It’s always particularly jarring when you hear that someone young, strong and healthy has suddenly passed away. Such was the reaction upon learning Monday morning that Tarvaris Jackson died Sunday night in a car accident near his hometown of Montgomery, Ala.
Police reports indicate Jackson’s Camaro went off the road and struck a tree.
TJack, as everyone called him, was only 36 years old.
For most Minnesotans, their most vivid memories of TJack are from his time with the Vikings – the second-round pick (64th overall) in 2006 with a rocket for an arm and good wheels. He was the hand-picked heir to the Vikings’ quarterback throne, anointed by head coach Brad Childress. Jackson started two games as a rookie and became the full-time starter in 2007.
Two years later, he took a back seat to Brett Favre, as the Vikings went on a wild ride all the way to the NFC Championship. When the Vikings lured Favre back for an encore in 2010, it was clear TJack’s time as a Viking was nearing its end.
He went on to sign with the Seahawks as a free agent in 2011, starting 14 games while exhibiting his toughness and earning all kinds of respect by playing through a partially torn pectoral muscle. It was his best season statistically, as he completed 60.2 percent of his passes and totaled 3,091 yards and 14 touchdowns through the air.
He was traded to the Bills in 2012 before returning for a second stint with the Seahawks from 2013-15. His move back to Seattle enabled him to win a ring as the backup to Russell Wilson; the Seahawks defeated the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII following the 2013 season.
His sudden death was felt deeply across the NFL as tributes swiftly poured in on Twitter.
Here’s a sample of the reaction:
Vikings
Seahawks
Jackson’s loss hit his hometown especially hard.
During his playing days, he was universally regarded as a uniquely talented athlete.
TJack had good speed but his arm strength was his most striking attribute. In addition to his rocket passes, just his raw strength was something to behold – especially for a quarterback. You’d hear stories about his feats in the weight room. For example, Pro–Football-Reference notes he did 22 reps on the bench press at the 2006 NFL combine. NFL.com has bench press data on quarterbacks from the combine dating back to 2007, and in that time only three quarterbacks did more reps.
More importantly, Jackson will be remembered as the consummate teammate and a good person who gave back to the community. He was very professional in his interactions with the media. It’s not easy to play the most high-profile position in professional sports and deal with all the criticism that comes with the territory.
He handled it with class.
Jackson had a love for the game of football that went beyond his playing days. Following his 10-year NFL career, TJack went into coaching, serving as a quarterbacks coach for Alabama State in 2018 and Tennessee State in 2019.
The Vikings family lost one of the really good ones this week.
