Hall gets a rare catch in Jackson

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Keith Jackson never played for a passing team at Oklahoma.

That didn't stop him from becoming one of college football's greatest tight ends.

Jackson used his 6-foot-2, 250-pound frame and big-play ability to make himself into a can't-miss target, becoming a two-time All-America and three-time All-Big Eight selection. He helped the Sooners win the national championship in 1985.

His love for college football never waned, and one of his biggest honors comes today as he is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame along with 24 others, including his former coach, Barry Switzer.

Others entering the Hall of Fame this year are former Brigham Young quarterback Steve Young, Michigan receiver Anthony Carter, and Michigan State safety Brad Van Pelt.

"There is no time like college. It is the most exciting time for any kid," Jackson said Friday as induction festivities got under way."

Jackson played from 1984-87 on a team that rarely threw the ball. He still caught 62 passes for 1,470 yards during his career.

In 1986, he had only 14 catches, but five of them went for touchdowns as he averaged 28.8 yards a catch for a school that finished last in the nation in passing.

"He was a great athlete. He was a big, fast tight end who had great hands, extremely talented," Switzer said. "He just had magic, big-play ability."

Jackson, who played in the NFL with three teams and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1997, now is helping others enjoy the same excitement he experienced in college.

After retiring, Jackson returned to his hometown of Little Rock, Ark., and started a program called Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids (PARK), an after-school program for at-risk children.