Is Dexter Jackson in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Former Bucs safety career explored
Former NFL safety Dexter Jackson’s defining moment came in Super Bowl XXXVII. After recording two interceptions, he won MVP honors in that game, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secure a 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
The former Florida State standout became the third defensive back to win Super Bowl MVP honors.
However, that performance isn’t enough to induct him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While he did have a solid 10-season career in the NFL, he was not exceptional enough to merit any Pro Bowl or All-Pro distinctions.
After playing four seasons with the Buccaneers, Dexter Jackson tested free agency in the 2003 offseason. He initially had a verbal agreement to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he instead signed with the Arizona Cardinals and had his best season in the NFL.
Jackson tallied career-highs of 89 tackles and six interceptions in his lone season in Arizona. However, those numbers were insufficient to unseat Corey Chavous, Roy Williams, and Aeneas Williams from the NFC’s safety rotation for the 2004 Pro Bowl.
Meanwhile, Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins, Rodney Harrison, and Troy Polamalu were the All-Pros at safety for the 2003 season. Coincidentally, the Steelers drafted Polamalu when they failed to sign Jackson.
Dexter Jackson returned to Tampa Bay after one season with the Cardinals. He then signed with the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2006 offseason and played there until 2008. It was the last stop in his NFL career.
He finished his time in the National Football League with 488 tackles, 17 interceptions, five sacks, and five forced fumbles in 118 games.
In 2009, the former fourth-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft suited up for the United Football League’s Florida Tuskers. It was Jackson’s final stint as a professional football player.
Dexter Jackson had an unfair advantage in Super Bowl XXXVII
Dexter Jackson’s performance against the Oakland Raiders on that January 2003 evening was somewhat of a cheat code. It’s not that he took performance-enhancing drugs. However, his head coach, Jon Gruden, knew the Raiders’ offense like the back of his hand.
How? Because Gruden helped build that unit as Raiders head coach from 1998 to 2001. In the 2002 offseason, Oakland traded him to the Buccaneers in exchange for two first-round and two second-round picks plus $8 million in cash.
The NFL Films documentary “America’s Game” revealed that Gruden even played the role of Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon during their practices. That decision helped his defense prepare for the league’s top-rated offense then.
Aside from Gannon, the Raiders also had Hall of Fame wide receivers Tim Brown and Jerry Rice.
However, Gruden prepared the Buccaneers’ defense for what was about to come, especially their opponent’s most significant play on offense: the "Sluggo Seam." The play entailed Gannon faking a pass before looking in the opposite direction to hit the open receiver.
The spring well of knowledge Gruden provided worked. The Raiders ran the plays the Buccaneers anticipated, helping Tampa Bay build a 20-3 halftime lead. Jackson and Co. cruised from there, sealing Oakland’s fate with two fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns by Dwight Smith and Derrick Brooks.
Brooks is one of the future Hall of Famers Dexter Jackson played with on that 2002 Buccaneers defense. Defensive tackle Warren Sapp was inducted in 2013, while strong safety John Lynch got into Canton eight years later.
Cornerback Ronde Barber is a 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class member and will be inducted in August.