Tuesday, July 27, 2004
RACHEL BACHMAN
In the past six days,
Steven Jackson has experienced an NFL head coach's anger, his 21st birthday and life as a new millionaire.
And he hasn't even played a down of pro football.
Jackson begins final preparations for his rookie season Wednesday, when the St. Louis Rams' training camp begins in Macomb, Ill. He has a freshly inked, $7 million contract and a new appreciation for the high-profile business he has joined.
Last Wednesday, Rams coach Mike Martz blasted Jackson in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, painting him as no-show at workouts, calling him "far behind" and saying Jackson would have to shake off the "glitz and glamour of being the No. 1 guy" and go to work.
Jackson called Martz's comments shocking, but said the coach merely has not gotten to know him.
In fact, NFL rules prohibited Jackson, the Rams' top draft pick at No. 24 overall, from attending full-squad practice sessions last May because Oregon State's senior class had yet to graduate. On Monday, Jackson explained that he skipped the Rams' rookie mini-camp this month because he did not want to injure himself before he was under contract.
"The few times I had a chance to talk to him, he comes across as a stern guy," Jackson said of Martz. "I haven't really felt him out, and I don't think he's felt me out, either. Because the way he portrayed me in the paper and in the media . . . everyone who's gotten a chance to know me knows I'm not like that.
"I don't shy away from any workload or anything like that."
After Martz's outburst, Jackson encouraged his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, to get a deal done quickly. On Saturday, Jackson and his parents were watching TV in Arceneaux's office as he negotiated Jackson's contract by phone.
"We were all sitting in the next room while Rocky was negotiating," Jackson said. "And when he came out and told us the numbers, it was kind of like watching someone on 'The Price is Right.' "
The price was right: Jackson has a five-year, $7 million deal, including a $4 million signing bonus.
Jackson and Arceneaux have the same birthday -- July 22 -- so they had much to celebrate when they went out for dinner Saturday night. Jackson had spent his actual birthday at a low-key dinner with his parents, in town from Las Vegas.
The weekend was full of emotion. On Friday, he learned of the death of Justin Williams, the Oregon State redshirt freshman killed in an auto accident on Interstate 5 near Wilsonville.
"I was actually at a party that night and I got the phone call from (former OSU players) Lawrence Turner and Richard Seigler," Jackson said. "They called to tell me that, and I immediately left. It was devastating, a young kid to lose a life that early."
On Sunday, Jackson had another surprise: the unexpected retirement of Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. Jackson had emulated and often was compared with Williams before Williams sheared his dreadlocks.
Jackson said he spoke with Williams about a month ago at a charity auction held by Rams running back Marshall Faulk. Williams did not mention retirement.
"I was looking to the Oct. 24 game that was at Miami, but that was because I was going to have a chance to watch Ricky in person," Jackson said. "But as of (Sunday), I'm not going to be able to do that."
Yet Jackson has a mentor much closer to home: Faulk. The seven-time all-pro running back is entering his 11th NFL season and shares with Jackson an agent (Arceneaux) and a position. Jackson said the situation is a familiar learning experience.
"I've just been treating it like my freshman year, dealing with Ken Simonton," Jackson said. "Me and Ken keep in touch still to this day. We're really good friends.
"It's something that it's friendly competition, and I'm the type of person that, I take a little bit from everyone. So things that Marshall uses that have helped him succeed, I'm going to try to add to my game."
Jackson, a popular player at Oregon State, could have an interesting start in St. Louis. He acknowledged that Martz's comments made Jackson sound like the typical NFL prima donna.
"In the business that he's in and dealing with the guys that he's probably dealt with, he probably figures that comes with the territory," Jackson said. "But that's not me."
As of early Monday afternoon, Jackson had not spoken to Martz since the comments were published. But, showing he still has his sense of humor, Jackson said that when he sees Martz the first thing he will ask is what happened to his "Happy Birthday" phone call.
"You don't want to start off on the wrong foot with your coaching staff and the front office," Jackson said. "But at the same time, the guys that negotiated the contract did a great job of getting me what I deserve, and on time."
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