A Face in the Crowd

This is Jermaine Jackson: 6-foot, 295 pounds and heavily recruited from his defensive line position. Have you heard of him? One of the top players in the state is also Mr. Anonymous, playing without the benefit of TV exposure and never getting a shot at Jenks, Union or other suburban powers. He plays at Northeast, an Oklahoma City public school with little fanfare, fewer fans and a recent history of almost no success. "He's not only a good football player, he's a quality person and he is going to graduate early," Northeast coach Kenny Blair said. "You don't want to see kids like that passed over, because no one knows about him." Some people do, just not many around here. Despite being heavily recruited by some Division-I schools, he is often overlooked on the football field. He's in the line of former Northeast standouts and Division-I players Houston Jones (Iowa State) and George West (Notre Dame), who didn't get much attention until the end of their high school careers, if at all. "It puts a big chip on my shoulder," Jackson said. "I go out knowing I'm one of the fastest, meanest players on the field. You always have players say, 'You can't beat me,' and I usually do. I use that ignorance as motivation to dominate." Jackson, who is being recruited as a defensive lineman, has attended Oklahoma State and Oklahoma football camps and played well, but couldn't get out of the shadows of other players at the camp like Carl Albert's Joe Stoner or Guthrie's Kye Staley. "It bothers me a little bit," Jackson said. "It definitely sets you back. Say a coach from Florida comes in and asks who the top players and top programs are in the state. I'll get lost. "It's frustrating because I play hard and I play good, but that stuff is out of my hands. I can't control if I get noticed despite playing good." Jackson is ranked the No. 25th best prospect in the state by Rivals.com. This past summer, he was invited to the Nike Rush Camp, which was an exclusive lineman camp in Columbia, Mo. It's one of 12 in the country and it's by invite only. Jackson was named the MVP lineman at the camp. He beat more highly touted guys going to Nebraska or Tennessee, guys who were 6-foot-6, 350-pounds. "It's what you do on the field," Jackson said. "Everybody wants more publicity. But my main goal is to get a scholarship. If I don't have my name in the paper, that's fine. It would be nice. But I just want the college scholarship." While he may not be well known in the high school ranks in Oklahoma, he has gotten plenty of attention from colleges. He is being recruited by Oklahoma State, Tulsa, SMU, Kansas, Missouri and Kansas State. "He's a big guy," John Marshall coach Bruce Troxell said. "They have him all over the place on defense." Among reasons Jackson gets overlooked is because he plays a position that isn't flashy, he plays for a school not known for football and in the Oklahoma City public school district that struggles with athletics. "It's sad players are looked over because where we are, certainly for Jermaine because he is D-I quality," Blair said. "He is one of the strongest kids around. Put anyone in front of him and he'll take them down. He's hard nosed. A lot of coaches know who he is." Said Stoner, who is also a friend of Jackson's: "A lot of linemen don't get the recognition they deserve. But they are one of the most important players on the field. Jermaine is good, he just gets lost in the crowd." Coach Blair calls Jackson the Ray Lewis of Northeast because they play alike and wear the same No. 52. There are plenty of standout players in Oklahoma, and Jackson is one of them. The only difference is he doesn't garner the attention a player of his caliber deserves. "I'm used to it by now, but it doesn't mean that I like it," Jackson said. "I go out and make plays and it would be nice to get the attention some of the top players get. It doesn't make me any less of a player. The people who want to recognize me will recognize me. I just go about my business."