James Jackson transferred to North Cross (Roanoke, VA) in 2018, ahead of his sophomore year.  Raiders varsity football head coach Stephen Alexander says Jackson was a “contributor right away” as a safety, backup quarterback and wide receiver.

Following the season, Alexander and North Cross defensive coordinator Shannon Taylor – Taylor starred at UVA in the late 1990s before a stint in the NFL – discussed with Jackson what it would take to earn scholarships from FBS programs.

“He had a good frame. He absolutely had a good frame, but he didn’t have the amount of explosive plays to be a scholarship player at a D1-level school,” Alexander said, recalling Jackson’s sophomore season. “Truthfully, the kid is about as tenacious a worker as I’ve ever been around.  Coach Taylor and I explained to him what he needed to do to play at a scholarship level.  Most kids don’t have either the work ethic or the ability to fix it.  He has the ability and he worked to get faster and more explosive.  In basketball, he played above the rim this year.  He always had the frame.  He’s a straight-A kid.  He dedicated himself to improving, and he did.”

Playing at 6’3”, 195 pounds, Jackson became a VISAA Division II first-team all-state performer at wide receiver and outside linebacker his junior season.  He helped North Cross to an 11-1 record that included a VISAA Division II state championship.

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