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MARSHALL SPORTS
Jackson small, but Herd gains big
HUNTINGTON -- From his family background to competing against elite talent, Rashad Jackson insists he's been chiseled into a complete football player.
Growing up in the Belle Glade area and playing at the powerhouse local Florida high school, Jackson routinely worked with and against high-level NCAA Division I-A prospects. He graduated to Joliet Junior College (Ill.) and has verbally committed to join the Marshall University Thundering Herd this season.
The physical cornerback more than held his own against numerous wide receivers who dot the rosters of national champion Florida, Miami (Fla.), Georgia, LSU and others. He received scholarship offers from similar high-profile programs and guessed he would join Belle Glade teammates and rivals at an SEC-esque university.
So what was the rub?
At 5-foot-9, schools eventually were scared off at the notion of Jackson facing much taller wide receivers. No question, a proverbial chip rests on Jackson's shoulder.
"A lot of people backed off and that's messed with me a long time," Jackson said. "Now I'm ready to show what I can do.
"I had a lot of big schools on me. The smaller schools stayed with me, but the bigger schools moved on."
His height is compensated by strength, according to Jackson and his junior college coach, Jeremy Richardson. "Once he gets his hands on you, it's over," Richardson said.
Jackson is listed at 170 pounds, but he recently weighed in at 181. Familiarity also should aid Jackson's acclimation. Joliet and Marshall operate similar defensive schemes.
"Being able to come in and play early," largely factored into Jackson's decision, he said. Jackson isn't concerned with having just a month of preseason camp prior to the Sept. 5 season opener against Southern Illinois.
One, he has the tutelage of his father and former National Football League player Rickey Jackson. Also, and again, he's simply grown up in the game.
"I've been around football all my life," Jackson said. "Marshall does a lot of zone blitzing with man coverage and that's what I've always done. I've just got to know (the playbook).
"I think I can get it pretty quick. I've been playing cornerback all my life."
Particularly at cornerback, confidence is a requirement. Jackson welcomes being left on clichéd islands with receivers in the pass-happy Conference USA.
"I'm not a tall corner, but I do what I do," Jackson said. "Once I get my hands on you. ... I can jam you and I can sit back in coverage.
"I can do it all and I can come up and hit. I'm an all-around corner and there aren't not too many who can do that."
