Jackson Doesn’t Doubt Himself

Veteran linebacker D'Qwell Jackson is healthy and ready to redeem himself following two injury plagued seasons.

BEREA—Browns linebacker D’Qwell Jackson is grateful to have the opportunity to play football again.

“When (the Browns) presented the opportunity for me to come back, I jumped at it,” Jackson said after reporting to Berea on Thursday.

After leading the NFL in tackles in 2008 with 191, Jackson missed the past two seasons after tearing each of his pectoral muscles in successive seasons. He has not played in a game since suffering the injury on Oct. 18, 2009.

“When you injure yourself one time, you have your doubts,” Jackson said. “When it happens again, you think, ‘What else can happen?’ “.
Jackson (6-0, 240) said he isn’t worried about getting injured again.

“I’ve done enough things this off-season,” he said. “I won’t second guess myself when I get out there. There will be some rust to knock off, but I’ve been doing this my whole life.”

After being the Browns’ second-round draft choice in 2006 out of Maryland, Jackson started 42 of 43 games until getting hurt after six games in 2009.

He injured the opposite pectoral muscle in training camp last summer and spent the year on injured reserve. Jackson had 420 tackles in his first three seasons. He had 57 tackles in the six games he played in 2009 before he was injured.