How DJ Jackson overcame multiple season-ending injuries to make his NC State debut

NC State defensive tackle DJ Jackson stood in the Carter-Finley Stadium tunnel with a feeling he never had before a game Thursday night as the Pack was moments away from its season opener against Western Carolina.  The redshirt sophomore felt tears coming as he looked around, standing shoulder to shoulder with his Wolfpack teammates. Finally, after three years of grueling rehab to get back on the field from a trio of different season-ending injuries, Jackson felt he accomplished one of his goals in life: run out onto the field with his collegiate teammates.  As he neared the wolf statue at the end of the tunnel, it started to become real for Jackson. He made his way onto the Pack’s home field wearing a helmet and pads, ready to play in his first college game — even though he arrived in Raleigh in January 2022.  “I can’t really explain it too well,” Jackson said of that moment. “I was about to cry. It was pretty crazy. I never had that feeling. I go to every game my whole life [and] I’m working and in there to not doing it at all for a long period of time. When I got back out there and had the opportunity to do what I love, it just felt great. I can’t really explain it.”