Justin Jackson

Early life

Jackson was born to Phil Jackson Sr. and the late Denise Jackson in Carol Stream, Illinois on April 22, 1996. Jackson was the youngest of three siblings. However, when Jackson was three years old, his mother, Denise, died from breast cancer. Jackson's father did remarry, and his stepmother is Veronica Jackson.

Jackson started playing football in second grade with the Carol Stream Youth Football Association Panthers because of Phil Jackson Jr., Justin's older brother, who began at the same time but in fourth grade. Phil Jackson Jr. ended up going to Northwest Missouri State, winning three Division II national championships. According to his father, Jackson dominated on the field in his youth.

Jackson attended Glenbard North High School, where he played high school football alongside his brother during sophomore year. Jackson did well in school, and in sports. He was a three-sport high school athlete with a nearly 5.0 grade point average. Jackson played football, basketball, and track in high school. Jackson holds the Glenbard North record for career rushing yards and ranks sixth all-time in IHSA history for career rushing yards (6,531 yards) and seventh all-time in rushing touchdowns with 85. As a junior in 2012, Jackson competed in the state finals against Mount Carmel high school. In that game he returned an interception over 79 yards for a touchdown; but was held to 65 yards rushing on 26 carries. Mount Carmel won the game 28–14. As a senior in 2013, Jackson recorded 42 carries for 405 yards and five touchdowns in a 40–34 win over eventual 8A state champion No. 15 Naperville Central. He finished the 2013 season with 3,171 rushing yards in 11 games, the second most in a single season in IHSA history; the 3-seeded Panthers were upset in the second round of the playoffs by 6-seed and eventual 8A semifinalist Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Illinois), otherwise Jackson would have had up to three more games to rush for 155 yards for the Illinois single-season record. Jackson was also a member of the Honor Roll and French Honors Society. He was ranked No. 5 overall prospect out of Illinois by Scout.com and the No. 4 all-purpose running back in the nation by 247Sports.com. He was the winner of the Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year award for the state of Illinois for the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons.

College career

After being one of the most successful high school running backs in Illinois history, Jackson joined the Northwestern Wildcats football team in 2014. Jackson has also set many records in his collegiate career. In his freshman year, he started five of 12 games which he led the Wildcats in rushing each week, finishing with 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns on 245 carries (22 catches, 201 yards, one touchdown receiving). Jackson was a second-team All-Big Ten Conference pick in 2015, racking up 1,418 yards and five scores on 312 carries (ranked third in the Football Bowl Subdivision), along with 21 catches and 162 yards as a receiver. In 2016, Jackson still carried the ball 226 times for 1,300 yards and 12 scores – and caught 33 passes for 210 yards – in an all-conference junior season by coaches. He finished off the year with a 224-yard, three-touchdown effort against the Pitt Panthers in the 2016 Pinstripe Bowl where he showed off his quickness, vision, and efficient running style. Jackson became the leading rusher in Northwestern history and became the ninth player in NCAA history to have four years with 1,000 yards. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection with 287 carries for 1,311 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing along with 44 catches for 276 receiving yards.