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DeSean Jackson Has A New Motivation On The Field: His Son

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The Redskins figure to have one of the best passing attacks in the league this year with the addition of rookie Josh Doctson, a more developed Jamison Crowder, a growing star in Jordan Reed, a returning sure-handed vet in Pierre Garcon and the now more durable speedster in Jamison Crowder.

And yes, the latter descriptor is something of a change. Jackson mentioned last week on "Redskins Nation" that he is indeed taking his durability into account, considering he missed much of training camp and then most of the season with a hamstring injury he suffered in the season opener.

"I've dedicated my offseason to getting in the weight room and getting a little more physical just to keep the durability up during the year," he said. "Even though I haven't been here that much, I have dedicated my time to that."

With a full, healthy season from Jackson, and the chance to work on a better rapport with Trent Williams, the possibilities from the offense seem endless.

Then consider that Jackson has an extra incentive to stay on the field and make even bigger plays this season. His son, DeSean Jackson Jr., is just seven months old at this point, but he's already made a major impact in the way Jackson approaches this year.

"Quite frankly, I didn't think [parenting] would be this cool," he said at his annual Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Classic on Saturday. "That dude turns me into a different person, different player, motivates me to go out there and just want to do great for him."

Jackson missed most of the voluntary OTA workouts over the last few weeks, spending more time with his son and the rest of his family, including his mother and grandmother, in California.

"You hear the reports that I forfeited my workout bonus, and would have loved to be here," Jackson said. "But my family is something on the other side of the spectrum that pays off big, too."

It's hard to blame him. During the season, the schedule is such that it prevents Jackson from taking long trips across the country. As his son grows, he wants to be part of that development as much as he can be, without sacrificing the team's cohesion.

"It good because he's active and I remember my mom always getting on me for not being able to sit still so now it's like I get to relive that all over again with my son," Jackson said on "Redskins Nation." "He's jumping off walls at seven months. He's standing up on his own, he's crawling everywhere and try to hold him and sit still but he's just moving everywhere. It's a blessing and I'm happy to be a father for the first time."

As he participates in minicamp this week, he will keep Jr. on his mind, because playing well isn't just about his own ego anymore. He wants to ensure a legacy. 

"I'm very dedicated, I always have been losing my dad at a very young age," Jackson said. "But now [it's about] having a son and knowing everything I need to do to make him be able to be close to me or better."

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