Theo Jackson (American football)

Thedarrius Jackson (born October 2, 1998)^[1] is an American professional football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Theo Jackson

Jackson in 2022
No. 26 – Minnesota Vikings
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(1998-10-02) October 2, 1998 (age 26) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:	Overton (Nashville, Tennessee)
College:	Tennessee (2017–2021)
NFL draft:	2022: 6th round, 204th pick
Career history
Tennessee Titans (2022)* Minnesota Vikings (2022–present)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-SEC (2021)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles: 47 Fumble recoveries: 1 Pass deflections: 4 Interceptions: 2 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Jackson was born on October 2, 1998. He was raised in Brentwood, Tennessee.^[2] He played on youth teams coached by his father Nate Foster who formerly played college football for Western Kentucky.^[3]

Jackson played high school football at Overton where he earned several accolades during the 2016 season. He was rated a three-star recruit and top-25 prospect in Tennessee.^[3] On February 1, 2017, Jackson signed a letter of intent to the University of Tennessee.^[4]

College career

Jackson played five seasons (2017–2021) for the University of Tennessee, as a member of the Volunteers football team. He played under head coaches Butch Jones, Jeremy Pruitt, and Josh Heupel.^[5][6] He started 24 of 56 games and recorded 190 career tackles. He earned an undergraduate degree in communications.^[3] He earned Second Team All-Southeastern honors for 2021.^[7]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 0+7⁄8 in (1.85 m)	198 lb (90 kg)	32+3⁄4 in (0.83 m)	9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m)	4.46 s	1.54 s	2.59 s	4.25 s	7.34 s	37.0 in (0.94 m)	10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)	12 reps
All values from Pro Day[8]

Tennessee Titans

Jackson was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round, 204th overall, of the 2022 NFL draft.^[9] He was waived on August 30, 2022, and signed to the practice squad the next day.^[10][11]

Minnesota Vikings

On October 11, 2022, Jackson was signed off the Titans' practice squad by the Minnesota Vikings, who were in need of safety depth after a season-ending injury to Lewis Cine.^[12] As a rookie, he appeared in 11 games in the 2022 season.^[13]

In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Jackson recorded his first professional interception against the Philadelphia Eagles.^[14] He appeared in 15 games in the 2023 season.^[15]

Against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 of the 2024 season, Jackson recorded his second career interception against Geno Smith after filling in for Harrison Smith. ^[16]

On March 6, 2025, Jackson and the Vikings agreed to a two-year, $12.65 million contract extension.^[17]