Dolphins OT Austin Jackson banking on resources, adversity for growth

The 2020 season was a trying one for Miami Dolphins rookie tackle Austin Jackson. The former USC Trojan was thrust into the starting lineup from the jump, a decision that felt largely made because of the team’s lack of alternative options to take the field at one of the team’s biggest needs. Jackson, who was a first-round selection but was quite raw coming out of USC, was asked to be a starter from the jump in spite of a reduced training camp, no preseason and the need to develop technically as a player.

The end result saw plenty of ups and downs for Jackson, who now must make a significant leap in his play if he’s going to live up to the standards that come with being the No. 18 overall selection.

For Jackson, the 2021 offseason already feels significantly different, however. During a meeting with the South Florida media, Jackson spoke about how much more he has to draw upon versus this time last year — and how that can set him up for success.

“Well, things are a lot different when you’re not in a pandemic, first and foremost obviously. Being able to just have way more access to resources this year as opposed to last year certainly helps a lot,” said Jackson.

“Getting my feet set for my second year, having more knowledge, knowing a little bit more of what to expect is pretty good. I would say that’s probably the biggest difference from this time last year to this time this year.”

Jackson’s playing experience and knowing what to expect will prove critical in determining what kind of jump Jackson takes this season. If he can fully elevate his play, Miami’s offense will be poised to leap forward on all fronts. But the law of averages says Miami’s trio of rookies between Jackson, Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt won’t all see exponential leaps in play.

But the group is well positioned for added success beyond a year of experience. Kindley will presumably return to his position in college as the left guard. Hunt has been reported to be destined to move inside to play right guard. And, as Jackson pointed out, the entire group faced plenty of adversity amid last year’s 10-win campaign to forge better players, too.

“I’d say one thing we can take from last year is just going through adversity. I think when you go through a lot of adversity and come out the other end of it, you kind of learn how to just be consistent in yourself and what you can control. So the things that you can control as a football player is what you do on the field, how you take care of your body, showing up every single day. I think we got a real good glimpse of that last year, which will help carry us over into the future and being able to lock those things down. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. We’re just going to keep it moving with that.”