Nov. 24, 2001

It seems hard to believe one word could define the career of an athlete like Illinois' Bobby Jackson. This is the same guy who has been through so much in his five years on campus. Yet in Jackson's case the task is a simple one. Bobby Jackson is physical. After all, isn't that what is expected of a strong safety in the Big Ten?

Coming out of Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Ore., Jackson was rated the second best strong safety in the nation by the National Recruiting Advisor. Illinois and its new head coach, Ron Turner, sought after him as one of the cornerstones of the rebuilding project that was underway in Champaign. Jackson, in turn, gave Illinois the answer it wanted to hear because of the chance to play and contribute early and often in his career. "One of my goals as a senior in high school was to start as a true freshman," Jackson said.

It did not take long for Jackson to realize his goal as he began making an impact on the Illinois secondary from the outset. Jackson played in all 11 games, including starts in the season's final five games, as a true freshman. As a result, he learned a lot of lessons on the field and in game situations. "I think that playing as a freshman and getting some playing time in general is key because you really do not know what to expect or what to look for as a true freshman, you just have to learn it," said Jackson.

Jackson likes to think that playing early in his collegiate career has given him some unique leadership skills. "The past five years have really been an ongoing learning process. Playing as a freshman was very important because you can relate your experiences to the younger guys. You've already been in their shoes and you know how they are thinking."

Jackson is a special player and has some exceptional leadership qualities. First of all, Jackson is a talker. "On the field I'm a vocal guy, I need my voice to be heard. It's important for me to have the young guys follow me on the field," Jackson said. In addition, he is also a lead-by-example kind of guy. "I'm going to go out and perform at the highest level that I can. If you don't like what I'm saying, then just watch me and you will get a clear picture of how to do things."

So it should come as no surprise that Jackson is a team captain for the second year in a row. "It's not so much important to me, as it is an honor to represent my teammates as a captain," he said. Jackson, the most vocal of the four captains, serves as an intermediary between Coach Turner and his teammates. "If the players don't feel comfortable about something, they can come to me and I can talk it over with Coach Turner. It's important to confront issues that could hurt the team and I like to get everything out in the open."

Jackson's leadership style has also been framed by a challenge not all of his teammates have had to deal with - a devastating injury. After posting a strong sophomore campaign, Jackson suffered a devastating setback in the 1999 spring practice season. He tore his ACL and missed the entire 1999 season, including the MicronPC.com bowl in Miami, Fla. with a medical redshirt. Although he could not physically play on his knee during the season, Jackson's mind got a workout as a result.

"It was extremely tough, but it has made me a stronger player because I didn't quit. I was able to get my mind more involved in the game, and I think you really sharpen your mind when you are away from the action as long as I was," said Jackson.

Being sidelined with a serious knee injury was tough for Jackson. He set a personal goal to play by the end of the season, and by November Jackson was back practicing with the scout team. Although the goal to play that season was unattainable, Jackson pushed himself everyday in therapy as part of the rehabilitation process. "My goal was to play that season, and I knew it was an unrealistic goal, but it didn't matter to me. Sometimes you have to set goals that you may not reach. "During the months of rehab, trainers would regularly have to slow Jackson's pace down as he intensely worked his knee back into condition. "There were some days I pushed so hard that I caused swelling in my knee again and had to take days off to ice. That made me mad, because I wanted to get back so badly. If you don't push yourself you won't learn anything about your body's limitations."

Now stronger than ever, Jackson anchors first year defensive coordinator Mike Cassity's revamped defense. Cassity's new scheme is more aggressive than last year, generating pressure on the quarterback and forcing mistakes. The new defense takes a special group of individuals to play within the framework, with a lot of pressure being put on the secondary to make plays in one-on-one situations.

According to Jackson, "this defense can best be described as 'organized chaos.' We are coming from every different angle that you could possibly imagine. This defense is about hitting people and creating turnovers." As a result, the defense forced 26 turnovers during the regular season, a vast improvement from last year. "We have the attitude of bring your best receivers and bring a lunch, because we (the secondary) are going to be here all day long." The secondary is quick, aggressive and experienced, so it should come as no surprise that 18 of the 26 turnovers have come via an interception.

As the season begins to wind down, Jackson has realized some of his goals, but still has a few things he would like to see happen before the final gun fires on his collegiate career. "To win the Big Ten championship is a great accomplishment. I had three losing seasons, and this feels so good. Now we just want to finish up on a winning note at our Bowl game, wherever that turns out to be," he said.