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In the annals of athletes who have found a second career well away from the field of play, Eddie Jackson is in a league of his own. A familiar Food Network face since 2015, the former defensive back for three NFL teams in the mid-2000s has been a winner in Season 11 of "Food Network Star," the host of "BBQ Blitz" and "Kids BBQ Championship" and now a judge on "Chopped: Star Power Tournament," in which actors, athletes, comedians and Internet performers compete for charity. It premieres Tuesday, March 28. "The thing about an athlete," Jackson says of the show's ex-jocks, "is that they always have that competitive edge. You know, they want to win no matter what, so they're going to pull out all the stops to get that victory, even if it is for charity or whatever the case may be. But at the end of the day, a true athlete is always trying to get the W." In addition to competition, one could say a love of food, especially barbecue, is deeply ingrained in Jackson's personality. The 36-year-old native of Plano, Texas, has been grilling since he was a child, when his dad handed him some tongs one day and showed him the ropes. After his playing days ended in 2008, Jackson needed a second career, but didn't have to look too far for inspiration. He started a line of food trucks in his home burg of Cypress, Texas, and is in the process of opening a food truck park and beer garden. Though he's expanded his business to include four trucks and now the park, he can still be seen driving around the Houston suburb and grilling up meats for his customers. "I'm very busy so anytime I can get back on a truck – because that's how I started – I'm always excited about that ..." Jackson says. "I get recognized a lot more now than I did when I was playing professional football. You know, when you're playing football you have a helmet on pretty much the majority of the time, nobody recognizes you. It's not like the NBA. But now that I'm on TV, people recognize my face. I went to the gym this morning and a lady said, 'Hey, you're the guy from Food Network.' So you get that a lot." Eddie Jackson What book are you currently reading? "Right now I'm reading a book called 'Run Fast, Eat Slow' and it's by Shalane Flanagan and Elise Kopecky. And basically what it is is just she's a marathon runner and she has a friend who's a chef and they came up with this cookbook dedicated to athletes, not professional athletes but athletes in general. So it's just a book that's filled with healthy recipes, very bright and vibrant and I'm so into it right now." What did you have for dinner last night? "Yesterday was Sunday and Sunday is my slow-cooker day, so I made braised oxtails with polenta yesterday. It was delicious (laughs)." What is your next project? "The next project that I will definitely be working on is my food truck park and beer garden. And honestly, I'm just looking forward to Season 2 of 'Kids BBQ Championship' coming out. We added more episodes this year so I'm really looking forward to everybody seeing the new product. It's really exciting." BY GEORGE DICKIE Eddie Jackson's love of food spawns a booming second career Page 8 March 27 - April 2, 2017 SUNDAY 12:30 p.m. WNDU 0 NHL Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks. From the United Center in Chicago. (N) 7:30 p.m. NBCSN NHL Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers. From Madison Square Garden in New York. (N Subject to Blackout) olympics WEDNESDAY 1:00 p.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Champion- ships: Pairs Short. (N) Rodeo SUNDAY 2:30 p.m. WSBT 6 PBR Bull Riding Sioux Falls Invitational. From Sioux Falls. S.D. skAting WEDNESDAY 11:00 a.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Champi- onships: Ladies Short. (N Same-day Tape) THURSDAY 11:00 a.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Champi- onships: Men's Short. (N Same-day Tape) 1:00 p.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Champion- ships: Pairs Free. (N) FRIDAY 1:00 p.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Free. (N) 8:00 p.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Figure Skating Championships: Short Dance. (N Same-day Tape) SATURDAY 12:30 p.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Champi- onships: Men's Free, Free Dance. (N) 8:00 p.m. WNDU 0 Fig- ure Skating World Cham- pionships: Ladies Free Skate. From Helsinki, Fin- land. (N Same-day Tape) SUNDAY 2:00 p.m. NBCSN Figure Skating World Champion- ships: Exhibition. (N) socceR TUESDAY 2:55 p.m. ESPN2 France vs Spain. From Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Ile- de-France, France. (N) RETIRE WORK Take Control of Your Future 64825 County Road 31 Goshen, IN 46528 1-866-764-1601 www.QualityDriveAway.com See America and Supplement Your Income!! Get Paid to Deliver Vehicles Throughout the U.S. & Canada Retiring Doesn't have to be Scary We Have Vehicles for Every License Type! Call Us Today!

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