JAMES JACKSON
By: Dave-Te' Thomas

#21-JAMES JACKSON University of Miami Hurricanes 5:10.1-217

ANALYSIS
Positives... Very hard worker and an outstanding leader both on and off the field... Consistently productive as a third down receiver, displaying soft hands and classic arm extension going for the ball in traffic...Very tough inside runner who finds a way to move the pile to get the yardage up the middle...Has the strength to break tackles and fight for extra yardage...Shows a second gear needed to break free past the line of scrimmage... Shows good flexibility adjusting to get to the pass...Plays with good balance and shows good body control after initial contact...Sees the holes develop and can gain the tough yardage when the lanes are clogged by using his leg drive...Has a good burst to the outside and the ability to work back for the ball...Will play hurt.

Negatives... Lacks ideal height...While he has the speed (4.38), he does not display explosive acceleration...More effective when used to move the chains rather than go for the big gainer... Willing blocker, but his hits pack little power and he frequently lunges at the ankles of defenders, making him of little use vs. the blitz...Does not have those sudden moves to burst around the corner and shows only adequate ability to spot the secondary holes when his main lane is clogged.

CAREER NOTES
A classic blue-collar worker who has been very effective using his powerful leg drive to move the chains for the Hurricanes the last four seasons...Came to Miami after a season at Fork Union military Academy...Suffered through a rash of injuries as a redshirt freshman and was again hampered by injury woes during his junior campaign...Still managed to finish third on the school's all-time record list with 2953 yards rushing, carrying the ball 541 times while scoring 29 touchdowns on the ground...Only Edgerrin James (2960, 1996-98) and Ottis Anderson (3331, 1975-78) gained more yards rushing in Miami annals...His eleven 100-yard rushing performances rank behind Anderson (13) and James (14) on the school's career-record list...Caught 38 passes for 278 yards and three scores during his time with the Hurricanes...His 32 total touchdowns are surpassed only by James (35) and Stephen McGuire (35, 1989-92) in school history.

REMIND ME OF... Oakland's Tyrone Wheatley.

GAZING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL... Jackson reminds me of (pardon the pun Forrest Gump) of a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get. This is a kid that never set the world on fire, yet showed flashes of brilliance every once in awhile. Teams were hoping to get into his head at the Combines, but he mysteriously was a no show, a career suicide move, I say. Like Wheatley, he can be as good as he wants to be, but just seems to lack that fire in the gut to get the task done.

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