Savion Jackson carries advice from Bradley Chubb into the season
After a year of hard work, some feedback from head coach Dave Doeren and a phone call with an NC State legend, Savion Jackson became one of the few Wolfpack linemen to wear the No. 9 jersey. Jackson took on a full-time starting role at defensive end last year and was headed for a breakout season before suffering a knee injury against Florida State.
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Now, he’s back for his fourth year at NC State and has been fully-healthy for months. The number on his chest this season shows he’s ready to step back into the spotlight as an impact player and a leader.
The Wolfpack’s No. 9 jersey holds a special meaning in Raleigh. It’s the collegiate jersey number of NFL stars and former NC State game-wrecking forces Bradley Chubb and Mario Williams. Jackson knows this number carries some weight with it, and he’s ready to take on the responsibilities that come with the honor.
“It’s bigger than just a number,” Jackson said.
He equated it to winning the Heisman in the same way that, once you’re a part of that exclusive group of athletes, you’re a part of a meaningful legacy that means a lot to the program.
After Chubb left Raleigh to become a top-five NFL draft pick in 2018, no one wore the number at NC State until Doeren deemed Jackson the next Wolfpack athlete ready to receive the honor.
“Savion has earned the opportunity to wear this honored number with his play on the field and his hard work off the field,” Doeren said in a press release earlier this summer.. “He understands the standards that come with wearing that number and is committed to upholding them.”
Jackson has coveted the No. 9 jersey for a long time and actually approached Doeren about potentially wearing it one day last year. The head coach told him he was not ready— feedback that the lineman appreciated and took to heart.
He kept his old number and got to work, racking up 23 tackles over nine games last season. During NC State’s game against Florida State in November, Jackson’s season ended after a knee injury took him out of the game. The medical staff cleared Jackson by the following spring, and he immediately hit the practice field with the rest of the first-string unit. He had some mental hurdles to clear, but he is over that and ready to contribute immediately this season.
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“Mentally, you just got injured and you saw how it got injured on film, and you just want to shy away and stuff like that,” Jackson said. “I feel like, now, I don’t care. It’s not even there anymore.”
The lineman said he was already planning on switching his number this year, but Doeren surprised him with the chance to wear nine. A phone call with Chubb followed, just to make sure Jackson was ready for the opportunity.
“I had a call with Chubb and had a conversation with him, making sure I was wanting to wear it for the right reason and not just because it look cool.”
During their conversation, the two linemen and Doeren talked about the honor, and Jackson said Chubb asked “heartfelt” questions about what the opportunity means to the junior NC State lineman.
The Denver Broncos edge rusher also had some advice for Jackson.
“Don’t worry about the pressure or anything like that, just keep working,” Jackson said. “Just keep doing what you’ve been doing. It’s not anything you have to do differently. Wearing this number doesn’t really just change you as a person. You’re the person that’s wearing it, don’t let it wear you.”
