© Benjamin Chambers/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The first year of DeSean Jackson‘s college football coaching career at Delaware State was an undeniable success on the field. But off the field, it appears things didn’t go quite as smoothly.
Jackson, who took over a toiling Hornets program, went 8-4 in his first season in charge, including a 4-1 record in MEAC play.
But earlier this week, news broke of an alleged assault of former Delaware State player Malachi Biggs, who claims that fellow player Anthony Hebert choked him until he lost consciousness and fell to the floor.
Biggs claims to have suffered injuries to his head, face, mouth, tongue and teeth, according to the complaint.
Biggs states that his injuries included “multiple fractures to his jaw, a deep laceration to his chin requiring surgery, and irreparable damage to at least a dozen teeth requiring extraction, root canals, and additional invasive dental treatments.”
DeSean Jackson Named As Defendant In Delaware State Assault Suit
So, where does Jackson fit in this equation?
According to the suit, the first-year coach failed to discipline Hebert, and allowed him to play in a game three days after the alleged incident. Jackson and associate head coach Travis Clark reportedly addressed the alleged incident in a team meeting.
However, after graduating from the school in 2026, Hebert was then hired as a member of the Delaware State coaching staff.
“By dismissing violent assaults as mere ‘horseplay,’ the University and coach DeSean Jackson allegedly fostered a toxic culture of bullying and hazing in the locker room,” the suit claims. “Our client came to this University to play the game he loved. Instead, he’s leaving with catastrophic injuries that may be career-ending and have permanently derailed his life. These alleged systemic failures led to this predictable and preventable tragedy that ripped away the life he had always dreamed of.”
Ironically, news of the lawsuit comes just months after Jackson spoke out, condemning violence between HBCU football programs.