If you look up the definition of ‘hard work’ in a dictionary, a picture of Eddie Jackson and his million-dollar smile should be right next to it.

Jackson was a standout athlete in high school and his commitment to play football and run track at the University of Arkansas proved that.

“One of those things I always wanted to do was to play in the SEC,” Jackson told NFL Spin Zone. “That is the epitome of playing division one football; the SEC. When I had the opportunity to play at Arkansas, I did not even think twice. I also ran track at the University of Arkansas, which I was an All-American in that sport.”

At Arkansas, Jackson was recruited to play running back,but he realized that he had a chance at more playing time on defense. He decided to make the switch and the rest was history.

“One of my fondest memoires from college, and made me realize this was something I was supposed to do; I went to Arkansas as a running back,” said Jackson. “I played running back my entire football career. When I got to the University of Arkansas, we had so many good running backs. They said if I wanted to get on the field I needed to play defense. I ended up moving to cornerback and my very first day at cornerback I was down about it. I did not know what I was doing, but I went out there and the first play, I caught an interception and ran it back for a touchdown. I never looked back.”

Jackson went on to play in 48 games as a Razorback and recorded 178 tackles, 35 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in those games.

The NFL was a stop he wanted to make, but injuries made that difficult. However, through hard work, Jackson achieved that goal.

“I was undrafted,” explained Jackson. “At the time I was coming out of college, I was hurt pretty bad. A lot of teams backed off from me, but it was something I wanted to do. I ended up going undrafted to the Carolina Panthers. If you go undrafted, you have to work ten times harder than the guys that were drafted, but I made my mind up that this was my goal. I wanted to play in the NFL. So, I literally would go and work out three times a day leading up to the draft and after the draft. I knew I had to be better than the others guys to actually make the team because it was not a guarantee. You know, through hard work and the grace of God; I made it.

“Being in the NFL was something,” said Jackson. “Just the fact that I actually achieved my goal and made it was something. The life of an NFL player is only 2 years and I was able to play four and half or five years. I achieved my goal.”

Jackson only played around five years in the NFL because he was forced to retire from the numerous injuries he had acquired. Being able to play in the NFL is an unbelievable feat, but to be able to play for almost five years, as an undrafted free agent, is just amazing.

Being able to play one play in the NFL would be a dream for many and for Jackson; his first play was almost like a dream.

“My favorite player growing up was Jerry Rice,” said Jackson. “In my rookie season with the Carolina Panthers, we were playing the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle, and about midway through the first quarter my coach was like, ‘Hey get in there. Somebody got hurt and I need you to get in there.’ So I go in, not even realizing who I am covering, and then right before the play I look up and it is Jerry Rice. I am covering Jerry Rice the very first play of my NFL career. I just stood there and I was in shock. I wanted to ask him for his autograph in the middle of the play. I do not even know what happened that play because I was so shocked and nervous that I was covering my favorite player of all time. It was crazy.”

It is not everyday that an undrafted free agent gets to cover the greatest wide receiver of all time, but in Jackson’s case, that is exactly what happened. He played around five seasons and then when injuries took football away from him; he needed to find something else to work hard at, and that was cooking.

“When I was done playing football, I was down and did not know what to do,” said Jackson. “All I ever wanted to do was play in the NFL, and I did that, but it was gone. I was only twenty-eight years old when I retired. I had a long conversation with my dad and he asked what else I like to do. I said, ‘I love to cook.’ So he told me to do something with that. So that is what I did. I got in the kitchen and took the same mentality I did with sports of practicing, practicing, and practicing everyday.”

Being an undrafted free agent in the NFL, Jackson understands what it takes to practice, work hard, and keep pushing until you succeed. He also understands what defeat feels like, but not letting defeat define you. Jackson looks at defeat as an opportunity to get better.

In his cooking career, Jackson had a similar situation. Jackson was on MasterChef, where he did well, but did not win the show. He finished eighth, but Jackson did not let his loss put him down.

“Once I got back from MasterChef, I was like maybe I can really do something with this,” explained Jackson. He joked and said, “I saw an advertisement for Food Network Star and it said, ‘Do you think you have what it takes,’” as he laughed. With a confident voice he said, “I was like man, I could do that. I auditioned and made it on the show.”

Making it on Food Network Star was exactly like signing an undrafted free agent contract. He was not guaranteed anything, but you could guarantee he was going to work hard and the results were solely based on what he did.

“Food Network Star was just a blessing for me,” said Jackson. “I think that having had that experience with sports, especially playing in the NFL, prepared me for Food Network Star. It is really a tough competition. You are there for weeks and you have some weeks where you are really, really down and you do really bad. So I was able to take the mentality from playing football that if I would have a bad week, I would be able to quickly bounce back. On the show, every week I got better and better. It made me realize that this was something I can do for the rest of my life and that it was something I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Just like the NFL, Jackson had a memory he will never forget on Food Network Star.

Finalist Eddie Jackson, as seen on Food Network Star, Season 11. Photo Credit: Food Network

“I am a huge Bobby Flay fan,” said Jackson. “The first day, I walked through the door into the kitchen, right before our first challenge, and Bobby Flay was sitting there. It brought me back to that time when I first walked on the field and met Jerry Rice.”

There is no doubt that in the cooking world, Flay is equivalent to Rice in the NFL. Flay was a judge and mentor on Food Network Star and Jackson was able to work with him throughout the show.

Jackson became a fan favorite throughout the show and you could tell that he had a “sport” mentality throughout it. He was always progressing and always trying to get better, and he got better.

Jackson ended up winning the competition to become the newest Food Network Star.

“I told myself that if I was going to go down this path [cooking] then I have to work my ass off because I did not go to culinary school,” said Jackson as he reflected on winning Food Network Star. “Everything that I have done was self-taught. I burned up many things in the kitchen before I got good. It was trial and error for me. If you want something, you got to work for it. It is not going to be given to you. I was a free agent in football and I made it. I did not go to culinary school, but I worked my butt off and practiced. This is what can happen when you do that. Once I heard my name, I was overcome by emotion because it is clique, but it is true; hard work definitely pays off.”

Hard work has always paid off for Jackson and winning Food Network Star is just the beginning for him in his cooking career. If you are unfamiliar with the show, whoever wins Food Network Star gets their very own Food Network show, which Jackson was awarded.

His show, obviously a football themed cooking show, is called BBQ Blitz.

“BBQ Blitz is an amazing show,” said Jackson. “It is my very first show and it is basically something that puts my personality into one show. I am a competitor and have been around sports my whole life, and this show is a competition show. I have traveled my whole life with football. This show, BBQ Blitz, it travels and we go to all these different cities and find these amazing chefs who cook amazing food. We bring them out to an outdoor arena, just like a tailgate, and we have a crowd. The chefs are competing, and I am high energy, pumping them up, just like a coach would. The show really highlights everything that I love about life and about food.”

At thirty-four years old, thirty-five in December, Jackson has accomplished more than most. From SEC football, to an undrafted free agent playing in the NFL for almost five years, to becoming the newest Food Network Star, Jackson has done it all.

“I am thankful and blessed,” said Jackson as he reflected on all of his accomplishments. “I understand many people have not achieved what I have achieved in life. I am thankful for that. I always want to try and do more. I am really big on legacy, so I want to leave a great legacy behind.”

Jackson has left his mark on this world and has already created a great legacy. Jackson has a lot left to bring and his first show BBQ Blitz is showing that.

Jackson had one more thing to say as he laughed saying it, “Make sure you watch BBQ Blitz, this Thursday, 10:30/9:30 central, on Food Network!”