Size, speed, agility, strength…and he’s only a junior
It was a move for the ages, one that sent shockwaves throughout Hudson County and later, the entire state of New Jersey. A 6-foot-2, 250-pound running back put a 360-spin move on two would-be Hoboken tacklers that was beyond highlight material.
But St. Peter’s Prep junior Rashawn Jackson didn’t think much of it when he was making the spin move of the century.
"You can’t let your right hand know what the left hand is doing," Jackson said. "It just sort of came out. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. I guess I do it when I have to do it, depending on the situation, just to get a few extra yards."
But it’s normal for a fleet, normal-sized 180-pound running back to make like Barry Sanders. When someone the size of Jackson, who would be an offensive lineman on any other team in Hudson County, makes that kind of move, it causes jaws to drop in amazement.
"I guess it’s pretty remarkable," Jackson said. "There aren’t many who can say that they can do that. It’s an advantage for me, because people have doubts I can do anything because of my size."
At this point, no one should doubt Jackson’s abilities to do anything, because the Marauder man-child is perhaps the most versatile running back in Hudson County.
"He’s the most gifted kid I’ve seen at his size," St. Peter’s Prep head coach Rich Hansen said. "He’s the package, with his size, his speed, agility, his hands. He can throw a football 70 yards. He’s very gifted. In fact, he doesn’t even know how good he can be. He’s just a different breed of anything I’ve ever seen. He’s a monster, a man among boys. It really looks as if he can score whenever he wants."
Last week, when the Marauders faced Lincoln, Jackson touched the ball only four times. He scored three touchdowns. He also rushed for 113 yards in those four carries, leading the Marauders, the No. 4-ranked team in New Jersey, to a 67-0 victory.
For his efforts, Jackson has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
It would have been very easy for Hansen to take someone of Jackson’s size and instantly make him a lineman. But Hansen said that the idea never came to mind.
"It was never in question and never in the cards," Hansen said. "Rashawn came to us as a freshman and he played quarterback. In fact, he ran so well that we moved him to tailback. He was supposed to be in the same backfield with Mike [Brown], but we needed Mike in the secondary. So we moved Rashawn to I-back on the freshman team and he ran so well. But he was way too skilled to use as a lineman."
Jackson said that he played a lot of positions when he was playing in the Jersey City Recreation football program, so he was always a versatile football player.
"I played everything," Jackson said. "I was a running back, quarterback, wide receiver, tight end. One time, I was a center. But I trained to be a quarterback coming into Prep, all throughout eighth grade. I had good size then, like 5-11 and 200. But being a lineman was never in my head. I know that I’d probably be a lineman somewhere else. I’m happy to be here."
Jackson is happy to be a part of the talented triumvirate that comprises the Marauder backfield, featuring Brown, also a junior, and speedy sophomore Kee-Ayre Griffin.
"We all get along very well," Jackson said. "There is no jealousy and no one is selfish. In fact, if one of us is getting the ball too much, we make a point to go to the coaches to tell them to spread the ball around. We kind of challenge each other and we make each other better. Whatever helps the team the most, we’re willing to do."
Jackson is also a standout member of the Prep linebacker corps, having made at least eight tackles in each of the five Prep resounding victories. The Marauders have yet to surrender a single point this season, outscoring the opposition by an unbelievable total of 262-0.
Because the Marauders have been winning their games by such lopsided margins, Jackson’s playing time has been limited to only the first half of nearly every game.
"That gets kind of frustrating, because we all would love to play more," Jackson said. "But we have to be smart. We don’t want anyone to get hurt, and we want to keep things going in the right direction."
Hansen said that Jackson, who has already scored 13 touchdowns this season, has all the makings of being a big-time college recruit next year.
"Rashawn followed the plan in the off-season and got bigger, faster and stronger," Hansen said. "He’s now running a 4.56 in the 40 [yard dash]. Now, he knows how to run, follow the blocking and stay within the schemes. Instead of waiting for the hole to open, he knows where he’s supposed to run. It’s so hard to square up against him and try to tackle him. He’s going to get even more comfortable running the ball and then he’ll be even more dangerous. The kid has the complete package and the colleges already know that."
Added Hansen, "He’s a new age Jerome Bettis [referring to the Pittsburgh Steelers standout]. He’s our ‘Bus’ (Bettis’ nickname). He just rumbles. When he runs, I say, ‘Big man, keep rumbling.’ He has to keep working at it, but he’s going to get better and better."
And how about that now famous spin move?
"When it happened, I didn’t see it, but the coaches all said, ‘Rashawn just did something,’ " Hansen said. "I thought at first, ‘Oh, well, I see it every day.’ But then I saw it on tape and it was amazing. But honestly, he does something amazing every day. Spin moves, hurdling people, stiff arms. Every day is a new wrinkle and every day, it’s something different. He’s really becoming more and more of a complete back."
Jackson has already received two college scholarship offers. More will follow.
But will more exciting highlight film material, like tantalizing spin moves, follow as well?
"You never know," Jackson laughed. "I say, just watch and see." – Jim Hague