For now, Jackson kicks and waits
The Utah State Aggies have a back-up quarterback with a cannon for a left arm. Leon Jackson III, freshman from Los Angeles who red shirted this year is sure to get the nod at starting quarterback for next season.
Along with throwing the ball, Jackson has also had some experience on the other end, starting at punter when Ben Chaet, normally the starting punter, went down with an injury.
Filling in at that position is nothing new to Jackson, who played punter in high school.
He averaged 42 yards a punt with a great percentage of downs inside the 20-yard line. During the game against Clemson on Oct. 16, he was able to smash a punt 67 yards.
“I got pretty lucky, the wind was blowing at my back,” Jackson said. “Coach [Dennehy] right before said give it a ride because we were on the 20-yard line and I told the gunners to get on their horses because I’m going to try and give it a ride. I just put it in the air and let the wind take care of it.”
Chaet, rather than Jackson, is most likely going start at punter Saturday when Middle Tennessee hosts the Aggies.
“He’s going to try and go for it,” Jackson said. “Obviously we’ll wait until game day, but I hope he can because if his ankle is getting better then he can come back and continue to do as well as he was doing and just make plays for us.”
Jackson was able to step in for Chaet when he was injured, and he hasn’t complained at all backing up Travis Cox at quarterback.
“I learned it from growing up, even just playing backyard football. We just wanted to win,” Jackson said. “Playing Pop Warner football gave me the chance to play on an undefeated team, it was more team oriented than it was the person.
“It has never been a part of me to want something that is against what the team would want or want something against what one of the coaches would want. Anything that can help the team I just try to do.”
USU offensive coordinator, Bob Cole, said Jackson has been doing pretty well at the backup quarterback spot.
“We’ve gone out there and moved the ball all over the place when he’s out there,” Cole said. “I think he’s a good young quarterback that probably next year will be ready to play.”
Jackson said that his dad was his biggest influence on him to get him to play the game of football.
He said his dad struggled as a kid, living in foster homes before making it to University of Southern California where he started at running back for the Trojans.
“He worked his way from basically nothing to where he is now. He graduated from USC in chemical engineering,” Jackson said. “He just works with whatever he got, whatever the Lord gave him.”
Now his father is a real estate broker after he retired from being a Sargeant. for the Los Angeles Police Department.
“He was my friend, but yet my dad. I could relate to him on a friendly level,” Jackson said, “but he still had that respect because he was my dad.”
He also said that for as long as he can remember, his parents have been divorced.
“It was tough, but it helped me learn a good lesson,” he said. “Even though you go through certain struggles you have to continue to fight strong and continue to hold faithful.”
So far this season, Jackson has been able to contribute to the Aggie offense. The only touchdown scored against Clemson was when Jackson was leading the team at quarterback. He led the team 88 yards down the field. Near the end, he scrambled 2 yards but fumbled. One of his offensive lineman fell on the ball to score the touchdown for the Ags.
“I couldn’t care less who we’re playing,” Jackson said, “because they strap their pads on just like us, they bleed just as much as us and they put in just as much work as us. I couldn’t really care less if they had a Clemson jersey on or a Mountain Crest [High School] jersey on.”
Jackson also said he’s always had to grow up quick even when it was being a freshman quarterback on his varsity high school team, and since he’s a freshman now the drive against Clemson just made him grow up a little.
For Jackson, planning for his future is very important. He has changed his major from communications to political science and after he graduates he wants to go to law school.
“I need a good back-up plan and law school would obviously be something good,” Jackson said. “I just want to get as much done as fast as I can. I only have four more years to graduate and get my master’s degree.
“That’s the plan I have and it’s a good one. I just have to stick with it and keep getting good grades.”
Jackson said playing in the NFL is a consideration, but he doesn’t like to look that far ahead.
“If you look down the road too far, you’ll miss what is in front of you,” he said. “If you take it a day at a time, a week at a time and a game at a time, whatever is destined for you to happen will happen. But I have to make sure I have a good back-up plan because I don’t want football to use me, I want to use football.”
-kcaustin@cc.usu.edu