Russ Jackson

Russell Stanley Jackson Template:Post-nominals (born July 28, 1936) is a former professional Canadian football player.<ref name=Mac>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jackson spent his entire 12-year professional football career with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a member of the Order of Canada, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and has been described as the best Canadian-born quarterback to play in the CFL.<ref name=WoF>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2006, Jackson was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#8) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN, the highest-ranked Canadian-born player on the list.<ref name=WoF/>

Early life and university career

Jackson went to Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario. After a stellar college career as both a basketball and football player, he graduated from McMaster University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. He was the McMaster nominee for a Rhodes Scholarship, but did not pursue an interview for the scholarship, deciding to play professionally.<ref name=WoF/><ref name=numbers>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Professional career

Jackson was drafted in the first round, sixth overall, by the Ottawa Rough Riders in the 1958 CFL draft as a halfback.<ref name=draft>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In his rookie year, he also played quarterback and eventually became the starter and led the Rough Riders to three Grey Cup victories (48th, 56th, and 57th Grey Cups).<ref name=numbers/>

Jackson was the dominant CFL quarterback of the 1960s. Referred to as the "Y. A. Tittle of the North", he was honoured many times during his CFL career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in the 1963, 1966, and 1969 seasons. He was also a four-time winner of the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award (1959, 1963, 1966, 1969). He was a six-time Eastern Conference All-Star quarterback (1962, 1963, 1966–1969) and the CFL All-Star quarterback in the 1966, 1968, and 1969 seasons.

Russ Jackson was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1973.<ref name="cfhof">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many consider him one of the best Canadian-born players to play in the CFL, while most consider him to be the best Canadian to play the quarterback position.<ref name=WoF/> In November 2006, Jackson was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players (No. 8) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.,<ref name=WoF/> the only Canadian-born player in the Top 10.

Jackson ended his career with 24,593 passing yards, with 1,356 completions on 2,530 attempts (53.6%), 124 interceptions, 185 touchdowns, and an efficiency rating of 91.2. He was also a mobile quarterback, gaining 5,045 yards on the ground on 738 rushes, with 54 touchdowns. Among the few Canadian-born quarterbacks to play in the CFL, Jackson is the only one to pass for over 10,000 yards.<ref name="2017 Record Book">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He holds the record for throwing the most passing touchdowns in a Grey Cup game with four (set in the 1969 game) and highest career passer rating in Grey Cup games with 118.4.<ref name="2017 Record Book"/>

Ottawa Journal sports editor Eddie MacCabe wrote a biography for Jackson's career in Ottawa, titled Profile of a Pro: The Russ Jackson Story and first published in 1969.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Free access</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Career statistics

			Passing									Rushing
Year	Team		Games	Att	Comp	Pct	Yards	TD	Int	Rating		Att	Yards	Avg	Long	TD
1958	OTT		14	112	61	54.5	858	3	6	66.0		66	357	5.4	51	5
1959	OTT		14	89	45	50.6	1,009	7	7	84.8		69	385	5.6	30	3
1960	OTT		12	52	20	38.5	322	2	3	40.7		52	381	7.3	25	6
1961	OTT		14	117	59	50.4	1,048	8	7	79.3		67	472	7.0	24	6
1962	OTT		14	157	78	49.7	1,427	10	13	68.1		71	512	7.2	26	8
1963	OTT		14	259	152	58.7	2,910	19	8	109.4		64	384	6.0	42	5
1964	OTT		14	230	116	50.4	2,156	18	16	80.3		81	588	7.3	33	3
1965	OTT		14	252	130	51.6	2,303	18	13	85.5		24	129	5.4	26	2
1966	OTT		14	276	142	51.4	2,400	17	15	79.1		65	396	6.1	26	3
1967	OTT		14	323	189	58.5	3,332	25	9	108.0		61	329	5.4	23	4
1968	OTT		14	305	171	56.1	3,187	25	16	97.8		54	534	9.9	73	6
1969	OTT		14	358	193	53.9	3,641	33	12	106.1		64	578	9.0	49	3
CFL totals			166	2,530	1,356	53.6	24,593	185	125	91.0		738	5,045	6.8	73	54

Post-football playing career

Teaching

After retiring from football, Jackson returned to teaching, having been a mathematics teacher from 1959 to 1961 and head of the Department of Mathematics at Rideau High School in Ottawa, Ontario from 1961 to 1966. He was the principal of Canterbury High School in Ottawa from 1973<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> to 1975. He later became a vice-principal and principal at secondary schools in Ottawa and Mississauga. He also became principal at Brampton Centennial Secondary School, John Fraser and T.L. Kennedy secondary schools.

Broadcasting

Jackson served as colour commentator for the CFL on CBC broadcasts from 1971 to 1973 and again from 1977 to 1980. From 1996 to 2001, Jackson was the colour commentator CHML-AM's coverage of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Coaching

Jackson briefly left teaching in 1975, spending two years as head coach of the Toronto Argonauts. Jackson compiled a 12–18–2 regular season record in two seasons as the Argos' head coach, not reaching the playoffs in either season. Jackson was replaced by Leo Cahill, in his second tenure as the Argos' head coach, prior to the 1977 CFL season.

Honours

Jackson is an Officer of the Order of Canada<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref> and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in law by McMaster University in 1989. He was added to Canada's Walk of Fame in 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1986, the Russ Jackson Award was created in his honour to recognize the university football player who best exhibits athletic ability, academic achievement, and devoted citizenship.<ref name=cfhof/>

Russ Jackson was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

References

• CFL Facts, Figures and Records 1987 and 2007.
• Ronald A. Ferroni, The 2001 Unofficial Canadian Football Encyclopedia, Hamilton 2001.

External links

• "Russ Jackson". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
• Template:YouTube
• Template:YouTube
• Template:YouTube