ESPN's "My Wish" series, in which athletes offer special experiences for children dealing with life-threatening illnesses, is a sure-thing tearjerker, and the one I just watched about Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson was no exception. Jackson invites Donovan Troy, a 10-year-old Georgia boy who had his spleen removed as a toddler and needs monthly blood transfusions, to spend a day with him at the Eagles' facility in Philadelphia. Jackson is Donovan's favorite player -- so much so that the boy mimics Jackson's touchdown dance almost perfectly, so he's understandably excited.
The highlights show Donovan going through punt return drills, catching passes from Michael Vick and sitting through a film session in which Jackson and the Eagles' coaches help him review his performance. After practice, Jackson takes Donovan to a recording studio and records a rap song with him.
The feature will re-run on "SportsCenter" episodes over the coming days, and I recommend that you find it if possible. Here's a video of the recording studio part of it.
On a day when the big stories are about players being arrested, something like this is more than worthwhile. Jackson is a guy who's been criticized, often justifiably, for complaining about his contract and disappearing during games. But he is also a guy who tries to do the right thing off the field. He's involved in anti-bullying efforts in schools in Philadelphia and Oakland, Calif. He has a charity dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer, which claimed his father. He's not perfect, but he's working hard to try to do the right thing, and involvement in something like "My Wish" is part of that. He should be commended for it.