Here's what to know about the family of the former NFL wide receiver and active NCAA head coach.
DeSean Jackson family tree: Meet girlfriend Yahaira Sandoval, sons Hype, DeSean Jr. and Jace & more originally appeared on The Sporting News
Whether you're a fan of college football or the NFL, DeSean Jackson is likely a name you've come across at some point.
A former second-round pick out of California, Jackson had a long NFL career that included three Pro Bowl nods, a second-team All-Pro selection and a Super Bowl ring thanks to a brief stint with the 2021 Rams. As one of the speediest wide receivers in league history, Jackson was one of the most dominant weapons in football throughout the 2010s.
However, Jackson's post-playing career has been just as notable. In December 2024, he was hired as the head coach at Delaware State, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, following in the footsteps of names like Deion Sanders and Michael Vick as former NFL stars that took on NCAA coaching roles. As Jackson remains in the spotlight during his coaching endeavors, those around him will as well.
Here's a breakdown of Jackson's family tree, from his girlfriend and sons to his parents.
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DeSean Jackson girlfriend: Yahaira 'Yaya' Sandoval
DeSean Jackson's girlfriend is Yahaira "Yaya" Sandoval. She is the CEO of Los Angeles beauty salon BloomGlam. She has over 230,000 followers on Instagram.
Sandoval's business intends to "cover all things beauty," as it was founded by her in 2018 and is based in Los Angeles.
Jackson and Sandoval first went public together in July 2024. The wide receiver had been married to Kayla Phillips previously, with whom he has two sons.
According to TMZ, Sandoval was rumored to have previously dated Floyd Mayweather.
In May 2025, Jackson and Sandoval announced they were expecting a child together, a baby boy named Hype who was then born in July of the same year.
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DeSean Jackson sons
DeSean Jackson has three sons. Two are with his ex-wife, Kayla Phillips, while his youngest son, Hype, was with Sandoval.
In 2023, Jackson filed for sole custody of his two older sons with Phillips, DeSean Jr. and Jace. According to court documents that were obtained by The Blast, Jackson alleged that Phillips had only seen their children twice that year. He also claimed that after moving to California in 2020, he brought the children back from Florida for a visit in 2023, but Phillips allegedly delayed their return and cut off communication.
Jackson also alleged that Phillips had become a member of a religious group called "The Most High" and was "dating a man with cult-like behavior."
“[She] stopped calling me about the children’s return, so I enrolled the children in school here in Los Angeles and the children have been living with me since,” Jackson stated in the filing.
DeSean Jackson Jr.
DeSean Jackson's oldest son is DeSean Jackson Jr. He was born in 2015 to Jackson and Phillips.
In June 2016, when Jackson Jr. was under a year old, the former wide receiver told the Commanders' team website that he was growing to enjoy parenting.
"Quite frankly, I didn't think [parenting] would be this cool," Jackson said at the 2016 Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Classic, per the Commanders. "That dude turns me into a different person, different player, motivates me to go out there and just want to do great for him."
Jackson also said in that story that his young son was "jumping off walls" and "active."
"It good because he's active and I remember my mom always getting on me for not being able to sit still so now it's like I get to relive that all over again with my son," Jackson said. "He's jumping off walls at seven months. He's standing up on his own, he's crawling everywhere and try to hold him and sit still but he's just moving everywhere. It's a blessing and I'm happy to be a father for the first time."
Jace Jackson
Desean Jackson's middle son is Jace Jackson. He was born in 2018 to Jackson and Phillips.
In 2023, on an episode of "No Jumper," Jackson spoke about his older sons starting to get into football and why he's letting them play flag for the time being.
"I'm letting them play flag. But it's like, I'm gonna wait like two years before I even let them play tackle," Jackson said. "You got all these CTE, head scans, concussions ... I didn't even really want my sons to play football."
In 2024, DeSean Jackson shared a photo of Jace for his sixth birthday, writing "If y'all know me my kids is a big part of everything I do!"
Hype Jackson
DeSean Jackson's youngest son is Hype Jackson. He was born on July 16, 2025, and Hype's mother is "Yaya" Sandoval.
Sandoval posted in the hours following her son's birth that he was a "healthy baby boy," with photos of Jackson and his new son.
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DeSean Jackson dad: Bill Jackson
DeSean Jackson's dad was Bill Jackson. DeSean has mentioned his father's efforts in pushing him and his brother, Byron, in their athletic careers often, and according to a 2010 story on Jackson posted on his foundation's website, DeSean and his father would watch NFL games together as early as age 5.
“I respected him,” DeSean said in the story. “I trusted him.”
Bill Jackson died in May 2009 from complications with pancreatic cancer. By that point, DeSean had completed his first season in the NFL with the Eagles, recording 912 receiving yards as a rookie in 2008. After Jackson had a 62-yard touchdown in the 2009 NFC Championship game, his father was able to call him, telling him "You played a great game…you made me proud,” per his foundation's website.
"I'm very dedicated, I always have been losing my dad at a very young age," Jackson said in a 2016 story for Washington's team website. "But now [it's about] having a son and knowing everything I need to do to make him be able to be close to me or better."
In 2021, while playing for the Rams, the wide receiver reflected on his father's battle with cancer.
"He had a mentality where he wanted to work for everything he ever got," Jackson said. "He pushed me every step of the way. Without him, of course my mother as well, but I wouldn't be where I'm at today."
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DeSean Jackson mom: Gayle Jackson
DeSean Jackson's mom is Gayle Jackson. She is the president and co-founder of the wide receiver's foundation, the "DeSean Jackson Foundation," according to her LinkedIn, as well as the president of Gayle Jackson Entreprises LLC.
Gayle has also been considered DeSean's “momager,” overseeing his career and business interests of her son for years. Together, Gayle and DeSean have previously donated $10,000 to John Hopkins University in honor of National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, in the memory of Bill Jackson.
Gayle also often attended DeSean's games throughout his NFL career:
In 2021, when Jackson joined the Rams, his mother told Spectrum News that he was excited for the wide receiver to be back home.
"Who could have ever imagined that?" Gayle said. "Oh, and it's gonna be a woosah moment. I can finally stay home.
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DeSean Jackson brother: Byron Jackson
One of DeSean Jackson's brothers is Byron Jackson, who is also a former wide receiver. Byron has also helped support DeSean's career, including recording and putting together the footage that wound up being used in a project about DeSean's upbringing.
Byron, who is older than DeSean, played wide receiver at San Jose State. He also spent two years on the Chiefs' practice squad.
Following his football career, Byron began pursing filmmaking. At the time, his father was pushing him to continue football.
“My mindset was to go in a direction of, I believe, my true passion was, which was television and film,” Byron said, per the LA Sentinel. “That’s what I had studied at San Jose State.”
According to an article from the DeSean Jackson Foundation's website, Byron began following DeSean around with a camera when the future star wide receiver was young. Byron "wanted to chronicle the molding of a star," and it resulted in the production of “No. 10 DeSean Jackson: The Making of a Father’s Dream," which dives into DeSean's upbringing.
“I always would film [DeSean] because I just had a passion for filming and documenting,” Byron said, per the LA Sentinel. “My brother, being a good little athlete, I wanted to kinda film him and pretty much show him how to become better at certain things as far as running routes and running.”
Byron has worked with Fox Sports as an editor. As of June 2025, when Byron appeared on an episode of "The Game Changers Podcast," he was an "award-winning documentary filmmaker, and founder of Sports Rhythms, a skill development company empowering student-athletes, parents, and coaches since 2002."
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DeSean Jackson sister: A'dreea Jackson-Clay
One of DeSean Jackson's sisters is A'dreea Jackson-Clay.
In the past, Jackson-Clay has been listed as the former wide receiver's assistant, working with his mother to "encourage DeSean Jackson to stay on a straight path towards continued success on and off the field," per his foundation's website.
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DeSean Jackson siblings
While there aren't many details known about them, DeSean Jackson has five other siblings outside of A'dreea and Byron: William, an older brother, Desmond, a younger brother, Delaney, a younger sister.
The family also includes "an adopted daughter and three other boys Bill raised because they lacked father figures in their lives," per his foundation's website.
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Where is DeSean Jackson from?
DeSean Jackson is from Los Angeles, growing up in the Crenshaw neighborhood of the city. Jackson attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he was named the 2004 Glenn Davis Award winner by the Los Angeles Times as Southern California's player of the year.
Jackson then attending the University of California prior to his NFL career.
Category: General Sports
