The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1481002
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 ■ 27 BY ETHAN MCDOWELL fter a year of hard work, some feedback from head coach Dave Doeren and a phone call with an NC State legend, Savion Jack- son became one of the few Wolfpack linemen to run onto the field at Carter Finley Stadium wearing the No. 9 jersey. Jackson took on a full-time starting role at defensive end last year and was headed for a breakout season before suffering a knee injury against Florida State. Now, he's back for his fourth year at NC State and has been fully healthy for months. The number on his chest this season shows he's ready to step back into the spotlight as an impact player and a leader. The Wolfpack's No. 9 jersey holds a special meaning in Raleigh. It's the col- legiate jersey number of NFL stars and former NC State game-wrecking forces Bradley Chubb and Mario Williams. Jackson is ready to take on the respon- sibilities that come with the honor. "It's bigger than just a number," he said in August. Jackson equated it to winning the Heis- man in the same way that, once you're a part of that exclusive group of athletes, you're a part of a legacy that means a lot to the pro- gram. "It's our way not to just honor those guys that wore No. 9 but also to get a player to understand that we have con- fidence in them," Doeren said. Williams, a class of 2020 NC State Hall of Fame inductee, was a two-time first team All-ACC selection for the Wolfpack and led the conference in sacks in 2005. He also set a program record for tackles for loss that same year with 27. Williams was the first ACC athlete to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. His No. 9 resurfaced on the defensive line with Chubb, who lived up to the lofty expectations of his predecessor. In 2017, he won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the best defensive player in the nation, was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and picked up consensus All- America honors after recording 23 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Since Chubb left Raleigh to become the No. 5 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, no one had worn the number at NC State until Doeren deemed Jackson the next Wolfpack athlete ready to receive the honor. "Savion has earned the opportunity to wear this honored number with his play on the field and his hard work off the field," Doeren said in a press release earlier this summer. "He understands the standards that come with wearing that number and is committed to upholding them." Jackson has coveted the No. 9 jersey for a long time and actually approached Do- eren last year about potentially wearing it one day. The head coach told him he was not ready — feedback that the lineman appreciated and took to heart. He kept his old number, 90, and got to work, racking up 23 tackles through nine games last year. During NC State's game against Florida State in November, Jackson suffered a knee injury that ended his season. The medical staff cleared him by the following spring, and he immediately hit the practice field with the rest of the first- string unit. He had some mental hurdles to clear, but he worked through them and is a fixture in NC State's defensive front- seven once again. "Mentally, you just got injured and you saw how it got injured on film, and you just want to shy away," Jackson said. "I don't care now. It's not even an issue anymore." Jackson posted 14 tackles through five games with 3 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage for 8 yards in losses. The lineman said he was already plan- ning on switching his number this year, but Doeren surprised him with the chance to wear No. 9. "Bradley had a really solid sophomore year, one that gave us the belief in him," Doeren said. "He took it to another level, and Savion still needs to do that. "But we see it in him, and it's just con- sistent behavior over a long period of time. As a coach, that builds trust. With him, you can see he's put on good weight. He's moving well. He's been out there ev- ery day working hard." Jackson reached out to Chubb after his talk with Doeren to better understand the the opportunity. "I had a conversation with Chubb. I wanted to make sure I was wanting to wear it for the right reason and not just because it looked cool." During their discussion, the two line- men and Doeren talked about the honor. Jackson said Chubb asked "heartfelt" questions about what the opportunity meant to the NC State ju- nior lineman. Doeren ac- knowledged the impor- tance of that conversation. "I want to make sure those guys understand why we're doing it," Doeren said. "Bradley had to do the same thing. He called Mario. "It's a responsibility. It's one that is a legacy." The Denver Broncos' edge rusher also had some advice for Jackson. "Don't worry about the pressure or anything like that, just keep working," Jackson said. "Just keep doing what you've been doing. It's not anything you have to do differently. "Wearing this number doesn't really change you as a person. You're the person that's wearing it. Don't let it wear you." ■ A " Savion has earned the opportunity to wear this honored number with his play on the field and his hard work off the field. " Head Coach Dave Doeren A LEGACY NUMBER Junior Savion Jackson Was Given The Honor Of Wearing A Jersey Numeral Only Offered To The Best NC State Defensive Linemen