Former Miami Dolphins Eddie Jackson wins Food Network Star

When Eddie Jackson lined up for the Miami Dolphins as a cornerback in 2005 and 2006 he had high hopes for a long lasting NFL career. His career was derailed by an ACL injury in 2006 that ended his season and his career with the Dolphins. He would go on to play for the Patriots and Redskins before calling it a career after being an un-drafted signee in 2004 by the Carolina Panthers. Jackson found motivation in himself to change his life. Last night, his life changed.

Following his pro career Jackson found food as his outlet. He worked in and around the Miami area learning Caribbean cuisine and this year was selected to participate in the Food Networks reality series, Food Network Star. Sunday night he won it.

The future for Jackson is strong as he will now go on to host his own show on the network and continue his culinary learning on one of the largest food stages.

"What did you learn about yourself during this competition?Eddie Jackson: I had never done anything like this, so to speak, in front of a camera one-on-one. So I kind of learned that I can actually do this. I’ve been in front of the camera in front of, you know, 60,000 people, playing football and things like that, but never one-on-one talking directly to a camera by myself. And over the course of this show, I realized that I really can do this and this is something that I want to continue to do for the rest of my life. – Jackson told FoodNetwork.com"

Throughout the competition Jackson appeared strong but his cooking sometimes was overthought and came up short to the judges. Yet for his cooking inconsistencies Jackson was strong on camera most of the time and took the judges criticism well and applied it to his next challenges. Vibrant and likable, Jackson impressed the judges when his creations were on target and more often than not his dishes were some of the best.

Jackson said during one show that he used his days in the NFL and his subsequent departure as his motivation for the contest. “Coming up short” he said in regards to winning a Super Bowl, “I don’t want to be another runner up”. Jackson was part of the 16-0 regular season Patriots but was released during the season.

"How would you explain to fans what this experience is really like?EJ: It’s a roller coaster. This competition is definitely a roller coaster. It’s going to test you mentally, physically, emotionally. Eleven weeks is tough. And the thing about it is, you never know what you’re going to be doing. You don’t know what the challenges are going to be. You have no idea what you’re going to be cooking, so you have to be on your toes. It’s definitely one of the most-difficult things I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve been through a lot of difficult things in my life, and this is at the top."

While most if not all fans will find it difficult to recall his time in the NFL let alone with the Dolphins, they won’t likely find him slinking away into obscurity in his new life venture. Congratulations to Jackson on his “food Super Bowl” victory!