Brandon Jackson

• 2006 Brook Berringer Citizenship Team
• 2004 Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll

2006 (Junior)

I-back Brandon Jackson experienced a breakout season as a junior in 2006, emerging from a talented group of running backs to lead a recharged <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska running attack. Jackson proved he was a complete back who not only possessed the speed to turn the corner, but also the power to run between the tackles. He was also a reliable receiving threat out of the Husker backfield. After an All-Big 12 season, Jackson chose to forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Jackson became the workhorse for the Huskers beginning with the IowaState game, when he carried 22 times for 116 yards. After that contest, he averaged nearly 20 carries and 100 yards rushing per game and finished 2006 with 989 rushing yards, falling just shy of recording the 28th, 1,000-yard rushing season in school history.

 

Jackson finished fifth in the Big 12 in rushing (70.6 ypg) and was third in the league in all-purpose yards (104.2 ypg). In league games only, he increased his totals to 94.4 rushing yards per game and 136.4 all-purpose yards per contest, third in both categories. Jackson had four 100-yard rushing efforts, led by a career-high 182 yards at Oklahoma State, and gave the Huskers an added dimension in the passing game with 33 receptions for 313 yards. Jackson capped his regular season against Colorado with a Nebraska single-game record 41 all-purpose attempts, totaling 190 yards. He suffered a hand injury against Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, limiting him to just seven carries in the Cotton Bowl, but he did score a 20-yard touchdown.

 

The 5-11, 210-pound Jackson accounted for 10 touchdowns on the year, including eight by rush and touchdown catches against Texas and Colorado. The strong effort by Jackson in Big 12 Conference play resulted in numerous postseason honors. He was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press, while the league’s coaches picked him as a member of the second-team squad. Jackson carried the ball just 27 times in the season’s first five games while splitting time with Marlon Lucky, Cody Glenn and Kenny Wilson. As a group, the four Husker I-backs finished the year with 2,422 rushing yards, 26 rushing touchdowns and 68 receptions.

 

2005 (Sophomore)
Jackson played in nine games and earned starts against Wake Forest and Pitt, when the Huskers opened with two I-backs. Jackson finished the season with 52 rushing yards on 18 carries. He ran for 18 yards on six carries in the opener against Maine and capped the regular season with 25 yards on four carries at Colorado. Jackson was on Nebraska’s top kickoff return unit for the first half of the year and returned six kickoffs for 63 yards. He also caught a five-yard pass against Wake Forest.

2004 (Freshman)

Jackson played in 10 games and finished the year with 390 yards and six touchdowns, while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. The 390 yards were the ninth-most ever by a Husker freshman. Jackson quickly established himself as a rushing threat, picking up 79 yards on 13 carries in the opener against Western Illinois. The 79 yards were the most by a Husker true freshman in a season opener since at least 1973.

Jackson scored his first two touchdowns against Baylor, when he rushed a career-high 18 times for a career-best 89 yards. He also had five kickoff returns for 158 yards against the Bears, including a season-long 59-yarder, giving him 247 all-purpose yards, the 10th-most in school history and the second-best ever by an NU freshman. Jackson added two more touchdowns the next week at Kansas State and rushed 11 times for 57 yards. He had just four carries at Iowa State, but crossed the goal line twice. Jackson had double-figure carries five times. He finished the year with 17 kickoff returns for 359 yards, an average of 21.1 yards per return, fifth in the Big 12.

Before Nebraska (Horn Lake HS)

Jackson was the first NU signee from Mississippi since current Philadelphia Eagle running back Correll Buckhalter in 1997. Jackson rushed for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns for Horn Lake in 2003, helping Coach Larry Gann's squad to a 6-6 record and a trip to the second round of the Class 5A playoffs (largest class). Jackson also had 200 receiving yards and one touchdown reception. As a junior, Jackson rushed for 1,783 yards and 28 touchdowns, and made 20 receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson's performance helped Horn Lake to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the second round of the state playoffs.

Jackson was chosen as the 5A Offensive Player of the Year by the Mississippi Coaches Association two straight years and was an all-region and all-state selection. He was named to the Dandy Dozen by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, signifying the top 12 players in the state of Mississippi. Jackson also received all-metro honors in the Memphis area his junior and senior years, and was Horn Lake's MVP as a senior. He played in the Mississippi-Alabama all-star game.

Jackson lettered four times in track, and had a career best of 10.6 seconds in the 100 meters. He was sixth at state in the 100 as a senior, and helped the 4x200-meter relay squad finish third at state in 2004, while aiding the 4x100 relay squad's fourth-place state finish. He was also part of the 4x400-meter relay team that was second at the Class 5A state meet in 2003. Jackson also visited Mississippi State and Memphis.

Personal

Jackson is the son of Barbara Jackson and was born on Oct. 2, 1985. He is a sociology major and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in the fall of 2004. Jackson moved to Mississippi from Chicago in 1996. Jackson was a volunteer speaker for the 2005 Fall Break Tour of Excellence.

Jackson's Career Statistics

Year

G/S

Att.

Gain

Loss

Net

Y/A

Y/G

Long

TDs

2004

10/0

85

396

6

390

4.6

39.0

24 vs. Baylor

6

2005

9/2 18 56 4 52 2.9 5.8 10 at Colorado 02006 14/9 188 1,023 34 989 5.3 70.6 48 vs. KSU 8

Totals

33/11

291

1,475

44

1,431

4.9

43.4

48 vs. KSU

14

Kickoff Returns?32-579-0 total; 17-359-0 in 2004; 6-63-0 in 2005; 9-157 in 2006; long-59 vs. Baylor, 2004

Single-Game Highs:
Rushing Attempts?34 vs. Colorado, 2006
Rushing Yards?182 vs. Oklahoma State, 2006
Long Rush?48 vs. Kansas State, 2006
Rushing TDs?2, four times, most recently vs. Oklahoma State, 2006
Receptions - 6 vs. Colorado, 2006
Receiving Yards - 77 vs. Texas, 2006
Long Reception - 49 vs. Texas, 2006
Receiving TDs - 1 vs. Texas, vs. Colorado, 2006
All Purpose Attempts - 41 vs. Colorado, 2006 (School Record)
All-Purpose Yards - 206 vs. Oklahoma State, 2006