Matt Waldman’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio shares highlights of Broncos defensive end Rich “Tombstone” Jackson, a player everyone should know.  

Brian Frye of the GridFe asked me last month if I would ever craft my Defense to Defend a Planet. One of the reasons I’ve been waiting to build it is that I needed some video of Rich “Tombstone” Jackson.

Before J.J.  Watt, there was Tombstone Jackson. An imposing defensive end who was overshadowed by Deacon Jones, Jackson was an innovative technician who only played six years in the league — and on a bad team. I’ve been waiting years for someone to upload this NFL Films profile of Jackson onto YouTube.

Jackson was 6’3″, 255 lbs. and had that pursuit quickness of a modern day player. If you want to learn why Al Davis called him the best player the Broncos ever had or Dr. Z, Paul Zimmerman categorized Jackson as the league’s “best run-pass defender” in his prime, read this.

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