Jackson joins Hall of Fame

AP File Photo The late Jamacia Jackson, left, delivers a hit while playing for the University of South Carolina. Jackson, who was also a standout at Sumter High School, will be inducted posthumously into the Sumter Sports Hall of Fame today.

By DENNIS BRUNSON
Item Sports Editor
dennisb@theitem.com

During his junior football season at Sumter High School in 1998, Jamacia Jackson set a school record by rushing for 2,187 yards and 32 touchdowns on 279 carries, a 7. 8 per-carry average. He also caught 10 passes for 219 yards and four scores.

Jackson’s head coach that season, Tom Lewis, didn’t like to hitch his cart to just one player, but with Jackson he just couldn’t help but do so.

“He was phenomenal ,” Lewis said of Jackson. “He did everything you asked him to. Jamacia had a lot of God-given talent and he knew how to use it.”

During Jackson’s senior football season at SHS, new head coach Paul Sorrells and his staff were searching for someone to play free safety. They decided to give Jackson a try there and it just took one day at the position for them to know he was the man they needed.

“I never ever in my life expected Jamacia to take to it as easily as he did,” Sorrells said. “The minute we placed him back there, he looked like a natural.”

Jackson went on to record 98 tackles, three fumble recoveries, one fumble caused and two interceptions. For good measure, he was named the defensive Most Valuable Player in the Shrine Bowl, intercepting two passes — returning one 30 yards for a touchdown — and recovering a fumble.

Jackson went on to a solid career at the University of South Carolina and was playing in the Canadian Football League when he died in April of 2008 from natural causes. Because of all he achieved, Jackson will be inducted into the Sumter Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony today beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Sumter located at 26 Council Street.

Jackson rushed for over 4,000 yards in his career at Sumter High. While he was splitting time between offense and defense his senior season, Jackson still rushed for 965 yards and 19 touchdowns on just 118 carries. Jackson had three scoring runs of 90-plus yards. He also caught 10 passes for 102 yards and returned two punts for touchdowns, one going for 74 yards and another for 42.

When Sorrells suggested to Jackson that he wanted him to try defense as well, he never heard a cross word even though Jackson had just broken Freddie Solomon’s rushing record the season before.

“His response was just vintage Jamacia Jackson,” Sorrells said. “He said, ‘No problem.’ He was just happy-go-lucky. He’s one of the happiest football players I’ve ever coached.”

Lewis said you didn’t have to worry about Jackson on or off the field.

“You knew that Jamacia would do the right thing,” he said. “One of his best strengths was his mom and dad (James and Cleo), and the way they raised him.”

Jackson played four seasons at USC and was a starter at safety in his final two seasons. Jackson had 159 total tackles in his career at USC and two quarterback sacks. He also had a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Gamecocks’ season-opening win over Vanderbilt in 2004, his senior season.

In an interview with The Item upon Jackson’s death, Lou Holtz, who was Jackson’s head coach at USC, talked about how much fun he was to be around.

“He was a live one,” Holtz said of Jackson. “He had an exuberant personality, he loved people and if there was ever anything going on, he was in the center of it.

“He just had an enthusiasm for life,” he added. “He lived his life to the fullest and had a great family. I have such a great respect for his family.”



Reach Sports Editor Dennis Brunson at dennisb@theitem.com or (803) 774-1241.