Late bloomer is blossoming on the field, in the classroom

June 28 2011 by Taylah Cosgrove in Education Sport Tips |No Comments

Don Jackson remembers the days when he didn’t think much of football.

“I played for the first time when I was in eighth grade and didn’t enjoy it,” Jackson said. “I guess I still hadn’t found my aggressive side. The whole football thing didn’t make sense to me.”

Now it makes a lot of sense.

Jackson, who will play for the South in tonight’s 55th annual Optimist All-Star Game, sees football as a ticket to the college education that appeared to be as near as outer space a few years ago.

Jackson is a late bloomer when it comes to both football and the classroom. He said he spent his first two years neglecting his studies at Valley High School. He played only two games his sophomore season because of poor grades.

But his transfer to Laguna Creek as a junior wound up changing Jackson’s perspective on the game and his future.

Last fall, the 5-foot-9, 195-pound running back seemingly came out of nowhere to rush for 2,305 yards and 23 touchdowns. His average of 230.5 yards per game was second-best in California, but it didn’t generate a lot of buzz because Laguna Creek finished 3-7.

Jackson rushed for a school-record 444 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-28 win over Davis. He rushed for 118 yards against Pleasant Grove the most yards gained by any running back against the eventual D-I section champions during the regular season.

“He’s really dynamic, having watched him during the season playing against us and watching him a couple of days out here,” said South coach Joe Cattolico of Pleasant Grove. “He can run the ball inside or run the ball outside, block and catch the football. You don’t rush for 2,300-plus yards and not be special.”

His breakout senior year caught the attention of college recruiters that is, until they saw his transcripts.

“That was a weird situation, rushing for all those yards but knowing there was no way I could get a scholarship,” Jackson said. “It’s my fault for not applying myself and for not having any real drive my first two years.”

He credits Laguna Creek coach Mark Nill and his son Ryan, a Cardinals assistant, for getting him pointed in the right direction.

They kept stressing to Jackson that he could use his athletic gifts to better himself.

“He’s an amazing kid,” Mark Nill said. “You’d never see him quit on the football field, but in the classroom he’d get overwhelmed.

“But with great support from his teachers, he’s realizing, ‘I can actually do this,’ and learning how to be a good student.”

Jackson saw the possibilities and the potential of life beyond high school during an Oct. 23 visit to Berkeley.

Ryan Nill took him to the Cal vs. Arizona State football game played in front of nearly 52,000 spectators at Memorial Stadium. Former Laguna Creek and Cal player Jeremy Ross arranged to get Nill and Jackson on the field, where they watched Cal win 50-17.

For someone who had never attended a college football game, the atmosphere was electrifying.

“Walking through the tunnel, hearing the sounds of the crowd, gave me the chills,” Jackson said.

So now Jackson yearns to play in the Pacific-10 Conference. With Washington State showing strong interest, it could be a possibility.

He leaves soon for Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he will take summer school classes, then play in the fall for Iowa Western, a community college with a strong football program.

“Everybody lifts their eyebrows when they hear me say I’m going to Iowa Western,” Jackson said. “But it’s going to be a good fit for me. If I take care of business on the field and in the classroom, the plan is to transfer to Washington State in January.”

For now, Jackson can have fun with his Optimist teammates.

“I want to go out on good terms, have fun and help get my team a win,” Jackson said. “This week has been great. I’ve met some new dudes and caught up with people I’ve known from the past.”

That includes cousin Izaiah Skelton of Sacramento, a cornerback, and defensive end Eric Dedrick of Burbank, two former youth football compatriots.

Skelton coaxed Jackson into playing football and Dedrick, like Jackson, remembers their struggles as first-year players.

“I told him how I used to hate football, and he said he remembers how bad he was,” Jackson said. “We laughed, and he said, ‘Hey, look at us now.’ ”

Learning Centre

Navigate Through Locations to Find Source of Education