Director Mandon Lovett on challenges of making Prime Video’s ‘Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story’

DeSean Jackson belongs on the Mount Rushmore of the NFL’s greatest deep threats.

He holds the NFL record for the most career touchdowns of 60+ yards, with 26. Small but speedy, Jackson routinely made explosive, game-changing plays for several teams. His most famous moment came in December 2010, when he returned a 65-yard punt as time expired to help the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants. Jackson is still involved in football these days as the head coach at Delaware State.

Prime Video’s Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story could have been just a documentary about Jackson the football player. Instead, it’s a fascinating look at a father and his two sons. Go Deep draws almost entirely on three decades of archival footage shot by Jackson’s older brother, Byron.

We recently caught up with Mandon Lovett, the director and writer, to discuss the documentary. Go Deep will debut on Prime Video on Sept. 24.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

How difficult or maybe easy was it, given the amount of archival footage you had from Deshaun’s brother?

Mandon Lovett: “It was an abundance of riches, but I think that, for anyone, when you find yourself with an abundance of riches in life, it’s like, where do you spend it, and how do you spend it? For me, it wasn’t just about what we got, but what we could keep, what we put in, and what I found most valuable for telling the story I’d like to tell. There was so much that’s left on the cutting room floor, you can imagine. So, really, the hardest part was deciding what to leave out, because Byron shot so much and such high-quality footage.”

How much footage did you have access to?

“Well over a thousand hours of footage over 35-plus years. It took me about four months to go through it all. Early in the discovery process, I knew we had a film. After that, it was just about finding out what I wanted to keep and what had to go.”

Who had the final say on what made it into the documentary?

“I talked to Byron to get an authentic sense of his relationship with his father and what was going on, including some of the other stuff that wasn’t captured on footage—just the context for a lot of the moments I saw. Like, ‘Hey Byron, I saw this moment. Tell me what caused this argument between you and your dad?’ Or, ‘What was frustrating to Sean at this moment?’ Or, ‘What do you think he might have been feeling at this time?’ So we had those contextual conversations. But ultimately, it was my decision about what stayed and what was left on the cutting room floor.”

Is this really a story about Byron trying to connect with his father by filming his brother, DeSean?

“Absolutely. Bill was a loving father, but he was also a polarizing figure. He had strong opinions about what his sons should and shouldn’t do. He never got to realize his football dreams, but he loved the game. Byron, his oldest son, made the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad before giving up on the game and turning to his real passion: filmmaking.

“Even though Bill supported Byron as a filmmaker, he really wanted Byron to keep going and take his NFL dreams farther. When Byron pushed back, they had a major falling out. Then DeSean came into the picture and started playing football when Byron and his father were on the outs. Byron used the camera to get back around his father and participate in his younger brother’s life. It worked, and they developed a really close relationship afterward. The end result is this film.”

Did Byron attempt to turn this footage into a documentary himself, or was he always going to have someone else assemble the story?

“I think their intention was always to make a documentary. They knew that DeSean would make it to college as a D1 athlete and most likely go pro. I think that’s where they saw the story ending, with him just making it to the league. And so, I know they attempted to make documentaries, but I think the issue they ran into was that they were so connected to the footage and to Byron. He was really married to the footage. He was part of the footage. He was part of the story. And I think sometimes that can be a challenge for a filmmaker. And that’s why I came in, able to distill it and make some hard choices that I think Byron might not have been able to make emotionally. And so, thankfully, he trusted me to do that.”

How did you become involved in the project?

“It’s crazy. It’s been almost five years since I got an email about this project from a trusted producer who had just met Byron, knew what Byron had been capturing, and knew I love football. I played football my whole life. He thought I should meet Byron. We met Byron, and we started playing a lot of tennis together, hanging out, just getting to know one another as friends. He would tell me more and more about the story and the footage he had. And then one day he just turned over the archive to me. That’s how it started.”

Adam McKay is an executive producer. What was his role?

“Adam gave some amazing creative notes. He’s so experienced. He’s a master storyteller. He was a diehard Eagles fan and loved Sean Jackson. So I presented this project to him. He instantly knew he wanted to be part of it and to support it as an executive producer. Throughout the creative process, he was there, giving big, broad creative notes. He offered a lot of awesome, creative feedback that is irreplaceable.”

Our views on marijuana use have changed. Still, were there any examples of footage you were reluctant to include?

“There was, there was some reluctance. I think some of that footage—Byron can tell you—he’ll acknowledge that it wasn’t for public consumption, no pun (intended). But for me, it’s all about being intentional. And there’s no scene in there that’s arbitrary or just put in there for the heck of it. In that scene where he’s smoking weed, I wanted to show… he was being haphazard, of course, but he had a support system around him that pushed back. He had his older brother, Byron, and his older brother’s friend, Travis. These were the mentors in his life, and they were giving him guidance in that moment. I just thought it was important to show that even though he was steering down the wrong path, he had a support system around him who pushed back, who would challenge him.”

Were you surprised to see some of the people in the footage from before DeSean was famous?

“Amazing. The Jim Brown scene is one of my favorite scenes. I’m going through all the footage, and you’re just clicking on clips. You don’t necessarily know. There are no titles on the footage to tell you what the scene encompasses. I just see DeSean Jackson, as a college player, sitting on a balcony overlooking the Los Angeles skyline with Jim Brown, giving him a talk. It’s straight out of a movie.

“And then, of course, seeing football greats like Pete Carroll and Ed Orgeron. Jimbo Fisher makes a cameo, Norm Chow. It’s awesome stuff. I think for the football fanatics, you really get an inside look at that recruiting process.”

What kind of takeaway do you want people to have about DeSean’s late father?

“I think ultimately, to be successful, people need to be believed in. Who better than your parents, right? Look at your parents and say they’re your biggest fans. They’ve got your back no matter what, and they believe in you regardless of what anybody else in the world says. DeSean was an undersized athlete. He was only 5-foot-9. He was never a big guy. But he had a father who believed in him unequivocally and would go to bat for him no matter the opponent. I think that’s one of the messages of the film: the power of belief—of believing in others and believing in yourself.”