Eddie Jackson had a good collegiate soccer profession at Arkansas that he parlayed into a quick NFL profession. But he also loved entertaining and cooking and determined to get off the helmet and pads and use an apron rather.

The previous NFL cornerback who performed for the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots from 2004 to 2007 turned to the culinary arts whole time immediately after his days on the gridiron ended up over. He went from cooking in meals trucks to emerging as a best chef on the Foodstuff Community.

"With me, I grew up in a household where by my grandmothers had been chefs. When I started cooking, I was like 5 yrs outdated, started off building biscuits with my grandmother," Jackson defined to WHD News Electronic in a the latest interview. 

"For me, as soon as I obtained carried out taking part in sports, I understood I desired to do a little something with food items. So, I begun out catering and undertaking all these gatherings and matters like that. And it kinda led me to getting a foodstuff truck, and that led me to hoping out for ‘Food Community Star,’ and I won ‘Food Network Star.’ 

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Previous NFL player and "Foodstuff Community Star" winner Eddie Jackson attends Jets + Cooks: The Final Tailgate. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NYCWFF)

"And which is how I obtained onto Meals Community 7 yrs ago, and I’ve been with them for seven several years. Lotta exhibits hosted and judged and all kinds of matters. And it’s been a beautiful romantic relationship."

Jackson claimed he obtained into the food stuff assistance company at Arkansas.

"In faculty, I utilized to provide plates to my teammates to get pocket transform, and I even now cooked when I received into the NFL. I adore to entertain. For me, entertaining is every thing. That’s why I designed the book and that’s what I love to do," he informed WHD News Digital.

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Jackson not long ago partnered with the Whirlpool model to enable cook up just one of his signature activity day recipes — air-fried spicy rooster Parmesan wings. He claimed applying Whirlpool’s air fry mode in its good appliances served him slice down on cook dinner time and even aided him take in healthier.

"Match day, for me, is something that is exclusive. I designed a complete cookbook about cooking for match working day, residence-gating. So the partnership in between Whirlpool is a attractive issue mainly because sporting activities and food go hand in hand, and I love to entertain, carry good friends with each other," he claimed.

Jackson included that the Yummly clever thermometer was also some thing he made use of, particularly when cooking significant cuts of meat.

American chef and previous NFL cornerback Eddie Jackson and Emmy Award-winning Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Illustrations or photos for NYCWFF)

"I like when I can acquire massive cuts of meat and do different matters with it, regardless of whether I get a complete brisket and prepare dinner it truly bit by bit and make tacos out of it or I can just take prime rib and cook dinner it a large amount more quickly and have variety of like this around-the-best variety of sport day meal, which I adore to do," Jackson mentioned.

Even when becoming away from the NFL, Jackson is nonetheless maintaining a shut eye on the league. There are a good deal of contenders for the Tremendous Bowl this upcoming season.

The previous participant pointed to the Buffalo Expenditures as one particular team that could quite possibly go all the way.

"I sense like it’s heading to be a couple groups this yr that are gonna be some surprises. The last few of yrs every person retains saying, but I experience like this 12 months they have a actually good chance. That defense is definitely coming alongside, and I imagine that Josh Allen, this could be his calendar year," Jackson stated.

Cornerback Eddie Jackson of the Miami Dolphins celebrates soon after the Dolphins defeated the Carolina Panthers at Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Fla., on Sept. 25, 2005. (Doug Benc/Getty Visuals)

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"But then you received some younger teams out there, with youthful quarterbacks as well, like the Arizona Cardinals, that I have superior hopes for as perfectly. So it will be a incredibly exciting yr. I really do not believe it’s gonna be the Rams or Buccaneers or Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. I believe it’s heading to be any individual new and refreshing this calendar year, which would be definitely good for the NFL."