Jackson still holds Ryan in high esteem as coach

Former Eagles tight end Keith Jackson will always have a deep affinity for Buddy Ryan, which is why he was ecstatic to see his former coach at Lincoln Financial Field before Monday's night's game with the Chicago Bears.

Ryan and several players from the Eagles teams that he coached from 1986 to 1990, including Jackson, were honored at halftime of the game.

Jackson played for the Eagles from 1988 to 1991 and was a Pro Bowl selection during his first three years, which were under Ryan.

"My gosh, I hadn't see him in quite some time, and it was great to see him," Jackson said in a press gathering before the game. "I walked up to him and said, 'You didn't send a limo for me this time because the fact [the last time] you sent a limo for me got you fired.' "

Before his third season, Jackson staged a holdout that lasted 50 days. When the holdout ended, Ryan arranged to have Jackson picked up and delivered back to the team in a stretch limousine.

At the time, Ryan had a contentious relationship with owner Norman Braman, and the coach frequently sided with his players in public.

After the 1990 season, his fifth with the team, Ryan's contract expired, and he wasn't re-hired despite leading the Eagles to a third straight playoff appearance. The Eagles were 0-3 in the postseason under Ryan, who was replaced by Rich Kotite.

While it's a stretch to say that the limo got Ryan fired and not his failure to win a playoff game, it didn't endear the coach to ownership.

"He told me tonight that I owed him money because he got fired," Jackson said laughing.

Now a radio analyst for the University of Arkansas football games, Jackson had 242 receptions for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four seasons with the Eagles.

"Jackson was No. 1," said Ryan, who added that he is feeling good while undergoing radiation treatment for cancer that spread to his parotid gland, the largest of the salivary glands. "Hell, there weren't many better than him."

Jackson said he felt the same way about his former coach.

"As a football player you kind of live life on the edge, and everything is risky for you, and Buddy was that kind of coach," Jackson said. "You respected him because he lived life on the edge. He backed his players, and you knew Buddy Ryan would be in your corner."

Ryan was clearly in Jackson's corner during his holdout.

"Sometimes you do wrong things, and I look back, and holding out was a crazy thing to do as a young kid," Jackson said. "Buddy was very supportive of what I did."

Of course, even all-pros such as Jackson didn't escape Ryan's wrath.

"His management style wasn't always positive. There were some negative sides to it," Jackson said. "Sometimes in life you have to push people in order to get them to do things. Buddy was one of those guys who had positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, and he was good at it."

Jackson said one reason he enjoys returning to Philadelphia was that he thoroughly enjoyed his time here.

"We had a lot of talent, and this was a really good football team," he said. "It's one of the great football teams that never won a Super Bowl."