Urban Meyer and Gerry DiNardo, former coaches turned Big Ten broadcasters, know all about effort when it comes to the college football landscape. Meyer emerged as a little-known coach at Bowling Green and Utah to win three national championships for Florida and Ohio State combined.
Elijah Jackson had every reason to be a step slow, to be distracted, to be disappointed during Saturday's Washington-Northwestern football game. Yet with
Cornerback Elijah Jackson didn't pull on a uniform for the University of Washington spring football game back in May. He didn't suit up for the recent Husky intrasquad game either.
There are plenty of Huskies looking to make a leap this season. Breakout players don’t typically come off a season where they made one of the greatest plays in program history.
Coming out of spring football, Jedd Fisch's University of Washington coaches had to be asking themselves the following: We have three solid cornerbacks who can be legitimate starters, so how do we get them into the lineup all at once?
On the dramatic last play, the Sugar Bowl came down to Washington cornerback Elijah Jackson and Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell leaping high in the end zone, both reaching for a well-thrown pass, and who wanted it the most.
Makell Esteen and Elijah Jackson were teammates and two-way starters at Lawndale High School, which is located just south of Los Angeles International Airport and backed up against busy Interstate 405.