Michael Jackson (linebacker)
Encyclopedia
Michael Jackson is a former professional American football
player who played linebacker
in eight NFL
seasons for the Seattle Seahawks
.
His personal sports resume is several pages long and his bio with the Seattle Seahawks is even longer, yet Michael Anthony Jackson has never truly gained much fame. A 1975 graduate of Pasco High School
, no other Bulldog has ever enjoyed the success or accumulated the career achievements that Jackson has. A three-year/three-sport letterman, he was the team captain in both football and baseball while garnering All-State honors and receiving the Denning Award for Outstanding Athlete by the Pasco Jaycees as a senior.
At the University of Washington
, Jackson earned four varsity letters and was named to their All-Centennial Football Team. He was also selected as the Inland Empire Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1977, a season in which he helped lead the Huskies to the Rose Bowl. The eyes of the nation were on him during that game as he made a vital end zone interception that helped seal Washington ’s victory over the University of Michigan
.
Jackson still holds several defensive school records for the Huskies, including single season (210) and career (569) tackles. Among the several honors he received for the U of W include Sports Illustrated
Player of the Week (11-12-77), Husky Team Captain (1978), All Pac-8 & Pac-10 Linebacker (1977-78) and several All-American selections.
In 1979, he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the NFL Draft, where he began an eight-year career as a starting linebacker. One of the team’s all-time defensive greats, he led the Seahawks in tackles for a number of seasons and is among the career leaders in that category. He also earned 21 game balls for his outstanding play and has received numerous other awards including team MVP, Most Improved Player and the Seattle P.I.’s Sports Star of the Year.
Jackson is also very active off the field with several charities including the March of Dimes
, Special Olympics
, and the United Way. He has also acted in 14 movie and television roles and was voted into the Pasco High School Hall of Fame in 1996.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in eight NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
seasons for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
His personal sports resume is several pages long and his bio with the Seattle Seahawks is even longer, yet Michael Anthony Jackson has never truly gained much fame. A 1975 graduate of Pasco High School
Pasco High School
Pasco Senior High School, located at 1108 N. 10th Avenue in Pasco, Washington, is the largest high school in the Tri-Cities of Washington. Its mascot is the Bulldog and its colors are purple and white. Pasco High has a very diverse student body and a strong football program...
, no other Bulldog has ever enjoyed the success or accumulated the career achievements that Jackson has. A three-year/three-sport letterman, he was the team captain in both football and baseball while garnering All-State honors and receiving the Denning Award for Outstanding Athlete by the Pasco Jaycees as a senior.
At the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Jackson earned four varsity letters and was named to their All-Centennial Football Team. He was also selected as the Inland Empire Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1977, a season in which he helped lead the Huskies to the Rose Bowl. The eyes of the nation were on him during that game as he made a vital end zone interception that helped seal Washington ’s victory over the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Jackson still holds several defensive school records for the Huskies, including single season (210) and career (569) tackles. Among the several honors he received for the U of W include Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
Player of the Week (11-12-77), Husky Team Captain (1978), All Pac-8 & Pac-10 Linebacker (1977-78) and several All-American selections.
In 1979, he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the NFL Draft, where he began an eight-year career as a starting linebacker. One of the team’s all-time defensive greats, he led the Seahawks in tackles for a number of seasons and is among the career leaders in that category. He also earned 21 game balls for his outstanding play and has received numerous other awards including team MVP, Most Improved Player and the Seattle P.I.’s Sports Star of the Year.
Jackson is also very active off the field with several charities including the March of Dimes
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
, Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
, and the United Way. He has also acted in 14 movie and television roles and was voted into the Pasco High School Hall of Fame in 1996.