Ohio wide receiver Chris Jackson is a man of few words and, at least early on in the 2004 season, many catches.
I think he opens up more to the guys he's close with
obviously like most people do Ohio quarterback Ryan Hawk said. His personality is great with me. If he keeps catching balls like he does
I can definitely handle that (Jackson's quiet demeanor).
Where Jackson really opens up, however, is in the opposing defensive backfield's coverage area, where he has become one of Hawk's favorite targets. The redshirt sophomore's 20 catches and 207 yards through three games this season speak loudly when he does not.
In the season opener against Virginia Military Institute, Jackson caught just one pass -but it went for 51 yards and set up an Ohio touchdown. After a career-high seven catches at Pittsburgh, he caught 12 balls in Saturday's 40-20 loss at Miami. That performance tied Ohio's single-game reception record shared by three former Bobcats, the latest of whom accomplished the feat in 1986.
I didn't really know anything about tying it or breaking it in my mind
Jackson said. They told me after the game that I tied it and I was like
'That's good
but we lost.'
Born on the Bayou
Jackson came to the Bobcats from eastern Alabama. Following three seasons playing wide receiver at Central High School in Phenix City, he transferred to nearby Glenwood High in Seale, a small town roughly 125 miles from Atlanta, where his entire school encompassed 500 students.
There, he made a transition to a running back and led the entire state of Alabama in rushing yards and touchdowns his senior season.
My offensive line in high school was bigger than our line here
Jackson said. They would just open up the holes and I was fast enough to get through
so I played running back (at Glenwood).
Jackson said there are many differences between Alabama and Ohio. Rather than cafeteria food, he was used to eating fried chicken, macaroni, peach cobbler and muffins at home. Rather than mild 70-degree temperatures, he was used to 90 degrees and unbearable humidity when he went on early-morning runs in Seale.
You have southern hospitality (in Alabama)
but I haven't seen any rudeness up here
Jackson said.
Looking ahead
Jackson currently stands second in the Mid-American Conference in receptions and sixth in receiving yards per game. Not bad for a guy who converted back from running back to wideout during this year's spring practice, wide receiver coach Ron Antoine said.
More than anything
