Former Titan Adoree' Jackson Didn't Mesh Well With Mike Vrabel, But Says He's Glad He Went Through The Adversity

Published|Updated

Former Tennessee Titans cornerback Adoree' Jackson didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with head coach Mike Vrabel when he took over in Nashville ahead of his second year in the NFL. While his last couple of years as a Titan weren't exactly great, Jackson is grateful he went through that adversity.

Jackson, who was drafted by the Titans in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, had a strong rookie campaign under then head coach Mike Mularkey. Vrabel then came to town, and while Tennessee went 9-7 in his first year, the injury bug bit Jackson over the next couple of seasons.

You add those frustrations into the mix along with a head coach you don't mesh well with and things can turn ugly in a hurry.

"I really got tested with adversity after my rookie season because everybody on the staff got fired," Jackson said on the 'Cut To It' podcast.

“Vrabel got there and, at the end of the day, I had to get used to him and what he wanted. The type of player he wanted and the style he wanted as that being my first time trying to get used to it. We didn’t jell. It didn’t mesh right. My play didn’t work and the way he was coaching didn’t work for me.”

f9e06f42-

Adoree' Jackson with the Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

Ultimately, after playing in just three games due to injury in the 2020 season, the Titans released the former USC Trojan.

WWE’S DREW MCINTYRE PLAYS TENNESSEE TITANS LB FOR A DAY

While many athletes in today's sports world wouldn't take the positives away from a difficult situation, Jackson did. He went on to call Vrabel "smart as hell" while explaining that he was thankful for going through the adversity that he did.

"I'm glad I went through it," Jackson said. "...The thing he taught us the most was about second chances. He was like, 'Man, a lot of people don't get second chances. If you do, make sure you make the most of it.' I say that all the time now.

"At the end of the day, even though we didn't mesh as a player and coach, as people, I can resonate with some of the things he was saying. At the end of the day, I can never bash him or say anything bad."

Expect to see a nice firm handshake, maybe even a hug, between Jackson and Vrabel with Jackson's New York Giants opening up the NFL regular season against the Titans on Sept. 11 in Nashville.

Tags
Written by

Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.