By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Most athletes don’t get a chance to play college football for seven years. Some people don’t even stay at the same job for seven years, let alone play the same sport at the same institution.
Insert seventh-year senior safety Bryson Jackson, who has seen it all in a Baylor football uniform. From the aftermath of a sexual assault scandal that shook the university to a program-record 12-win season in 2021, Jackson has witnessed more than the average athlete, given that he has nearly double the eligibility experience.
The seventh and final year of Jackson’s time at Baylor will look a little different, as he made the switch to the safety spot back in the spring. Rather than being slotted in the box as a linebacker, Jackson will take on a role deep in the secondary for the Bears in 2023.
Even only a few months into practice at his new position, Jackson’s old linebacker teammates can see how smoothly the transition has gone throughout spring and fall camp.
“It’s hard to look at B-Jack [Bryson Jackson] in a position and not say, ‘Man, he’s special,’” redshirt junior linebacker Brooks Miller said. “I mean, he gets anywhere on the field. He’s 100 miles an hour, and he’s just fun to watch, man. It’s like a lightning bolt on the field. It’s awesome.”
Jackson was listed as a linebacker on Baylor football’s roster from 2017 to 2022, but he played some safety in high school. The Mansfield native said being over six years removed from playing as a defensive back makes him nervous, but he’s been receiving lots of help from those around him.
“I couldn’t do it with a more special group than we have at the safeties and the defensive backs,” Jackson said. “And the [defensive] coordinator, coach [Matt] Powledge, every day he’s texting you, sending you motivational [messages]. He’s not just cramming football, but he’s pulling things from different places — from basketball, from baseball — and trying to make those connections so we can understand what it’s like to play.”
The impact is twofold, as Jackson has added his own helpful touch to those around him. Sophomore safety Alfonzo Allen, one of Jackson’s new position group teammates, said it’s a blessing to have the seventh-year senior with the secondary.
“Bringing Bryson back, it brings growth, honestly, because we’re a young group,” Allen said. “So with Bryson being here, with his knowledge and his wisdom, he’s pouring it into us. So we [are] just taking advantage of it each and every day.”
It is, however, a rare situation for Jackson. He’s one of the oldest players in the country, yet he’s taking on a new role. He’s had to balance being a new guy in the safety room with being one of the vocal veterans for the locker room as a whole.
The younger safeties said he was treated like a veteran safety the second he made the position switch in the spring.
“The way he works and the way he studies film and just intentionally everything, you have no choice but to treat him like a veteran, because he goes out there, he knows what he’s doing every play,” redshirt sophomore safety Devin Lemear said.
The offense noticed that jolt of life given to the defensive back group throughout the fall too. Junior wide receiver Monaray Baldwin said the competition among the wideouts, cornerbacks and safeties has only helped the team get better.
“I see those guys working hard every day,” Baldwin said. “They’re coming. They’re bringing it every day. They’re helping us get better. They’re telling us things that we’re doing wrong, that they see to give away routes or whatever … We don’t just go out there and butt heads and try to beat each other; we’re trying to learn from each other.”
It’s safe to say nearly everything about Baylor is familiar for Jackson. He’ll likely never get lost on campus or need help with directions around town. His lone adjustment for 2023 comes in the form of a position change, in which he said he feels confident moving forward.
“I feel like I’ve been prepared, changing positions and being put in different roles,” Jackson said. “But just having coach [Matt] Powledge, man, definitely with his energy and his critique and his detail and level of coaching — it’s amazing. I just feel like everything we did previously this year has got us to this point, and I really feel confident in my position.”
