Tarvaris Jackson Is Stronger Than Anyone Realizes
by Christopher Gates on Dec 26, 2008 7:09 PM CST
in Minnesota Vikings
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Print"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
There was a story today in the St. Paul Pioneer Press today about Tarvaris Jackson, and the struggles that he's gone through over the course of the 2008 season. In this case, the struggles in question have absolutely nothing to do with him losing his job as the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings.
Well, I take that back. . .maybe they do. A little bit. But you'd never hear #7 admit that.
You're not going to see anything about this story on ESPN. You're not going to read about it in the pages of Sports Illustrated. You sure as hell won't see anything about it from any other alleged football news sources. I'd almost be willing to guarantee that, too. And the reason for that is simple. . .it's because these places already have pre-formed and pre-conceived notions about Tarvaris Jackson, and they've managed to brainwash a lot of people (particularly fans of Minnesota Viking opponents and/or their rivals) into buying their garbage. Many of them refuse to acknowledge the growth he's shown over the past few games, and a story like this would serve to do nothing more than get in the way of perpetuating the crap that they've been spreading for the last couple of seasons.
Tarvaris Jackson and his girlfriend (I believe. . .the story doesn't detail their relationship or even use her actual name) brought a son into the world 15 months ago, and named him Tarvaris, though pretty much everybody refers to the smaller Tarvaris as T.J. T.J.'s mother has lupus, which is a form of arthritis perpetuated by the body's immune system. According to Sean Jensen's article:
Because T.J.'s mother has lupus, her pregnancy was considered "high risk." Babies born to mothers with lupus sometimes can have a slow heart rate, and T.J. needed a pacemaker implant in May. After T.J. got an infection, the pacemaker was replaced in October. Then, during a visit at Thanksgiving, T.J. spent a few days at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital because he got sick. Holy. Crap. Now, I'm not a parent myself, so I can't definitively say for sure. . .but for those of you out there that are parents, imagine what sort of things would be in your mind if you took your child in for a doctor's visit and they said, "Yes, your infant needs to have a pacemaker installed." I'm not sure if I'd be able to function at all, let alone go out and function as the starting quarterback for an NFL football team. But T-Jack the elder went ahead and gave it a go anyway, with mixed results (as we all saw).
"It did hinder Tarvaris," Sasanque Jackson said. "Tarvaris is a very private person, and he's the type of person that if something is bothering him, you wouldn't see it. "I think it had a lot to do with his performance," she said. "It probably wasn't totally that, but it had something to do with it. That's his child. If your child hurts, you're going to hurt." But now, T.J. has been given a clean bill of health, and is now (according to the article) raising the sort of hell that a child his age should be raising around the house. He even took his first unassisted steps during the second half of the Vikings game against Detroit a couple of weeks ago. . .ironically, the same game that might have seen his father take his first steps towards claiming the Vikings' starting quarterback job for the long-term rather than the short-term. Amazing. . .daddy's baby boy gets a clean bill of health, and now Tarvaris Jackson is playing like someone that knows he belongs in the position he's in. You don't suppose those two things are connected, do you? But, like I said. . .the likelihood that anyone outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul acknowledges this is somewhere between slim and none, and I believe I just saw slim walk through the exit. No, it's much easier for the talking heads on TV and radio and for fans of opposing teams to just dismiss Tarvaris Jackson with any number of excuses, all the while pretending that their team's quarterback is somehow the second coming of Montana or Unitas or Aikman or Marino. Memo for everyone. . .if you're an NFC North team, you don't have a quarterback on your roster that's definitively better than Tarvaris Jackson. Not Detroit, not Chicago, not even Green Bay. (And save me the Aaron Rodgers stuff. . .that guy's the "leader" of a team that went 13-3 last year and currently sits at 5-10). And after hearing about this, there sure as hell isn't a quarterback on any other roster in this division that has more mental toughness than the guy that will line up behind center for Minnesota this weekend. Tarvaris Jackson's family is in Minneapolis this weekend. . .and when little T.J. sees his daddy walk through the door sometime on Sunday night, I'm afraid that he's going to have to be told that daddy is going to be busy next weekend, too.
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my 5 year old
stepson had brain surgery when he was two and a half. while i wasn’t around then, i am around now, and he still has seizures about three times a week while he is sleeping at night. my experience isn’t anywhere near as bad as jacksons, as i wasn’t around for the actual surgery, but the seizures are bad enough in their own right. great to hear that his short man is running around and doing better.
Green Bay or the Windy City..... There but for the Grace of God go I.
I Had A Friend...
who died from lupus a couple of months ago. He was a career firefighter and a very muscular powerful individual. By the time he died he barely weighed 100 pounds. One of my wife’s best friends also has the disease. She wants children badly but was told that getting pregnant could kill her. There is no cure. I hope that Tavaris’s wife and son come through this okay and enjoy many happy years together.
Chills...
I read that story today as well and chills ran through my body. Your last sentence was spot on!! I truly believe T Jack and company will be stepping up sunday!! SKOL VIKINGS!!!
Thanks for putting it down in print
Thanks to you Gonzo and thanks to Sean Jensen for the original story. You just know, that was weighing on his mind early in the season.
Remember early in Preseason he looked fantastic but got injured. After that he wasn’t loose and played poorly enough to be benched. Now he is back and playing even better.
There really is no QB controversy. Gus Frerotte got injured (broken back) but has since lost his job not because of the injury, but because Tarvaris Jackson is playing better. Gus averaged 1.14 touchdowns per game in his 10.5 games played versus T-Jack’s 1.78 in his 4.5 games, 2.8 in the last 2.5 games alone. Then there is the 15 interceptions to Jackson’s 1, not to mention the resulting much higher QB rating. That makes this decision even if Frerotte is 100% (which he is not), easy.
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a Viking to raze a village.
agreed
I don’t have that kind of mental/emotional fortitude!
It made me think of the Red Sox’ JD Drew, who was having a sub-par season in 2007… he had to take some time off for his son’s medical problems which left him in an almost full-body cast. Drew came back to have a torrid late season capped by a grand slam to stave off elimination in the 07 ALCS…
I have a ton of respect for anyone in any profession who can go out and kick ass in life with such difficult situations at home. These guys are cut from a different cloth and they often end up actually performing BETTER.
Props to TJ
You play to win the game!
That would be the most difficult thing to do: think about work while your infant son is ill. I don’t know how well I could do at work in the same situation. In fact, I would probably think about work little enough to get fired for not showing up.
No one has ever questioned his heart or determination, and I don’t think anyone can root against someone like Jackson. I’m glad his little boy is doing better now, and glad that he’s doing better as a QB. I hope he turns into the super pro that he has the potential to be.
Hey, if Vikings opponents want to underestimate Jackson, by all means, let them. Just makes it more humiliating when he beats them with some nicely thrown passes. Good to see his son bounced back though. It’s not the first time I’ve heard about his son and the pacemaker, but your words ring true, Gonz.
TJ Jr.
Yeah, big fucking shout out Gonzo, I’m in Redskin territory, and I haven’t heard crap about what our quarterback has had to deal with since the birth of his son. I know I would be devastated if something major happened to either of my two kids. Funny, I just called him “OUR QUARTERBACK” I appreciate the work of old Gus, but it just seems to me that the Vikings of late (um…like the last ten fucking years) have been kinda wacky about trying to give some old washed up QB’s to line up behind Matt Birk. Worst two periods for me, the Cunningham years, and and the Warren Moon years. And it is not the players I’m down on, it is the way we always seem to…….No, not gonna finish that fucking statement. We all know what I left off (just for shits and giggles, anyone wanna guess what I left off?)
Brad Johnson, miserable little punk that he is, waited to give his BEST YEAR to frikken tampa bay! The mercenary free agency era is also what I think has been the cause for the decline of about stars staying with a team through retirement. I think a good example is the difference between Payton and Eli Manning. Both led their teams to a Superbowl win, but I think Payton will more than likely stay with the Colts, but I am positive that Eli will not retire as a Giant. I dunno, I’m kinda fanatical about team loyalty, but thanks to the NFL policies, most players are just thinking about the next paycheck. Anyone see that Marbury basketball player who was in LA to watch his team play, and said he was earning his 18 Million bucks a year for NOT PLAYING for the Knicks? Shit we couldn’t even keep Matt Birk a few years ago, when he had knee surgery rather than play because we wouldn’t guarantee his salary for the next season. I don’t blame him, he is a Harvard graduate after all. Damn I’m getting old, bitter and disgusted with most of the frikken world in general. Last year during the Superbowl, I burned Randy Moss cards of significant value EVERY time he was on the field. The most valuable card had a piece of an actual game jersey worn by Randy, white meaning it was from an away game. I was burning that very card when he dropped the pass in the endzone, LOL!
LeatherRebel,
Lighting in the Dark!
Please Lord, just one more win, PLEASE!!!
Time, place or ...blog
So Gonzo educates the rest of us on the personal struggles of our QB this season and your comment is labeled TJ Jr., but really it is just a profanity blast on the Viking organization, NFL players and the free agent market in general? Definately not the time, place or blog.
We all have issues with Vikings of the past, whether it is Moon , Moss or Johnson. I’m going to concentrate on the Vikings of now. And right now they, especially TJ, hav my full support and admiration.
Thanks Gonzo for the article.
Eat me Cock Smoker!!!
DBQViking, if I want any shit out of you, I’ll squeeze your head, Go on Gonzo, ban my ass, I got along all my life without this site, so whatever.
NFC North Champions, MINNESOTA VIKINGS!
LeatherRebel
by LeatherRebel on Dec 28, 2008 9:37 PM CST up reply actions
Incredible
I heard something about this last week, but didn’t know it was like this.
Rec’d.
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Great story
I’m still not gonna put TJ over Orton and Rodgers. But he damn sure has more potential. Let’s see what he does with the rest of the season.
by PurplePeopleEaters on Dec 27, 2008 2:33 AM CST reply actions
Dude Kyle Orton sucks and
it’s no great secret to anyone who’s been paying much attention. His arm, never strong to begin with, has betrayed him the last month of the season and the only reason he’s starting is because Rex Grossman isn’t a viable alternative.
I like Gus Frerotte having watched him since he started here in DC but he’s always been the same qb wherever he’s gone and that’s an immobile one who throws way too many picks regardless of the quality of his protection. Had he not gone down with than injury before the half of the Detroit game I have serious doubts as to whether or not the Vikings would find themselves on the verge of making the playoffs as the no. 3 seed going into the last Sunday.
Fact is Chili just plain panicked when the team came out of the blocks 0-2. Jackson played plenty good enough to win both those first two ballgames and the Vikings would have almost certainly won the Colts game had Shiancoe held onto that td pass.
TJax is our future at qb and I don’t want to hear a bunch of talk about bringing in an end of career guy like McNabb for next year regardless of what happens tomorrow or in the playoffs.
Skol Vikings!!
by VikingBillArlingtonVA on Dec 27, 2008 3:37 PM CST up reply actions
Childress Still Here
Glad Jacksons kid is doing better. But key to TJ success is letting him make plays and dont be conservative. Childress is still the coach and can screw up a wet dream. If Childress goes back to calling close to the vest plays, will not matter who is QB.
would you guys give up a number one pick for
matt cassel? he makes the most sense to me to go to the vikes
No
Besides which Cassel is a UFA next year so there’s nothing the Pats can do on the trade end. Should he decide to leave the Pats for a ridiculous contract offer on the FA market I’d be leery of offering the likely price for a qb throwing to Moss and Welker unless he can bring those two with him which, of course, he can’t.
by VikingBillArlingtonVA on Dec 27, 2008 3:41 PM CST up reply actions
What has sold you on Cassell?
The Patriots use a spread formation, five receiver sets and a lot of shotgun. I have questions whether Cassell is mobile enough to operate Childress’ offense; all the play action and bootlegging and such. The Vikes are modeled after the Eagles, Bucs, etc and need a quarterback that can move the pocket and get the ball to the running back on stretch plays.
There is no question his accuracy and yardage total are nice, but that doesn’t make him a fit for what Childress is trying to do here.
always have been a t-jack supporter and now he has even more respect from me
tjack is the future of the vikings at the QB position and will prove it tomorrow, having him at QB makes it easier on me when im listening to the games at work lol, gus would drive me crazy and make me hope like crazy for t-jack to be back, and now i am so pleased that he is and succeeding
everything Rays,Marlins,Twins and Reds
who needs k-rod for 37 million when you can have d-rod for 50k?
twins sign ty wigginton ASAP!!!!
I feel like shit...
I’ve been one of the guys that has been bitching about T.J., and now after reading this, I feel like a twerp. I have kids, and to think of anything like that happening to one of them would tear my heart out! And to have his significant other dealing with Lupus on top of it???
T.J. has been playing GREAT as of late, and I’m behind him 100%!!!!!!
God bless him and his family, and I hope he reads this post so that he knows that we’re all behind him, or at least I hope we all are.
Gonzo, you ARE the best source for Viking’s info and I appreciate the time that you put in to this site.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Oh yeah…KILL THE GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Skol Vikings!
Steeler fan here
I think you brought up a good point. I hope Tarvaris turns into a great QB for yall. The QB position isn’t so much about putting up big number moreso taking care of the ball and making the right plays in crunch time of big games. You can put up all the big numbers but i’m sure Dan marino would happily trade places with Terry Bradshaw and we know he is no where near as good as D. Marino. Like people complain about Big Ben of our team, I don’t need him to put up big numbers – just don’t turn the ball over and make big plays. I don’t need 300-400 yards a game with 6 tds. That being said I hope this is the beginning of TJ’s career and ya’ll get into the playoffs and cause some damage. (Especially if you happen to play the Cowgirls first, please just dont lose to them!!!)
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