Fresno State Athletics
A Head Above the Rest: Damon Jackson
1/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - From St. Paul, Minn., West to Los Angeles, up to San Francisco, back down to Los Angeles, then from Los Angeles to Perris, Calif., to Fresno, Calif., to Visalia, Calif., and back to Fresno. This may sound like a plane trip gone badly, but it is actually the journey junior guard Damon Jackson took to end up at Fresno State. The three-point specialist has definitely made his way in and out of the Valley and Fresno State is happy for his return.
"I've been all over California," said Jackson. "It's nice to be back here in Fresno and playing basketball."
Fans recognize Jackson by his knee-high white gym socks, and bright smile. They see him tossing the long ball night in and night out, but what they might not know is Jackson has only been playing basketball since eighth grade. When he moved to Perris, he became interested in basketball through some friends who played at the Perris City Gym. Over the next four years, Jackson played in the city-leagues and at Perris High School. However, unlike his current position at the two-guard spot, Jackson first started out as a 6-2 center in high school. He was there because he could jump the highest and wasn't known for his shooting ability.
"All I could do was dunk the ball," said Jackson. "As far as shooting outside goes, well, I didn't start doing that until I was a junior in high school. I wasn't very good at it until that point."
His jumping ability actually has provided Jackson with one his most memorable experiences as a player. In fact, with all the time he spent playing as a center, it's no wonder that by the time he reached the 10th grade he was catching ally-oops and dunking over opponents.
Several years and hundreds of dunks later, he remembers one of his most favorite dunks to be in his sophomore season of high school. His Perris High School team was competing against Inglewood High School in the state semifinals. His coach had put him in as the go-to-guy for a play. As a sophomore on a varsity squad, Jackson felt surprised by the notion, but was up to the task.
"I couldn't believe he was giving me the ball," said Jackson. "But I said alright, set me up."
In a pivotal moment of the high school playoffs, Jackson caught a lob pass from Jason Hart, now of the Milwaukee Bucks, and slammed it home to put the team up by one. Perris lost the game, but it was at that very moment, when Jackson fell in love with the game.
Jackson's newfound skill in basketball landed him a trip to the campus of Fresno State, where he had the opportunity to play for head coach Jerry Tarkanian. Jackson redshirted his freshman year, but was determined to continue playing. Tarkanian suggested that Jackson spend some time at a junior college.
"Coach Tark asked me if I wanted to play and get better, possibly at the JC level," said Jackson. "I said 'yes' and since Tark's son (George Tarkanian), coached at College of the Sequoias, I went there."
After a push from his family, Jackson set out for the junior college level. Unfortunately, without much actual on-court experience and sitting for a year, Jackson's skill level was a bit rusty. However, George Tarkanian allowed Jackson to break free and play the game as Jackson saw fit.
"I loved playing for George," Jackson said. "I really came into my own at COS. He gave me the green light for whatever I wanted to do."
Since then, Jackson has made quite an impact with the men's basketball team at Fresno State. Last season he came off the bench in 25 games, making good on 22 of 67 three-point attempts.
This season, Jackson has started in every game to date and posted a career-high 22 points against Gonzaga. His sole function is to use his defensive skills to frustrate opponents and his ability to shoot the three ball. Most of the time he can be found on the right wing, just beyond the arc, awaiting for the opportunity to set the crowd into a state of mass hysteria. But, that's not all he wants to do. Jackson has goals to do much more and believes his ability to penetrate and create plays can be a valuable tool for this team.
"I like being known for making threes," stated Jackson. "Everyone is known for doing something really well, but I want to provide a spark by getting my hand on the ball on defense and by dunking. I love to get the crowd excited."
Note to the fans: Don't be distracted by the glow of Jackson's knee-high socks. Instead, continue waiting for Jackson to knock down a pivotal three-pointer and try not to be mesmerized by a future dunk by a Bulldog with the 42-inch vertical jump.
