Former Tiffin Dragon Stanley Jackson Jr. answers questions on how he's been affected by Covid-19 Pandemic

​By Isaiah Cole
Student Writer

With pro days for football players cancelled across the country, opportunities for less known players to showcase their talent in front of NFL and CFL scouts has been taken away. 

Pro days for college prospects are very important. They give pro scouts a chance to view what you can do on the football field and eliminate any doubt that some scouts may have.

For prospects at smaller schools a pro day means exposure, and will likely be the only way they can present their talents to pro scouts. This exposure can result in getting drafted or receiving a camp invite. 

For Stanley Jackson Jr, a former receiver at Tiffin University Covid-19 has brought many challenges. Stanley Jackson excelled on the field this past fall with 63 receptions for 1152 yards and 11 touchdowns helping the dragons beat Findlay, become conference champions and earn a playoff berth. 

I caught up with Stanley and got to ask him some questions about how the Coronavirus pandemic impacted him and what things he's done to overcome the adversity. 


Q: What challenges has Covid-19 brought to you? 
A: “The challenges that I faced due to the covid-19 is that my best opportunity for me to perform at my best and to get the most accurate numbers for nfl scouts to evaluate me was cancelled.”


Q: What was your initial reaction to pro days being cancelled? 
A: “My initial reaction was that it would be delayed but never did I think they would of cancelled it. But I still keep the mindset that I’m going to get a shot, so I never stopped working out.”
Q: How important was a pro day for you?
A: “The pro day was immensely important for me, coming from a small school a pro day was the most effective way for my name and numbers to get out to the nfl teams, and to be on their radar for draft day.”


Q: How have you altered your training around the shut down?
A: “My training has been altered with not so much weight training just because it’s been so hard trying to find a gym that’s open. But I have done a lot more running and bodyweight works such as hills, push-ups, and etc.”


Q: What actions have you taken to get yourself exposure?
A: “The actions that I have taken was I reached out to an ex-nfl scout to record my numbers at a private pro day and recorded myself on video running routes and sent it to my coaches so that they can send it to their nfl contacts.”

 
Q: How do you think you’ll grow from this experience?
A:  “This experience just makes the victory more sweet. I have battled a lot of adversity through my athlete career and with this it just makes my victory even more legendary.”


Q: How do you feel about your measurables/testing numbers?
A: “I feel good about my numbers that I performed at the pro day. Everything was recorded so I believe it was the most accurate that it could be and with a reliable source being the one behind the watch I feel confident.” 



Q: What do you bring to an Nfl team if you’re drafted or get a camp invite?
A: “I bring grit, hard work, a winning pedigree and the ultimate teammate. I want to know what I can do to help the organization be the most successful and how we could win a super bowl.”     


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