RICHMOND, Va. — Jalen Jackson, a Richmond native and a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars, said several major awards and personal memorabilia from his football career have gone missing.
Jackson, along with his family, believes the items were lost or even stolen while in transit by the United States Postal Service (USPS) after being sent from Jacksonville, Florida to Richmond.
"Pretty much in that box, it was like, the past 10 years of my football career," Jackson said.
The box included jerseys from his high school days at Thomas Jefferson High School, championship rings from his time at Villanova, and the football he used to score his first NFL touchdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“That was everything to me. Me scoring that touchdown. And then just looking up, seeing my family, it's just everything I imagined it to be,” he added.
It was part of a series of packages his mother had sent as a care package last fall. The items had to be rerouted back to Richmond around the holiday season.
According to USPS tracking information, the package containing Jackson's valuables reached the Atlanta Processing and Distribution Center on Dec. 3. After waiting several weeks, anticipating that the delay was due to holiday shipping loads, the family received a message indicating that the status of the package could not be found.
However, the miscellaneous items in separate deliveries made it to the Jackson family's home in Richmond weeks later, but it different boxes that looked as if they'd been resealed.
His most prized possessions never came.
"I never thought I would lose those items," he said. "On top of that, like I never thought I would lose it at a postal service that's supposed to mail it back to me."
After a series of unfortunate events, the packages were sent back to Richmond around the holiday season. While smaller items arrived weeks later, Jackson’s cherished memorabilia did not.
"I never thought I would lose those items," he said. "On top of that, like I never thought I would lose it at a postal service that's supposed to mail it back to me."
"Honestly I'm at a loss for words," said his mother Ronjea Jackson. "It's irreplaceable so no amount of money can compensate for that."
His mother noted that she contacted the post office multiple times and filed a claim in January but has yet to receive an update.
“With numerous calls and not being able to speak to anyone, it's like you're fighting a no-win battle,” she said.
Jackson said she was unaware of any kind of added protection that may have been available to purchase while she was in the process of shipping the items to her son.
"I was hesitant on sending it. I really wanted to keep it. But I thought about it and really, this is his story. Let me go ahead and send him his belongings," Mrs. Jackson said.
While the family waits to see if an investigation will come from their complaint with USPS, they have one message for the person responsible.
"These things showed that I worked my tail off since I was young, till now, and this was my reward, and these are the only thing I have to show for it, so if you’re seeing it, can you please just bring me my stuff? That’s all I’m asking for," Jackson said.
CBS 6 reached out to the Postal Service and the Office of Inspector General, but we had not yet received a response as of Sunday, Feb. 16.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
Every day CBS 6 is Giving You A Voice. Share your voice with the CBS 6 Newsroomvia email hereor click here to submit a tip. You can also leave a message by calling 804-254-3672. Be sure to leave your name, phone number and detailed description of your story idea.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
