Hall of Fame
Jackson was a three-time first-team all-league pick and two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in football as a member of the Louisville Cardinals from 1970-72.
He helped Louisville earn league titles in 1970 and 1972 while playing for coach Lee Corso; the 1970 crown represented the first for Louisville in its football history. Louisville recorded an overall record of 23-7-2 during his three seasons and played in the Pasadena Bowl in 1970. He led the Cardinals in tackles all three years, amassing 373 total tackles in just three seasons. His 30 tackles against North Texas in 1971 still ranks second-best all-time in Louisville single-game history. Jackson’s number 50 was retired by the Cardinals in 1999.
Following his collegiate playing career, he starred at linebacker for the Denver Broncos, where he was part of the storied “Orange Crush Defense.” He led the team with 116 tackles during the 1974 season and played for the Broncos from 1973-86, playing in 191 career games. In his 14 seasons, Jackson was a Pro Bowl selection three times and was a four-time All-Pro. He had 20 career interceptions and eight fumble recoveries, and he helped the Broncos to championship appearances in Super Bowl XII and XXI. In 1992, he became just the 14th Bronco inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame.
Following his playing career, Jackson enjoyed a successful 29-year run as an NFL analyst for ESPN and was presented the Pete Rozelle Award for excellence in broadcasting by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. He earned seven Sports Emmy awards.
Jackson currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife Jennifer.