Defensive Line Coach Derrick Jackson Press Conference Transcript
Opening Statement:
“First of all, I would like to take this time to thank Coach Robinson for giving me the opportunity to come to this great University. I had a great time on the interview process spending time with him and the defensive staff, getting a chance to learn a lot about the history and tradition of the University, getting an opportunity to become a part of the Syracuse family and knowing that all it stands for both as a great academic institution, understanding the great tradition that has been part of the football program, and also having the chance that this a place that my wife and I really think that we can make a long-term home and a long-term commitment for us and we are excited about the direction this program is headed. Again, I can’t that you all enough for being here today and allowing me to become a part of the Orange family.”
Question and Answer Session with Defensive Line Coach Derrick Jackson
As a former safety, why did you not become a secondary coach?
“(smiling) I wasn’t a very good safety, so I think I knew that the closer that I got to the line of scrimmage, the better I was. Seriously, I think that just the nature of the business has led me to where the defensive line is the kind of position I have been able to coach. I think having a secondary background has helped me coaching my guys in terms of the importance of defensive line play. I know that the days I spent as a safety, I was much better when we had good defensive lines in front of me. So I know how important that aspect is and it is just something that having done it now, I feel that really is my area of expertise. It is a great comfort zone and certainly is a place that I really feel I can give the whole scheme of the defense to those guys an understanding their fit within the system.”
What kind of business did you do after college and what got you back into football?
“I spent two years as a personal computer salesman for IBM in the research triangle park (North Carolina), two years at AT&T Solutions and then two years with two guys who actually played basketball at Duke, Brian Davis and Christian Laettner. They started an investment group down there, Blue Devil Ventures. I think being around those guys and always being around the athletic side of things at Duke University, having friends who have gravitated into the coaching profession contributed. I really felt connected to the sport of football and followed it. There came a time when I called Dan Hammerschmidt, who was my position coach at Duke University and is the offensive coordinator at Colorado State, and I said I think I am going to get involved in coaching and he coerced me to try to avoid it and use my Duke degree in another manner. I told him that the experience that I had at the University playing for him and all of my fond memories made it easy for me to take that jump or leap of faith into the profession and one that I have never regretted since the moment I stepped on the campus of West Georgia until where I am at right now.”
What was your basketball background at Duke?
“Those guys (Brian Davis and Christian Laettner) came in at the same time I did. Christian Laettner and Brian Davis lived in the same dorm I did as freshmen. We just developed a good relationship from me playing football and them playing basketball at that time, we kind of just had a good common bond among each other.”
Do you have any stories of playing with (former Duke coach and current South Carolina coach) Steve Spurrier?
“None that come to mind right now. I had a great experience for playing for him. As I mentioned before, he was smart enough to know that I wasn’t a great back peddler and sending me to the line scrimmage was the best thing that I could do. It really allowed me to play a lot of football at Duke.”
As a coach, do you take anything from Steve Spurrier?
“I think that probably the one thing that stands out the most is that he made the game fun for us as players. He made it very competitive for us. That is something that hopefully I bring to the guys I coach. My rule is that we are going to have fun, but I am going to be very demanding of them. I always stress the fundamentals of the game first and foremost. I expect our position groups to be the one that hopefully sets the bar for what we want our football team to be in terms of our work ethic, as well as the production we put together on the football team.”
What do you think about taking over a line that had a good year last year?
“It is very exciting when you look at the depth and that most of those guys are back up front. The fact that I think they had 34 sacks last year, which tells you that you have guys who are capable of getting after the quarterback. I think that the thing that kind of stuck out in my mind was that I have always been at places where stopping the run is first and foremost, and with everything else that I did, we set up opportunities to rush the quarterback. Hopefully we put ourselves in position to do a better a job of stopping the run to where we get a lot more pass rush opportunities because we know we have guys who can get there.”
Is the transition easier because you don’t have to rebuild the line?
“Most definitely. I think that looking at the coaching staff that Coach (Robinson) has put together here, and I met with defensive staff, I felt very comfortable that there were people willing to listen to some of my experiences in coaching and maybe to where that can tie in to helping us do some things. At the same time, in the interview process, I learned a ton of football from Coach Robinson, Coach (Steve) Russ, Coach (Jim) Salgado and Coach (Scott) Spencer just from listening to some of their ideas. Regardless of whether I got the position here or not, I was going to walk away a better football coach because there were some very knowledgeable people in that room whom I can learn from.”
When you interviewed, what was the job description? What did Coach Robinson tell you that he wanted?
“Nothing in particular. I think that the thing that stood out in my mind was the fact that I think he wanted somebody who was the right fit for this coaching staff. The reason why I knew this was the right place for me was when I first met the defensive coaches on staff. I walked in that room and it felt like I was around guys whom I spent my whole life with. There was a good comfort zone there. It was very easy to talk to those guys. There was a very good exchange and flow of ideas going across the room. It didn’t really feel like that typical interview process of what do you know and then listening to you. It was more or less here are the things that I have done, here is what I have been exposed to, here is what I believe in and here is what ties into the philosophy of what our team is trying to achieve and things of that nature. It really made feel that the things that I have been working hard to build up to tied in very well with the direction that this program is headed and what seemed to be a natural fit for Coach Robinson and their staff and what they were looking for.”
