Willie Jackson (American football)
Encyclopedia
Willie Bernard Jackson, Jr. (born August 16, 1971) is a former American college and professional football
player who was a wide receiver
in the National Football League
(NFL) for eight seasons in the 1990s and 2000s. Jackson played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Jacksonville Jaguars
, the Cincinnati Bengals
, the New Orleans Saints
, the Atlanta Falcons
and the Washington Redskins
of the NFL.
in 1971. He attended P.K. Yonge High School in Gainesville, where he was standout high school football
player for the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1990 to 1993. Jackson led the team in receiving in 1991 and 1992, and was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1992, and an "honorable mention" All-American in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Memorably, he had 148 receiving yards against the Notre Dame
in the 1992 Sugar Bowl
and 130 yards against the West Virginia mountaineers
in the 1993 Sugar Bowl
. He finished his four-season college career with 162 reception
s for 2,172 yard and twenty-four touchdown
s—still fifth on the Gators' all-time receiving yardage list. He also earned varsity letters playing for the Florida Gators men's basketball
team in 1990 and 1991.
Jackson graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in telecommunications in 1993, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2008.
, but Jackson saw no playing time for the Cowboys during the season. In 1995, the NFL's two new expansion teams, the Carolina Panthers
and the Jacksonville Jaguars, participated in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft
, an opportunity to pick unprotected players from the rosters of the existing NFL teams. The Jaguars picked Jackson from the Cowboys' unprotected list as the twenty-first overall pick in the expansion draft, and he played for the Jaguars for the following three seasons from to , compiling 103 catches for 1,281 yards and ten touchdowns. He then played two seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals from to , but he saw little action and diminished production. Arguably his best two-year stint followed with the New Orleans Saints from to , peaking with his best professional year in —eighty-one catches for 1,046 yards and five touchdowns in sixteen starts. The following year with he Atlanta Falcons , he saw little playing time and was traded to the Washington Redskins mid-season, finishing his career with his former college coach, Steve Spurrier, then head coach of the Redskins.
Jackson finished his eight-season NFL career with 284 receptions for 3,641 yards and twenty-four touchdowns.
for the Gators from 1995 to 1998, and played running back
and special teams for the San Francisco 49ers
from to . His father, Willie Jackson, Sr., led the Gators in all-purpose yards and kick-off returns in the early 1970s, and was one of the team's first two African-American players in 1970. All three Jacksons wore jersey number "22" for the Gators.
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 was a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in the National Football League
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...
(NFL) for eight seasons in the 1990s and 2000s. Jackson played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
of the NFL.
Early life
Jackson was born in Gainesville, FloridaGainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
in 1971. He attended P.K. Yonge High School in Gainesville, where he was standout high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
player for the P.K. Yonge Blue Wave.
College career
Jackson received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1990 to 1993. Jackson led the team in receiving in 1991 and 1992, and was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection in 1992, and an "honorable mention" All-American in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Memorably, he had 148 receiving yards against the Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
in the 1992 Sugar Bowl
1992 Sugar Bowl
The 1992 Sugar Bowl was the 58th edition to the annual game. It featured the third-ranked Florida Gators and the 18th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Using a come-from-behind performance, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish upset the highly favored Gators 39–28...
and 130 yards against the West Virginia mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
in the 1993 Sugar Bowl
1993 Sugar Bowl
The 1993 Sugar Bowl took place on January 1, 1993, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It served as the final game and the National Championship of the 1992–93 college football season. The game featured two unbeaten teams in the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Miami Hurricanes...
. He finished his four-season college career with 162 reception
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
s for 2,172 yard and twenty-four touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s—still fifth on the Gators' all-time receiving yardage list. He also earned varsity letters playing for the Florida Gators men's basketball
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
team in 1990 and 1991.
Jackson graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in telecommunications in 1993, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2008.
Professional career
Jackson had a well-traveled NFL career. The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the fourth round (109th pick overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, but Jackson saw no playing time for the Cowboys during the season. In 1995, the NFL's two new expansion teams, the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and the Jacksonville Jaguars, participated in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft
1995 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1995 National Football League Expansion Draft was held on February 15, 1995. The two new expansion teams, the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars alternated picks from lists of unprotected players from existing franchises. Existing NFL teams made six players available, and the new...
, an opportunity to pick unprotected players from the rosters of the existing NFL teams. The Jaguars picked Jackson from the Cowboys' unprotected list as the twenty-first overall pick in the expansion draft, and he played for the Jaguars for the following three seasons from to , compiling 103 catches for 1,281 yards and ten touchdowns. He then played two seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals from to , but he saw little action and diminished production. Arguably his best two-year stint followed with the New Orleans Saints from to , peaking with his best professional year in —eighty-one catches for 1,046 yards and five touchdowns in sixteen starts. The following year with he Atlanta Falcons , he saw little playing time and was traded to the Washington Redskins mid-season, finishing his career with his former college coach, Steve Spurrier, then head coach of the Redskins.
Jackson finished his eight-season NFL career with 284 receptions for 3,641 yards and twenty-four touchdowns.
Gator football family
Jackson's younger brother, Terry Jackson, was a tailbackTailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
for the Gators from 1995 to 1998, and played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and special teams for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
from to . His father, Willie Jackson, Sr., led the Gators in all-purpose yards and kick-off returns in the early 1970s, and was one of the team's first two African-American players in 1970. All three Jacksons wore jersey number "22" for the Gators.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- List of Dallas Cowboys players
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of New Orleans Saints players
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of Washington Redskins players