The NFL Draft will see several different men and women announcing draft picks on Friday and Saturday. One of those is a Pittsburgh-area military veteran who was chosen for a special mission by his colleagues at the Wounded Warrior Project.<\/p>\n
Darryl Jackson, a native of Hazelwood, Pennsylvania, has been chosen to announce the draft’s 250th selection in commemoration of the 250th celebration of American independence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jackson is a U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran who served a combined 30 years and was stationed in nearly a dozen different countries before his retirement in 2018. Upon his retirement, he was introduced to the Wounded Warrior Project, which he described as a life-changing experience, so much so that he eventually became an advocate leader for his fellow veterans.<\/p>\n
When he received a call from the Wounded Warrior Project about being chosen to announce the selection, he said he already had plans to attend the draft on Saturday, in addition to a wheelchair football event for veterans earlier in the day. But those plans became much more exciting.<\/p>\n
“Before she even got done with saying the 250, I said, ‘Yup,'” Jackson said with a laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After that, Jackson made the first phone call to his brother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“‘Look, on Saturday, I’m going to be announcing the 250th,'” Jackson said, recalling the conversation with his brother, who was in total disbelief.<\/p>\n
“I was like, ‘Bro, it’s me plus a guest. Do you want to go?’ He’s like, ‘Stop playing!'”<\/p>\n
Jackson admits that although he’s from Pittsburgh, he roots for the San Francisco 49ers, not the Steelers. But he still appreciates the invitation for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.<\/p>\n
“I’m in my home city doing something that I have never fathomed in my wildest, in my imagination,” he said.<\/p>\n
With hundreds of his fellow service members serving abroad, Jackson knows there may be some watching the draft, and he offered a message for their encouragement.<\/p>\n
“Things do get better,” he said. “No matter how you look at it, things do get better. I just look at it as, you trust your brothers and sisters, and everything will work out.”<\/p>\n