Jackson Doesn’t Come Up Short Ewu’s 5-7 (And A Half) Receiver Rises In Stature

Jerrold Jackson is accustomed to being underestimated, even by his own mother.

“When I first started playing football, my mom didn’t think I was going to stick with it,” recalled Jackson, Eastern Washington’s standout receiver. “She thought I was going to get out there and get hit one time and quit. She thought I was just a little momma’s boy.”

Little, perhaps. At 5-foot-7 and 147 pounds - “That’s 5-7-and-a-half,” he politely corrects - the initial sighting of Jackson hardly strikes fear in opponents. Cocksure cornerbacks tend to show more respect after watching the quiet EWU junior fly by for a 69-yard touchdown or two.

In last weekend’s 21-18 victory over Sacramento State, Jackson caught six passes for 142 yards, including touchdown catches of 69 and 21 yards. That followed a two-catch, 76-yard, one-TD outing in a season-opening victory at Southwest Texas.

Jackson attributes part of his fast start to working with receivers coach Ray Williams, the former Washington State running back. “I’ve learned lots from him - more technical stuff, that maybe we didn’t have as much when he wasn’t here,” Jackson said. “It has helped my game tremendously.”

Jackson seems to catch defenders by surprise. On the 69-yard scoring play against Sac State, Jackson trailed cornerback David Lawrence by three steps when the pass left Brian Sherick’s hand. By the time Jackson made the catch, a stunned Lawrence had lost six steps and become irrelevant.

“Jerrold gets underestimated because people don’t realize how fast he’s moving when you watch him run,” EWU coach Mike Kramer said. “Because he’s so light and so efficient in the way he runs, he’s moving a greater distance in less time than people would give him credit for.”

As the EWU football media guide tells it, Jackson covers 40 yards in 4.41 seconds. Impressive, right?

“Well, that’s combined,” Jackson points out. “We had to run two and they just combined them (to settle on an average). It was just, I guess, to make me look slow. I’ve run 4.35 and 4.37 before.”

Whether the stopwatch reads 4.35 or 5.34, one truth is evident - Jackson is fast enough. His first catch as an Eagle went for 60 yards and a touchdown in 1993. It wasn’t a fluke. In 20 games at EWU, Jackson has caught 49 passes for 905 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging a school-record 18.5 yards per reception.

“I look at my size as an advantage,” Jackson said. “Most people think I can’t really play, can’t catch, can’t hit, or I can’t take a hit. I just prove them wrong. It’s a great feeling.”

Another great feeling, according to Jackson, comes from helping underprivileged children. It’s a feeling Jackson has experienced in recent years, whether serving a pair of internships at Emerald City Outreach Ministries or tutoring junior-high kids through Spokane’s Union Gospel Mission.

“It’s hectic,” Jackson said. “I liked it, though, because when you see them learning, it makes you feel good. Most of them come from single-parent homes, and I know what they’re going through, so I can relate to them and (help) keep them on the right track.”

And that’s something no one underestimates.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo