Devin McCourty had a former New England Patriots running back in mind when discussing which player was one of the toughest to tackle in his NFL career.
That player was former three-time Pro Bowler Steven Jackson.
Jackson was a bulldozer over the course of his career, recording 2,764 carries for 11,438 yards and 59 touchdowns in 12 NFL seasons. He measured in at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds and was difficult to tackle when going downhill.
McCourty found that out the hard way and reminisced about his difficulties in a tweet on Friday morning. The safety faced the running back in a preseason game in 2010 and got a first-hand look at Jackson’s abilities.
For what it’s worth, the Rams beat the Patriots in that game by a 36-35 margin.
Man I remember my rookie year we played the rams in the preseason and @JasonMcCourty text me like wait till you see Steven Jackson in pregame…one of the worst guys to even think about tackling in the open field
https://t.co/RcM1cLH0dM
— Devin McCourty (@devinmccourty) May 31, 2023
It’s interesting to look back now and see which players McCourty remembers facing the most. If anything, it’s a testament to his impressive longevity.