Vulnerability is his biggest strength

Most people’s lives seem perfect on social media.

At times, it feels like a never-ending, chest-beating contest filled with photos and videos of major life milestones, dream vacations, expensive meals and picture-perfect sunsets.

Then there’s former Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, who has no problem keeping it real with his followers.

The 35-year-old, who now works as a cost estimator for a national general contracting company in Austin, Texas, has become an open book on Instagram about the challenges of life after professional football.

In the blink of an eye, Jeffcoat went from being an elite pass rusher with more than 30,000 fans cheering him on to being unemployed and sleeping in a spare bedroom at his sister’s house.

“It got really low when I started accruing some debt. That was something that I never really had,” said Jeffcoat in a recent interview with the Free Press.

“I felt really stuck with financial problems, I was starting to become a little more emotional because I’m frustrated with what’s going on, and I’m living with my twin sister so we’re butting heads.

“And after I retired, I actually had a breakup and had to figure out my new life all in one. It was a lot.”

Jeffcoat had a plan when he hung up his shoulder pads and cleats for good in 2024 — which is what made his situation all the more frustrating. He had obtained his real estate licence and thought he had positioned himself to land commercial real estate work. But despite meeting with several companies, no one was offering the two-time Grey Cup champion a job.

“Some people believe in God, some people believe in earth, in the energies — but whatever you believe in, they’re laughing at you, or it’s laughing at you,” said Jeffcoat. “You go and make these plans and it’s like, ‘Nah, that’s not what life is gonna give you.’”

While all of this was going on, Jeffcoat also had to come to grips with the fact he didn’t get a fairytale ending to his playing career. He starred at the University of Texas before appearing in nine NFL games with Washington between 2014 and 2015, recording one sack and one interception. He then took his talents north to the CFL, where he spent the next six seasons in Winnipeg.

Jeffcoat was hoping for a seventh in blue and gold, but the Bombers made little effort to re-sign him following the 2023 campaign. He barely heard from the club that off-season.

The former CFL all-star — who recorded 38 quarterback sacks in 78 regular-season games to rank eighth in franchise history — tested the open market and drew interest from a handful of teams, but the offers weren’t particularly appealing.

Not wanting to put his body through the wringer at a heavily discounted rate, he decided to move on.

“Just to be completely transparent and vulnerable, there’s a huge mourning process. And I hated the Bombers for a bit. Like I did not want anything to do with them. I mean, me and (head coach Mike) O’Shea had a conversation. I had called him many times and he finally called me back, and I really didn’t even want to talk to him, but I told him what was on my mind. I told him how we preach family, how we do this, and how we do that — so, I wasn’t happy,” he said.

“From where I’m sitting now, I’m happy that they did that. They had to get me out of there because I wasn’t gonna get into what I’m doing now. I mean, football was beating up my body. I love it, I love it to death, but I don’t miss it. If I missed it, I’d probably be trying to get trips up to Winnipeg to watch games.

“I have more purpose than playing ball, and that’s what I started to realize.”

Jeffcoat is back on his feet after a friend encouraged him to reach out to Cerris Builders, the company he now works for. It wasn’t the line of work he expected to get into, but he’s grateful for where he ended up.

“Every time I feel like I get smarter and learn more, there’s a thousand and one more things that come my way that I need to get better at. It’s been cool,” he said.

With the help of meditation and therapy, Jeffcoat has also developed a more positive outlook on the final chapter of his football journey and his departure from the Bombers.

“You have to go through all the emotions. Because I did that, now I’m good. I don’t have any hate for the Bombers anymore. If they’re on, I’ll watch them and I’ll cheer for them. And those are the guys that I like,” he said.

“I like coach O’Shea, I never had any problems with any teammates. I mean, I like Kyle Walters. I don’t have any problems with those guys. Are they gonna call me up on a weekday or whatever? No. But does that bother me? It doesn’t bother me a bit. We’re all just trying to work and do what’s best for us. They thought that was best for them. Who knows if it was or not, right?”

By sharing his post-football highs and lows online, Jeffcoat hopes he can help others navigating similar struggles.

He is in the process of launching a support group aimed at helping former athletes rebuild their daily discipline and discover a new sense of purpose.

“There’s been a couple guys that I played with in the NFL that want to join in on my group and help coach people up that are going through it. I know it’s going to be a long ramp-up process and this will be like a second job for me, but I’m fine with that,” he said.

“I look back and think, ‘What would I have needed? What did I want? Who would’ve been helpful to me?’

“I hope it can turn into a business where I can help the NFL, help the CFL, help collegiate football because the transition is so hard.”

Considering four of his former teammates — linebacker Adam Bighill, receivers Drew Wolitarsky and Rasheed Bailey, and quarterback Chris Streveler — retired this off-season, perhaps the timing couldn’t be better.

“I really want to make an impact and help people, and being vulnerable is kind of the way to do it.”

winnipegfreepress.com/taylorallen