Severe injuries forced him to retire early, at the height of his career.

[2] Jerković played internationally for Yugoslavia between 1960 and 1964, scoring 11 goals in 21 games.

He was also part of the Yugoslav squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but did not play.

In UEFA Euro 1960, he scored two goals against France in the semifinal, which Yugoslavia won (5–4).

[3] Dražan Jerković was also the first manager of the Croatia national team since independence, between 1990 and 1992.