DeSean Jackson has added his name to the growing wave of support for Chris Johnson, taking on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and making a donation through his foundation as the former NFL running back battles the disease.
The Delaware State head coach posted his video directly to Johnson, who revealed last month that he has ALS. Jackson poured ice water over himself and said the DeSean Jackson Foundation would contribute $2,500.
“My brother, Chris Johnson, man, I want to start off with telling you, man, I love you, brother, and we here for you, and we gonna fight this thing with you, man,” Jackson said. “I would have never thought I would be sitting here making this video, but God has a plan, man.
And we gonna stand with you, brother. We gonna fight this thing with you.
On behalf of the DeSean Jackson Foundation, we donated $2,500… We love you. We stand with you.”
Jackson also used the moment to pass the challenge along to three more former stars.
“I'm gonna challenge Ocho (Chad Johnson), Terrell Owens and Steve Smith,” Jackson said.
He joins a long list of football names who have already posted their own videos since Johnson’s diagnosis became public on “Good Morning America.” Among them are Marshawn Lynch, LenDale White, Vince Young, Deion Sanders, Adrian Peterson, Emmitt Smith, Aaron Donald, Malcolm Butler, C.J. Spiller and Thurman Thomas, all part of the #cj2kicebucketchallenge push.
The Ice Bucket Challenge itself is hardly new territory. The original version brought in an estimated $135 million in the United States and $220 million worldwide in 2014 for ALS research and care, according to the ALS Therapy Development Institute.
Johnson’s NFL résumé remains a big part of why so many around the sport are rallying behind him. He spent 10 seasons with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, and his 2,006-yard season in 2009 still ranks seventh all-time for a single NFL season. That year also earned him Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and the CJ2K nickname.
Jackson, meanwhile, is heading into his second season at Delaware State after leading the Hornets to an 8-4 record in 2025, the program’s best finish since the 2007 MEAC championship season. Delaware State closed that year with a 28-17 loss to South Carolina State, which claimed the 2025 MEAC Championship.
And if the early response is any indication, Jackson won’t be the last one to jump in. More ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos are expected to keep rolling in across the NFL and HBCU football circles in the coming days.
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