He made an immediate impact with his speed and power in 2004, his first season in the Nebraska football program.
His numbers were impressive: 390 rushing yards, 359 return yards, six touchdowns.
Brandon Jackson, however, was more impressed with the numbers that represented his first-semester grade-point average: 3.04.
Football comes naturally to him — much more naturally than schoolwork does, said the native of Horn Lake, Miss., near Memphis.
That's why Jackson feels more satisfaction about his work in the classroom last semester than he does about his on-field achievements.
"I can tell you from our conversations — and he calls pretty regularly — that he was as excited about that GPA as he was about what he did on the football field," said Larry Gann, head coach at Horn Lake High School.
Jackson was among the last players in Nebraska's 2004 recruiting class to become eligible academically, achieving the required score on his ACT in May.
There's one other set of numbers that have added extra bounce to Jackson's step during Nebraska's winter conditioning program. In pre-winter conditioning testing in January, Jackson sprinted 40 yards in 4.38 seconds (hand held), he said.
Add it all up, and you get a player who figures to be a prominent factor in 2005 as Nebraska tries to rebound from last season's 5-6 finish.
"He's come a long way (since last summer)," said Nebraska starting I-back Cory Ross, who lived with Jackson before first-semester classes began. "Once he starts learning everything, he's going to be a great back. He's so strong and runs so hard. You see it. But he has a lot more to show."
The 6-foot, 215-pound Jackson, of course, faces stiff competition at his position.
Ross, a senior, led Nebraska last season with 1,102 rushing yards and tied Jackson for the team lead with six touchdowns. Sophomore Tierre Green rushed for 284 yards and scored two touchdowns, though recent speculation has him switching to defensive back.
Nebraska coaches eagerly await the summer arrivals of ballyhooed running back recruits Marlon Lucky, Leon Jackson and Cody Glenn. Husker coaches already have indicated Lucky will play a prominent role in the offense.
Which begs a question: Will there be enough playing time to keep everyone happy in what appears to be a loaded backfield?
"That's one thing I love about the West Coast offense — if you're a good player, (head coach) Bill Callahan will find a way to get you the ball," said Husker running backs coach Randy Jordan. "He's very, very imaginative."
The 6-foot, 210-pound Lucky rushed for 2,036 yards and 40 touchdowns last season for North Hollywood (Calif.) High School.
"He knows he's a rookie and that he'll have to earn everything he gets," Jordan said.
Lucky might be inclined to seek guidance from Jackson, who draws high praise from Jordan.
"It can be very intimidating for some guys, coming to a place where football is so important," Jordan said.
Jackson said he made good use of Nebraska's academic support system.
"They give us three or four tutors to make sure we're on top of everything," said Jackson, whose 14-hour class schedule last semester included English and math courses. "They helped me out a lot by correcting words and sentences."
Gann said Jackson was a good student in high school as a junior and senior after struggling as a sophomore. Jackson said classmates playfully called him "The Nerd" because of his tendency to study instead of party.
Gann said: "A lot of things that interest kids his age don't interest Brandon. He's not a real social guy. Often, after Nebraska games, I'd call him and he'd say he was in his dorm room, waiting for family to call."
Jackson wanted to tell them about his performance — both on the field and in the classroom.
"To do what he did, it's really quite an accomplishment," Jordan said.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
