hesitate when the Buccaneers’ coaches said they wanted to convert you to safety? Why is that the right position for you? “No, I didn’t actually, once it was told to me that they saw me as a safety. I took it and ran with it. I see myself as a safety more than a corner in this league because of my ability to cover the field and my instincts. What helped was my natural instincts to react and the ability to use some of that corner ability to see the field, and my speed to cover the field, it all helps me to examine it more from the back.” You missed the first four games of this season on a suspension. Did you come back especially hungry to prove yourself again? “Yeah, definitely. I came back with a chip on my shoulder to prove myself. It’s still there, and it’s not really going anywhere.” The Bucs’ defense is incorporating a lot of new and young players into the mix this year, and there have been struggles at time. Looking around you, do you think the pieces are in place for the type of strong defense that Tampa Bay is known for? “Yeah, we have the right people in place. It was a matter of learning a new scheme that we’ve been working with. It takes time, but over time I think we’ll get better.” Coach Morris recently took over the defensive play-calling duties and began to incorporate some more of the team’s concepts from your first two years in the league. Does it seem like everyone is more comfortable with that sort of approach? “I definitely think so, because a lot of the guys were here for two years before when he was the defensive backs coach. I think a lot more guys are comfortable with the system he’s running.” What has the experience been like for you having Coach Morris as your position coach your first two years in the league, and now having him as your head coach? “It’s a tremendous opportunity for him. I’m happy for him. I wish this year could’ve gone a little different for him, but I think the organization is headed in the right direction with him as our leader. It’s been great for me, having him as a position coach and getting to know him those two years I had him, and now having him as a leader of the organization. Like I said, I tip my hat to him and I’m happy for him.” You’re not one of the bigger safeties in the NFL but Coach Morris says you’re a very good tackler. Does that come naturally to you or have you had to work on your technique since moving to safety? “It’s something I definitely had to work on, and there’s definitely room for improvement. I still think I could be a lot better tackler than I am, so I’m going to keep working at it.”