STILL A PART OF THE TEAM: Despite being paralyzed after breaking his neck in football practice last November, Joe Jackson will still be at every Hamilton game. Above: Andy Workman guides Jackson off the field.
Hamilton’s Joe Jackson stays positive, cheers on teammates
Mark Armijo
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 31, 2006 12:00 AM
When Hamilton High School wide receiver Joe Jackson suffered a broken neck during practice last season, paralyzing him from the waist down, some thought he’d never return to the sidelines. They were wrong.
As Hamilton beat Red Mountain on Friday at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium, a 21-7 season-opening victory that revealed a state championship again may be within its grasp, Jackson cheered wildly on the sideline. Nothing could stop him from experiencing the joy of victory. Not even paralysis. Jackson, a reserve junior wide receiver last season, suffered a broken neck during practice for a state playoff game last November.
In the blink of an eye, Jackson’s life changed forever. Barring a cure, his life now must be negotiated from a wheelchair. But instead of cursing the world for his injury, Jackson has chosen a different path, one that has him tackling each day’s new challenge as if he were still on the football field scrapping with defensive backs.
“Even after what happened, I’ve never been down,” Jackson said during lunch Friday after participating in a Huskies pep rally before the team’s season opener. “There’s no reason to be. I was always positive before. There’s no reason to change. Being negative is not going to get you anywhere in life.”
Being positive is what put Jackson back on the sideline Friday. It will keep him there for every game this season. It’s what persuaded Hamilton coach Steve Belles to make certain Jackson was part of the pregame coin toss against Red Mountain, a ceremony reserved mostly for team captains.
And it’s why Hamilton players are wearing helmets this season with the No. 30 on it, Jackson’s old number. “We’re doing that to show that we haven’t forgotten Joe,” said Hamilton wide receiver Chase Barth, who along with friends Louis Prisco and Michael Martinez take turns driving Jackson to school.
Belles wasn’t at Hamilton last season. A former Mountain Ridge coach, he took the job last spring when John Wrenn opted to become an assistant coach at Arizona State University. But it didn’t take Jackson long to grow on Belles.
“I have a ton of respect for people in Joe’s position, but for him especially just because he’s so young and is handling it so well. I talked to our captains about Joe being part of the coin toss, and they thought it was a great idea.” Jackson said he’s deeply humbled.
“When I came back to school (last March), I didn’t know how people would react,” said Jackson, who can move his arms and wrists, but is unable to move his fingers.
“But everybody was so nice and wanting to help me. . . . I wish I could be out there playing. I love football. . . . There’s no reason to be sad. . . . This happened for a reason and so I don’t ever say, ‘Why me?’ I don’t get bummed out.”
Todd Jackson, Joe’s father, isn’t surprised with his youngest son’s (older son Todd Jr. is a senior at the University of Arizona) attitude.
“He’s always been a positive person,” the elder Jackson said of Joe, who has a 3.85 grade-point average and plans to major in engineering at ASU or the University of Southern California. “He’s got a big heart.”
A big heart in a small body. At 5 feet 5 and 125 pounds last season, larger defensive backs often overmatched the younger Jackson. But he played often during Hamilton blowouts last season and finished the season with one reception.
The Jackson family, which includes Joe’s mother, JoAnn, now want to help other paralysis victims. They have started paperwork to create the Joe Jackson Foundation, which Todd said would help provide financial assistance for anyone in the country who is unable to purchase equipment to aid their rehabilitation. Jackson finished his three weeks ago.
“Joe is our hero, and this is something we just feel we need to do,” Todd said.