2007 NFL Draft: Packers Pick Brandon Jackson

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

Former University of Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson is a speed burner. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, which automatically made him attractive to National Football League scouts.

In fact, Jackson's speed makes him a double threat: he's not just a good running back, but a lethal return man.

"I'm a very, very versatile guy and a good special teams guy," he says.

The Green Bay Packers' opponents are about to find that out. Jackson was a second-round pick of the Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Jackson (#32) runs the ball against the Sooners during the 2006 Big 12 Championship on Dec. 2, 2006.

Jackson's versatility was apparent at Horn Lake High School in Horn Lake, Mississippi. There, he played basketball and ran track in addition to playing football.

He was a sprinter on the track, competing in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, as well as the long jump. He made the Mississippi state finals twice and ran the 100-meter dash in an impressive 10.5 seconds.

Naturally, he did a different kind of running at Nebraska - shuttle drills geared towards putting your speed to use on the football field.

"Shuttles are important," he says. "It's something you don't ever do in high school, but as you move on you do them."

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Jackson earned a starting spot in Nebraska's I-formation backfield in 2005 and has held it tightly ever since. In 2006, after becoming the first I-back in more than five years to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the Cornhuskers, Jackson was named to the Big 12's All-Conference team.

In all, Jackson rushed for 100 or more yards in four Big 12 contests last year. Those numbers could have been bigger, but Jackson spent time splitting carries with three other running backs.

Meanwhile, the fact that he has not yet graduated from Nebraska weighs on Jackson's mind. He says "academics are very important to me" and vows to get his degree. "Oh yeah," he says. "I made a promise to myself to graduate."

Jackson says high school running backs need to work on becoming multi-dimensional. That requires not only speed and strength, but agility as well. And, sometimes, it just requires good football sense and the willingness to roll up your sleeves and get dirty.

"Be a versatile player. Be able to catch the ball out of the backfield as well as run it," Jackson advises. "Work on learning how to pick up blitzes and block. Blocking is very important, and not just when you're blocking to protect your quarterback. You also need to be willing and able to block down field for other runners."

Finally, says Jackson, "You have to make the most of the opportunities that you have and take advantage of them."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.