FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- At 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, New England Patriots rookie guard Tre' Jackson appreciates the opportunity to pound on defenders. Then when he needs to unwind, he'll pound the keys on the piano, which he learned to play as a youngster from his grandmother.
"It's relaxing, especially after a long day of practice and work, so I'll go down to the basement and play," he said.
The soft-spoken Jackson has emerged quickly in his rookie season, playing in 11 games, with seven starts at right guard. He's no stranger to playing football on a big-time stage, having starred at Florida State, which was a big transition from growing up in Jesup, Georgia.