Packers cornerback Josh Jackson had just come off the practice field on Friday when his brother called with the news no child ever wants to hear.
Their father, Paul, had passed away at 77 after a series of illnesses. While the news was somewhat expected – he recently suffered two strokes and had fallen ill with pneumonia – it still hit Jackson hard regardless.
Jackson considered flying home to Texas to be with his family, but with his father’s funeral scheduled for this Thursday, he chose to play Sunday against Washington. That turned out to be key for Green Bay’s secondary, with both Kevin King (shoulder) and Tony Brown (heel) ruled out after being listed as questionable.
In their stead, Jackson wound up playing 26 defensive snaps in the dime sub-package.