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Instant fame Jackson goes from zero to hero for Saints
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- During seven years in the NFL, Willie Jackson seldom found himself in the role of gamebreaker, rarely made headlines, never set records or became a city's instant hero. That changed in the NFC playoffs. "You get opportunities. You never know when one is going to break for you, but when it does you have to be ready for it," Jackson said this week. "It's circumstances. When you get a chance you just have to make the most of it. It's just getting the chance that's important." Jackson had an opportunity Saturday and he made the most of it. New Orleans' top receiver, Joe Horn, went down with a sprained foot against the St. Louis Rams. Jackson stepped in and caught a record-tying three touchdown passes as the Saints won 31-28 for the team's first playoff victory. The Saints (11-6) play at Minnesota (11-5) on Saturday. "Willie Jackson is as good a receiver as they've got in this league," Saints backup quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver said. "What he did the other night didn't surprise anyone in this locker room." It probably surprised others in the league. A fourth-round draft pick in 1994, Jackson didn't play in a single game for the Dallas Cowboys. The next season he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who took him in the expansion draft. Jackson played for Jacksonville for three seasons, starting 10 games in 1995, but just one by 1997. Then it was on to the Cincinnati Bengals in September 1998, after the Jaguars let him go in the final cuts before the season. Jackson joined the Saints this season, one of many free-agent acquisitions that stocked a team short of draft picks after the previous offseason's trade for running back Ricky Williams. "It's pretty much the big-contract guy that gets the most opportunities," Jackson said. "That's just the way it goes. You know that. You just have to keep going and pushing and hoping you get your chance." Before the playoff game against the Rams, Jackson had attracted the most attention when the Saints played San Francisco on Nov. 5 In that game, a 31-15 Saints victory, Jackson and his younger brother, 49ers fullback Terry Jackson, became the first brothers to score touchdowns in the same NFL game since Nov. 30, 1924. The Saints have made the most of backup players this season. Despite season-ending injuries to eight starters since training camp, including Williams, quarterback Jeff Blake and tight end Cam Cleeland, New Orleans won the NFC West. "We tell our guys all the time, there are 53 guys in there and we can win with all 53 guys no matter who is playing and at what time," Saints head coach Jim Haslett said. The need to fill in has kept players on their toes, eager for practice and ready for games, Jackson said. "We don't feel we have anything to prove, we feel like we've proved ourselves by just being here, with our team being in the playoffs," Jackson said. "Now we want to keep it going. We don't want to see this end. Our hard work is paying off and it's too much fun to stop now."
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