Kenny Jackson is a former professional American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 player. He played wide receiver

Wide receiver

A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 for eight seasons in the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Oilers and was twice named a collegiate All-America

All-America

An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...

n at Penn State University

Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

 (1982 and 1983).

Early years

Jackson grew up in South River, New Jersey

South River, New Jersey

South River is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 15,322....

 and was a highly recruited athlete out of South River High School

South River High School (New Jersey)

South River High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from South River in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the South River Public Schools...

, where he excelled in football

High school football

High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....

, basketball, baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, and track

Track and field

Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

. The school retired his #21 football jersey in October 1994. Jackson was inducted into the New Jersey Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame in 1996.

College career

Jackson was Penn State's first All-American wide receiver. By his senior year in 1983, he held 27 school records. He still ranks second in career receiving yards among Nittany Lions with 2,006. He enjoyed his best season in 1982 when he hauled in 41 passes for 697 yards and seven touchdowns en route to Penn State's first National Championship.

Professional career

Jackson was the first round pick (#4 overall) of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1984 NFL Draft

1984 NFL Draft

The 1984 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 1-2, 1984. No teams elected to claim any players in the regular supplemental draft that...

. He enjoyed an eight-year career in the NFL with the Eagles and Houston Oilers

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

. He finished his pro career with 126 reception

Reception (American football)

In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...

s for 2,170 yards and 11 touchdown

Touchdown

A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...

s.

Coaching career

Jackson served on the coach

Coach (sport)

In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...

ing staff at his alma mater

Alma mater

Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...

 for eight seasons, coaching Penn State's wide receivers from 1993 to 2000. There he helped develop future NFL players Bobby Engram

Bobby Engram

Simon J. "Bobby" Engram III is currently the offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...

, Freddie Scott, and Joe Jurevicius

Joe Jurevicius

Joseph Michael Jurevicius is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....

. He served as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

 from 2001 to 2003.

Personal

Jackson and former NFL

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 running back

Running back

A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...

 Blair Thomas

Blair Thomas

Blair Lamar Thomas is a former professional American football player and coach. He played running back for six seasons in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.-High school:Thomas was an all-state football player at Frankford High School...

 are partners in chain of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...

-area sports bars called KoKoMos.

In April 2008, Jackson and seven other former NFL players traveled to the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 to visit with troops and coach them in the USO

United Service Organizations

The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...

's Operation Gridiron: Huddle with the Troops, a flag football

Flag football

Flag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...

tournament for service personnel serving overseas.