Spring ball the next step on a long road back for Penn State LB Kari Jackson
Penn State redshirt freshman linebacker Kari Jackson thought he was in the clear after going through spring practice with the Nittany Lions at this time last year. Jackson missed most of his senior season of high school football with an injury, but was ready to go as an early enrollee in Happy Valley.
After a promising spring and a strong summer, Jackson hit camp hoping to crack the rotation as a box linebacker. Camp, however, had other plans. Jackson didn’t make it to the season-opener against West Virginia before suffering another long-term injury. It kept him sidelined for the entire 2024 season and Penn State’s run into the College Football Playoff.
Still, Jackson said he learned a lot in his first year on campus.
“I would say the main thing would be still being able to be in the room, still going to the meetings, being at practice, watching the film and still be able to learn from a lot of older guys in my room,” Jackson said last month. “Just being able to have the opportunity to be under Kobe King, who is from my state and town; Guys like Dom Deluca, Tony [Rojas], seeing them play and seeing how far the team went. A lot of teams haven’t been able to do that. So being able to go down that way, go to the different games and experience that stuff was amazing.”
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With King and safety Jaylen Reed moving to the NFL after the 2024 season, Jackson is now the lone Detroit native on Penn State’s roster. It’s not something the West Bloomfield grad takes for granted.
“I think about that every day,” he said. “There’s actually a picture of J-Reed outside of our locker room. I walk by it every day just thinking of the tradition. Our parents are really close, we grew up around the same area so it’s the same principles of knowing how we have to represent our city. It’s a different city than any other city around the country. It’s a hard, tough city. So bringing that chip and being able to represent my city in that way is how I want to do it. Knowing how those guys represented, I’m for sure going to follow in their footsteps.”
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Jackson back in action for Penn State
Jackson, now down 10 pounds and checking in around 235, hopes to restart the process this spring. He anticipates practicing at both the Mike and the Will, where he spent last spring. This offseason has been about setting the table for the next six weeks.
“Our mentality is just attacking every day,” said Jackson. “So focusing on the workout tomorrow. Just come in with a great attitude every day, a great chip on my shoulder and just the hunger to compete in my workouts. Have those days and those weeks add up and go on to spring ball and transition there.”
A two-time captain at West Bloomfield after playing his sophomore season at IMG Academy, Jackson’s full season featured 103 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and three sacks. He’s hoping that a strong rehab and offseason can get him back to that kind of form at the college level.
“I feel like I do have a hunger. It’s been building for a long time and I’m just excited to put that into the work that I have to do in order to prepare,” said Jackson. “But every day I think about that and it just keeps me going. It keeps a fire lit into me and it’s my motivation.”
