Saturday, Jun. 21, 2008

JUST A MOMMA'S BOY

By Ben Reynolds, Herald staff writer

Before Johnny Jackson steps on the field tonight, he will get a reminder of why he's playing football again.

It's a simple phone call between he and his mom, whom he calls his best friend.

It's probably the fifth or sixth exchange with her throughout the day, but hearing her voice is a comforting feeling for the Tri-Cities Fever defensive end.

Jackson will spend the next three hours showing why eight years ago he was on the verge of making an NFL roster. He'll break up plays, he might record a few sacks -- all while carrying a heavy heart for his mother Dewonder L. Jackson, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002.

If not for her blessing, he would not be playing in the Tri-Cities -- or anywhere else, for that matter.

After putting his football career on hold for five long years to care for his mom, Jackson is back pursing his dream in one of the most unlikely of places.

In just his second season in the arenafootball2 league, Jackson has quickly emerged as one of the best players at his position. He leads the Fever with 8 1/2 sacks -- ranking him in the top 10 in the af2. He is not happy with those numbers, but at least he's playing football and chasing his dream again.

"I am just blessed to be out here," said Jackson, who still has NFL dreams at age 29.

Saying that he is blessed to be in the af2 is still sometimes hard for Jackson to comprehend.

Jackson was one of the best defensive ends in the state of California at St. Augustine High School in San Diego. He earned a college scholarship and appeared destined to play on Sundays.

But in 2002, while he was trying to break into the professional ranks, everything came to a standstill. The news of his mom's illness was coupled with teams telling him to go play in Europe or Canada for a year to gain experience.

That wasn't his goal, and it would take him further away from his mom.

So Jackson returned to Oakland, Calif., where he grew up. He worked some small jobs here and there, traveling back and forth to San Diego to take care of his mom.

Jackson, an imposing 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, never stopped training, hoping for that call from an NFL team that wanted to take a chance on him.

He waited five long years for a phone call that never came.

"I was miserable," he said.

Some of it was his own doing. At the time, Jackson thought he was too good to play in the AFL, and af2 wasn't even an option.

It quickly became the only option for a player who was highly recruited by schools like Colorado, USC, Texas and Arizona out of high school.

During his time away from football, he went back to the University of Arizona to finish up his degree in family studies of human development. Also, during that time, his mother's condition worsened as the cancer spread to her liver, lung and colon.

But as her treatment progressed, the burden of responsibility for Jackson diminished. He no longer had to administer her shots, and her new treatment kept her in the hospital for extended periods of time to monitor her health.

Jackson said every day is a fight for his mom, but she has shown signs of recovery.

Sensing his desire to get back to his football career, Jackson got his mom's blessing two years ago to resume his dream.

"It got to the point where my mom told me to go back and play," Jackson said. "She knew that's what I wanted to do."

But he had to find a team that was willing to take a chance on a 27-year-old rookie.

After talking with his agent, they agreed that the best route for him to get another shot in the NFL would be through the AFL. In 2006, he tried out with the San Jose SabreCats and then with Stockton in the af2. He was released by both teams.

"It was a humbling experience," said Jackson, who still holds the national junior-college single-season sack record with 30 at Sacramento City College.

He finally got his break last season in Everett with now-Fever coach Cedric Walker. And despite being away from the game for five years, he showed he still knew how to get to the quarterback. Jackson had 8 1/2 sacks in 16 games for the Hawks and felt he was ready to make the jump to the AFL.

He had interest from several teams and was weighing his options to find the right fit. As time went, the interest in Jackson suddenly declined.

Walker was telling coaches that he didn't think Jackson was ready.

"Last year, he didn't know the game and he had 81/2 sacks," Walker said. "Think about what one more year will do."

Jackson didn't understand why Walker would do that to him. But a little trust and a little time gave Jackson a new perspective.

"The game has really slowed down to me this year," Jackson says. "I thought I was ready, and I wasn't ready. It's made me a better player."

Now that his brother has graduated high school, Jackson plans on moving his mom back to Oakland to be closer to family so he can hopefully make the jump to the AFL.

It's not the NFL, but it's one step closer and a chance to take care of his family financially.

And to get there, all he needs is a few more encouraging words from mom.

"That's why he plays," said teammate Phil Goodman, who played with Jackson at Sacramento City College.