Hey everyone, my name is Jackson and I’m super excited to be joining as a contributor for The Walk-On Redshirts this season! A little bit about me: I was born in Nashville but grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, not far from Northwestern’s campus. Despite baseball being my sport of choice to play, I always loved college football growing up, and have distinct memories of watching games with a football in hand, running to the front yard every half hour or so to reenact plays and simulate games. I mostly rooted for Vanderbilt by way of my parents, a mostly sad existence (aside from the tail-end of the James Franklin era) that led to a gravitation toward SEC football. I went to Xavier University for college, and during my freshman year my family moved to Auburn, Alabama, starting a new fandom for us. Let me tell you – once you go to an Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare, it’s pretty hard to go back. It’s been a rough stretch in recent years, but they were the cards I was dealt and am happy to play them.
Don’t read into the SEC fandom too much – I like to think I’m pretty reasonable about my opinions on the conference, and I definitely have an appreciation for college football across the country. My favorite thing about the sport are the quirks and contrasts across the board; they’re what I think makes it so fun. I love the stadium atmospheres of the SEC, the heavyweight battles in the Big 10, the contrasting styles of play in the Big 12, and the storied rivalries across the board (RIP Pac 12, we miss you every day). From the Iron Bowl and The Game to Farmageddon and the Holy War, I love it all, and hopefully that’ll be reflected in my contributions to the Walk-On site. Highlighting storylines from across the country throughout the season is my goal, so I’ll definitely be sharing my thoughts on weekly matchups and game previews. I admittedly am not a huge fan playoff talk (which mostly turns into conference peacocking), particularly early in the season, so I’d like to stick to focusing on conference races and the players that are lighting it up each Saturday. I’m learning as I go, so you can expect a little bit of everything! War Eagle!
