Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1985
- Class:
- 1966
The “lightning” half of a stellar Marshall backfield that also included the “thunder” from fullback Andy Socha, Mickey Jackson’s speed drove Thundering Herd football opponents crazy during the mid-1960s. A West Virginia All-State football player and two-time state long jump champion at Harpers Ferry High School, Jackson chose to focus solely on football at Marshall. As a sophomore in 1964, Jackson helped Marshall to a 7-3 record in what would be the school’s last winning season for 20 years. The team jumped out to a 4-0 start the following season, until quarterback Howie Lee Miller’s broken leg meant the opponents all ganged up to stop the running game – but Jackson still managed to rush for a team-leading 704 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 16 scores were the most for a Marshall player since Jackie Hunt set the NCAA record with 27 touchdowns in 1940 and would remain the most until Hall of Famer Ron Darby scored 16 in 1987. Jackson was named second team All-Mid-American Conference in 1965 and again the following season as a senior when he rushed for 420 yards, and led the team in receiving, punt return and kickoff return yardage.
After graduating from Marshall, Jackson became a teacher and coach at Huntington East and Huntington High Schools, before joining Marshall as an assistant coach in 1970 – making him the first African-American football coach in Herd history. Jackson did not make the fateful trip to East Carolina that season because he went instead on a recruiting trip to Pennsylvania. Marshall and then moving on to become an assistant to Coach Woody Hayes at Ohio State in 1973, where he tutored Buckeyes running back Archie Griffin, who won two Heisman Trophies. Jackson was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.
