Move over Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan, Glenbard North High School could have a new celebrity alumni in the making soon.
Justin Jackson, the Northwestern running back (not the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball player) had a huge breakout rookie season for NU in 2014. Jackson rushed for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie campaign as he recorded the 16th 1,000-yard rushing season in program history and just the second by a freshman (Tyrell Sutton had 1,474 in 2005)
However, Jackson’s prodigious ball-carrying was overlooked amidst the vast, deep sea of talented Big Ten backs: Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah, Ezekiel Elliot etc.)
This fall though, he’ll be more well known.
The Wildcats should be as ground-oriented, if not more,in 2015. Especially when you consider how Justin Jackson will now be a seasoned sophomore, and the passing attack will be breaking in a new triggerman. (The job is probably Clayton Thorson’s to lose, but that’s another story for another time)
Northwestern’s spring practice sessions concluded today, and Justin Jackson sat out the entire spring due to minor surgery. He will be 100% full go by the time summer workouts begin however. It’s the first time he’s ever had surgery in his young life, but it turned out quite well, a “best case scenario,” as he put it this week.
“It was a different experience,” Justin Jackson said.
“I’ve never been under anesthesia before, so I was out of it, saying random stuff, but it turned out well.”
This is the first time he’s missed any extended time during his young career. Jackson will have a new look in 2015, as he’s switched jersey numbers from 28 to 21. Why? Look no further than his Twitter handle (JMan_Prime21)
“I got Prime Time, I kind of had an idea once KP (Kyle Prater) left, I wanted to take that 21,” said Jackson.
“I kind of had a lot of passion for this number. I had it three years in high school, so it kind of carries a lot of weight for me.”
As Justin Jackson articulated last October, and reiterated this spring:
“In high school, my sophomore year I played mainly defense. When I played corner I was researching best cornerbacks and obviously he came up. I watched a lot of tape of him and he became one of my idols.”
Jackson seeks to emulate the Sanders (excuse me, $anders as Deion used to autograph it back in the day) mojo on the field. If Jackson can indeed take over Big Ten games this autumn in the manner that Neon Deion did during his playing career, he will indeed become the next “rock star” to come out of Glenbard North. Despite the fact that Prime Time has been retired for over a decade, the fact that we’re still talking about him right now (here’s the podcast of our exclusive with Deion Sanders, he even sings a little bit of Johnny Gill) speaks volumes.
“The guy’s got character, you’ve got to give that to him,” Jackson said of Deion.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
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