Pittsburgh-area veteran chosen to announce 250th pick at NFL draft
The NFL Draft will see several different men and women announcing draft picks on Friday and Saturday. One of those is a Pittsburgh-area military veteran who was chosen for a special mission by his colleagues at the Wounded Warrior Project.
Darryl Jackson, a native of Hazelwood, Pennsylvania, has been chosen to announce the draft's 250th selection in commemoration of the 250th celebration of American independence.
Jackson is a U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran who served a combined 30 years and was stationed in nearly a dozen different countries before his retirement in 2018. Upon his retirement, he was introduced to the Wounded Warrior Project, which he described as a life-changing experience, so much so that he eventually became an advocate leader for his fellow veterans.
When he received a call from the Wounded Warrior Project about being chosen to announce the selection, he said he already had plans to attend the draft on Saturday, in addition to a wheelchair football event for veterans earlier in the day. But those plans became much more exciting.
"Before she even got done with saying the 250, I said, 'Yup,'" Jackson said with a laugh.
After that, Jackson made the first phone call to his brother.
"'Look, on Saturday, I'm going to be announcing the 250th,'" Jackson said, recalling the conversation with his brother, who was in total disbelief.
"I was like, 'Bro, it's me plus a guest. Do you want to go?' He's like, 'Stop playing!'"
Jackson admits that although he's from Pittsburgh, he roots for the San Francisco 49ers, not the Steelers. But he still appreciates the invitation for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"I'm in my home city doing something that I have never fathomed in my wildest, in my imagination," he said.
With hundreds of his fellow service members serving abroad, Jackson knows there may be some watching the draft, and he offered a message for their encouragement.
"Things do get better," he said. "No matter how you look at it, things do get better. I just look at it as, you trust your brothers and sisters, and everything will work out."
