Bye Bye Brandon

5 comments so far January 15, 2007 by Darren K. Carlson

In a very well worded statement issued out of the NU sports information office, NU starting running back Brandon Jackson announced his intention to leave the Huskers before his senior season and declare himself eligible for the NFL draft. Jackson was arguably the biggest surprise for the Huskers on the offensive side of the ball. He led them in rushing, was a key contributor of big plays and garnered some nice post-season awards. That being said, it remains to be seen how much of that translates into NFL draft position and ultimately a professional career. Nor does it mean that NU will necessarily be hurting at the running back position in Jackson's absence.

Necessity More Than Positioning
Let me be very clear. I don't begrudge Brandon Jackson his choice one bit. By all accounts, the kid and his family need the money. If I had that kind of need and the ability to do something about it, I'd probably make the same choice. And, despite some draft prognosticators saying he may not even go in the first day of the draft let alone the first round, I suspect Jackson feels like his positioning can't get much better than right now. He emerged from a very crowded backfield to lead the team in rushing. He showed patience, explosion and the ability to catch the ball. There is also the belief that the class of backs coming out next year could be deeper than this year. And Brandon has absolutely no guarantees that he can hold off Marlon Lucky, Cody Glenn and others for the repetitions for NU. For all of those reasons, now was the time for Brandon, despite any looming millions.

On his side, he has accounted well for himself in a sophisticated pro-style offense. This has to help Jackson's opportunities with teams like the Eagles, Buccaneers and other teams running a variant of the West Coast offense.

Will NU Miss Him?
Hey, don't lose your leading rusher a year early without feeling it at least some. But, if there was any position where the Huskers have sufficient depth to absorb such a blow, it is at running back. As Lucky and Glenn continue to mature as runners and Kenny Wilson becomes more competent and confident in the offense, they should have options in the backfield. After that, they have at least three players in the incoming class who are slated to play at running back.

Thanks, B-Jax
On behalf of many Big Red fans, I feel the need to thank Brandon Jackson for his excellent effort on behalf of NU. He was another of the transition players who helped bridge the gap between coaching staffs. He contributed as a freshman, flashing his talents in some losing efforts. Then, he gutted out serious injuries as a sophomore while other much-ballyhooed backs came on the scene. Still he persevered and earned his opportunity last season. He made the most of it, and made plays. His performance against Texas this year was especially admirable. I can only wish that he hears his name early during the draft and that he can have a productive pro career.

Please Finish Up...
Brandon has made very clear that he intends to return to NU to finish his degree. I hope he does. Education is the one thing in this world that nobody can ever really take away from somebody. And, for context, Brandon had some trouble getting eligible for college as a high school student. He even thanked the academic support staff in his statement. For a kid with that background, finishing the opportunity for a degree is especially important. So, I hope he finishes up. NFL doesn't just stand for National Football League. For many, it stands for Not For Long. I wish him a productive career. But, a degree provides a much softer place to land in the long run.

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