By DeSean Jackson Returns to Raymond James Stadium — This Time as a Head Coach
By Ken Filler | Tampa Bay Sports Journal
TAMPA — DeSean Jackson is coming back to Raymond James Stadium, and this time he won’t be asked to run a go route.
He will be standing on the visiting sideline Saturday night as the head coach at Delaware State, trying to pull off the upset that would become the biggest victory of his young coaching career.
Yes, that DeSean Jackson.
The same electric receiver the Buccaneers signed in 2017 because they believed his speed could change their offense.
The player who could turn a routine deep ball into six points before a safety had time to realize what was happening.
The same player whose two seasons in Tampa were thrilling, frustrating, and over much sooner than expected.
Now he returns with a whistle, a headset, and an entire football program depending on him.
USF’s home game against Delaware State becomes more interesting than the typical early-season matchup between an FBS team and an FCS opponent.
The Bulls should win the game, but Jackson’s return will give the night a genuine Tampa Bay connection.
Jackson once walked through the tunnel at Raymond James Stadium hoping Jameis Winston would find him behind the defense.
Saturday, he will come through it worrying about Michael Van Buren, USF’s running game, and a Bulls defense that has helped Brian Hartline begin his head-coaching career 2–0.
Jackson’s Tampa stay was complicated
The Buccaneers signed Jackson to a three-year, $33.5 million contract in March 2017.
The Buccaneers had just finished 9–7, and Jackson appeared to be the missing piece—a proven home-run hitter who could create more room for Mike Evans.
Jackson caught 91 passes for 1,442 yards and seven touchdowns in his two seasons with the Bucs.
In 2018, he opened the season with 146 yards and two touchdowns in an upset 48–40 victory at New Orleans.
The next week, Jackson caught a 75-yard touchdown pass against Philadelphia.
But the connection between Jackson and Winston never became consistent.
The Bucs kept changing quarterbacks, the losses piled up, and Jackson eventually wanted out.
The Buccaneers traded him back to Philadelphia in March 2019.
Jackson’s Tampa years did not end as everyone had hoped. Still, you could feel the stadium change whenever he got a clean release and headed downfield.
Jackson finished a 15-year NFL career with 11,263 receiving yards. His 26 touchdowns of at least 60 yards are the most in NFL history.
Jackson is rebuilding Delaware State
Delaware State hired Jackson in December 2024 despite his limited coaching experience.
It was a bold move by a program that went 1–11 and hadn’t produced a winning season since 2012.
Jackson understood the job from the beginning.
“The opportunity for me to help write another chapter here at DSU is a once-in-a-lifetime moment consistent with my journey as a young boy finding his way to manhood through mentorship, accountability, achievement, and discipline,” Jackson said when he was hired.
“If we build that kind of culture at Delaware State University, we will attract the right talent and radically change the trajectory of this program.”
Jackson also explained why he believes his playing career prepared him to lead young men.
“I feel like I can lead men,” he told The Washington Post in 2025.
“I got enough information in my career to be able to help these men be successful in life and know what it takes to make it to that next level.”
The progress is visible. Delaware State went 6–6 in Jackson’s first season, its best record since 2012.
Jackson and the Delaware State Hornets arrive in Tampa with a 2–1 record.
The Hornets have defeated Stony Brook and Bowie State, while suffering a seven-point loss at William & Mary in between.
This is not the Delaware State program Jackson inherited. The 2026 version of Delaware State is more confident, more competitive, and no longer an easy win for anyone.
Jackson was not satisfied even after the Bowie State win.
“First and foremost, I’m happy about the win,” he said afterward, before making it clear that his team’s performance was not good enough for what comes next.
That would be the undefeated USF Bulls
The Bulls cannot get distracted by the homecoming
Jackson’s return is a great storyline for Tampa Bay. The Bulls can’t let this game be a distraction.
USF has passed two different tests.
The Bulls beat FIU 19-9 when the offense struggled, then snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at West Point with a 24–21 victory over Army.
They won with defense in Week 1 and complementary football in Week 2.
Can USF bring the same urgency against an FCS opponent as it did against Army?
Can the Bulls clean up their mistakes and take control early?
Hartline has said he envisions a program that thinks beyond one side of the football.
“I believe in the holistic approach—we are in this together,” Hartline told ESPN before the season. “We are not here just to be this high-powered offense that doesn’t give a crap about the defense. We will not think that way.”
that philosophy manifested itself against Army. When the Bulls needed one final play, Van Buren found Josh Porter for the winning touchdown.
Hartline trusted his offense instead of attempting a long field goal.
Those moments help build a program.
But Saturday presents a different opportunity. USF needs to play cleanly, build a comfortable lead, and keep developing depth.
Delaware State comes into this game with nothing to lose.
A familiar name in an unfamiliar role
Something will feel surreal about seeing Jackson back in Tampa.
The last time fans watched him at Raymond James Stadium, he was still one of the NFL’s fastest players.
People judged him by catches and touchdowns.
Now people look at him and judge him differently.
They look at recruiting, preparation, discipline, and whether the young players are improving under his direction.
Jackson once said he wanted people to look back and say he was a great player who became a great coach.
That second chapter is still being written.
Saturday night will be his most difficult assignment of the season so far.
For the Bulls, this game is about reaching 3–0 and continuing the momentum Hartline is building.
For Jackson, it is a return to a stadium filled with memories, some good and some bad. But also a chance to show that he belongs in the coaching profession.
