100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 61 Days - Former No. 61, OG Gabe Jackson

Jeff Lebby’s era of Mississippi State football has arrived.

The Bulldogs are on their third coach in as many years as Mike Leach’s tragic passing opened the door for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s debut as head coach last year. That experiment failed before the year even ended for State and now it’s Lebby’s turn to take the wheel.

While there is always a risk in hiring first time head coaches, Lebby brings to Starkville an exciting offensive scheme that has been productive everywhere he’s been. The coach has also brought with him some swagger that has the fanbase ready to see what’s next.

Over the course of the next 100 days, we will take a look at Lebby’s roster and even some fun historical rewinds that will bring back memories for Dawg fans of all ages.

Today, we look back at a State legend on the offensive eline.   

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 61 Days – Former No. 61, OG Gabe Jackson   

Amite County and Liberty, Miss., is most famous for being known for one of the all-time great comedians in America in Jerry Clower. Before Clower told jokes for a living, though, he was a MSU Bulldog football player.

While Clower’s legend will always live on around the south, in Mississippi and in Amite County, another former Bulldog football player is putting the county on the map. Jackson became one of the Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks most reliable offensive linemen, much in the way that he was for the Bulldogs just a few years ago. But he wasn’t always seen as an NFL blocker. In fact, not many people wanted his services out of high school.

When Dan Mullen arrived to Starkville he had to make a splash in his first recruiting class. The Bulldogs had a solid group of players already committed and Mullen and his staff just had to close them out and pull a few more into the boat. Jackson was one of the players that had been committed to Sylvester Croom in what was becoming the coach’s best class since he had been in Starkville. While the group was very good, Jackson wasn’t one of those that was highly touted.

Only MSU and Southern Miss had offered the Amite County product. Scout.com had Jackson ranked the third best lineman in the state of Mississippi and he wasn’t even considered for the Clarion Ledger’s Dandy Dozen. Even so, he was going to work his way into the conversation as one of the best players in that highly productive class before it was all said and done.

Jackson made his first appearance for the Bulldogs in 2010 after redshirting his freshman year. The redshirt turned out to be perfect for the raw prospect as it gave him a year to get his body ready. He would earn SEC All-Freshman honors right away as he started at left guard. As a sophomore he was Second-Team All-SEC with 13 more starts at left guard.

People were beginning to take notice of Jackson’s prowess on the offensive line. As a junior, he continued his ascent as he was named Second-Team All-American and was again a first-team All-SEC member after starting all 13 games again. He didn’t give up a single sack as a junior and he began to pick up steam as a player that could come out of school early and be drafted. After getting feedback, he decided another year on campus was best.

It turned out to be the right decision for Jackson as he became one of the top offensive lineman in the country. Jackson was named a first-team All-American as a senior and won the Conerly Trophy for the top player in the state of Mississippi as well as the inaugural Kent Hull Trophy for the state’s best offensive lineman. He earned three SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week awards and he went through his second-straight year without a sack surrendered.

The most impressive thing for Jackson is he started every single game of his career, a feat that’s rarely done in college football. NFL teams took notice of his hard work, determination and consistency and heh was invited to the NFL combine.

Ultimately, Jackson would be drafted by the Raiders in the third round in 2014. It was a pick that appears to have been a major win for the Raiders. For seven years, Jackson was a staple of the offensive line and an anchor up front.

Jackson dealt with injuries in 2018 and 2019 with a torn pectoral muscle and a broken elbow, but he came back late in the year and played in 11 games to get himself back on track and ready for a return to form in 2020.

After getting traded to the Seahawks in 2021, he started every game but one at guard. He started in all 15 games he played for the Seahawks in 2022 as he was on the same offensive line as another former Bulldog in Charles Cross.  

After ending his tenure with the Seahawks in 2022, Jackson was picked up by the Carolina Panthers for the practice squad. He would play in the final five games of the season with a start on the year and still could play this season in year 11 in the league. Jackson has played in 136 career games with 132 starts.