Jackson received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a featured wide receiver for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1992 to 1994.[3] Memorably, he had a 100-yard kick-off return for a touchdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 1993, and led the nation with fifteen receiving touchdowns in 1994.[3] He finished his college career with 143 catches for 2,266 yards (an average of 15.8 yards per reception) and twenty-nine touchdowns.[3] Jackson was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 1994, and a consensus first-team All-American.[3][4]
Professional career
After his junior college season, Jackson decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. He was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round (116th pick overall) of the 1995 NFL draft.[5] He played for the Bears for two seasons.[6]
^2012 NCAA Football Records Book, Award WinnersArchived copy at WebCite (December 1, 2012)., National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 10 & 14 (2012). Retrieved September 14, 2012.
Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN0-7948-2298-3.
Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN0-9650782-1-3.
Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN1-58261-514-4.