Traveling Man
March 25, 2004 09:38 AM | General
March 25, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Since he last played at South Columbus High School in 1999, Eddie Jackson has seen a good part of the country.
The West Virginia University senior wide receiver was set to sign with Eastern Michigan after high school when at the last minute he was placed at Fork Union Military Academy (Va.) by the Ohio State coaching staff with the intention of returning to play for the Buckeyes a year later.
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| Senior Eddie Jackson is hoping to make the most of this spring in order to earn a spot in the wide receiver rotation next season. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
That plan ultimately didn’t work out because Coach John Cooper was fired and his staff was let go.
After a year in prep school Jackson’s only alternative was to go to Coffeyville Community College (Kan.) in 2001, where he helped them to an 8-4 record and a victory over Navarro College in the Heart of Texas Bowl game. He caught an 80-yard touchdown pass against Navarro and finished the season snaring 18 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson remembers playing against WVU teammate Kay-Jay Harris when Harris was at Garden City College.
Although his numbers weren’t staggering at Coffeyville, Jackson’s big frame and impressive athletic ability helped him earn a scholarship to play at the University of Washington.
So Eddie packed his bags again and headed across the country to Seattle where his goal was to become an all-Pac 10 receiver for the Huskies.
But things didn’t quite work out there for him either. Jackson caught just 16 passes for 152 yards during the 2002 season, helping Washington to a 7-6 record and a meeting against Purdue in the Sun Bowl.
His best game at Washington was a four-catch, 45-yard effort against San Jose State early during his junior season. From that point his playing time grew sparse. He was listed as third team on Washington’s pre-Sun Bowl depth chart before he decided to transfer.
“I wanted some more playing time. I wanted to play and I wanted the ball,” said Jackson. “Things were good out there … I got along with everyone and the coaching staff was cool. But actually it worked out for me because the coaching staff got fired there, too.”
Jackson, who turned 23 earlier this month, considered Florida State, Iowa State and several Midwestern schools before finally choosing West Virginia. The Mountaineers came in second for his services the first go-around and the fact that West Virginia lacked receiver depth and Morgantown was just a three-hour drive away from his parents were the two most appealing factors in his decision to choose WVU.
“I asked them if I could come here,” he said. “There were other schools but West Virginia was the one that told me I could come in right away. I wanted to get back close to home anyway.”
Once again Jackson crisscrossed the country. By the time he made his latest move Jackson admits some members of his family were having a tough time keeping track of him, “Most of them knew where I was, though,” he said.
Eddie enrolled in school last winter and went through spring drills. He was actually one of the stars of last year’s Gold-Blue Spring Game, catching four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Last fall he spent time on the scout team simulating opposing wide receivers for the WVU defense. And although Jackson wasn’t running West Virginia’s plays, he was gaining a familiarity with the offense.
“So far it’s gone well,” he said. “Last spring I kind of knew what was going on but now I’ve really got to sit down and learn more.
“All I’ve got to do is get the hand signals down and I’ll be okay,” he added.
Once he does that, Jackson believes he will break out this spring and become a big part of West Virginia’s offense. His impressive size (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) makes him an instant mismatch for DBs weighing as much as 50 pounds lighter than him.
And when defenses try to use linebackers and safeties to cover him in the middle of the field he will simply out-run them.
“That’s a big advantage and that’s what you’re supposed to have out there,” he said.
“We’re excited about him and he’s going to be a big part of our offense,” said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez on the first day of spring practice. “He already knows a little about what we’re doing but this is going to be an important spring for him.”
Perhaps Jackson’s biggest asset to the offense will come in the running game. Being 225 pounds, he won’t just shadow defensive backs: he will put them on the ground.
“To have a physical guy like Eddie inside blocking … we’re going to expect a lot out of him because he’s 225 pounds,” said Rodriguez. “He should be able to hold his own blocking and stop-blocking in the middle there.”
Quarterback Rasheed Marshall admitted earlier this week that it’s a big advantage having large, physical receivers in this offense, “It’s just so much better with those big guys … 6-3, 6-4 guys … and the defensive back is 5-10. He can go up and get the ball. With a big body like Eddie’s he can sit down on those curl routes and box out defensive backs just like basketball.”
Jackson says he’s glad he had a year off to spend more time learning the offense. Being a senior, he also knows time is running short on his career.
“I’m just trying to play so I can get a shot and help this team win. Hopefully it all falls into place,” he said.
If it does fall into place for Eddie Jackson this season, his latest move to West Virginia will wind up being his best one.
