Read more: Local, Special Section
There is heartache and pain for Sumter and the South Carolina athletic community. Both are in mourning after the sudden, and, to this point, unexplainable death of football player Jamacia Jackson.
Jackson first grabbed the spotlight at Sumter High School when he was one of the top players in the state, playing in the 1999 Shrine Bowl. Jackson would move on to USC, playing safety and special teams for coach Lou Holtz from 2001-2004. Jamacia Jackson was about to enter his second season in the Canadian Football League where he continued to pursue his pro football dreams.
Monday morning the 26-year-old was found dead at his girlfriend's home. He had presumably died in his sleep. How he died remains a mystery. Jackson 's family says he was in good health and had been training to keep up his football career.
News of his passing shocks many in the close-knit Sumter community, especially Jackson's former coach Paul Sorrells. The coach got the phone call Monday morning, and didn't want to believe what one of his assistants was telling him on the other end of the line. Jamacia Jackson was gone.
"This is not the kind of day anyone looks forward to," says Sorrells. "To hear a young person's life has ended like that."
Sorrells remembers something about everyone he's coached over the years. Memories of Jackson come easily. Laughing, Sorrells talks about the player's infectious smile, his sense of humor, and a work ethic that made him a joy to coach. That same effort made him a standout at the University of South Carolina, and recently, Jamacia Jackson was having a run in the pros, playing in the Canadian Football League.
"You just don't get many like Jamacia," says Sorrells. "He was always happy, always smiling. He always looked at the positive side of things."
Coach Sorrells had seen a lot of Jackson lately. The local legend had come home to train during the off-season, and even worked out at his old high school gym. Sorrells says he thought a lot about those chance meetings Monday, thinking maybe they happened for a reason he didn't know at the time. In retrospect, he says it allowed him to say a finale goodbye to a beloved former player.
Those thoughts moved Coach Sorrells to talk to his students and current players Monday. He urged them to appreciate life, and to make sure friends and family always understand how they feel about them. He was talking about a man the teenagers never knew, but, who meant a lot to a coach hoping to teach a life lesson through the loss of a young man who had a bright future.
"Life is so fragile and you have to live every day like it's your last," says Sorrells. "You ask why things like this happen to young men and young women and we just don't have any answers."
An autopsy is set for Tuesday after which officials hope to have a better idea about what happened to Jackson.
This past January Jamacia Jackson signed on with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger Cats. That team is deeply saddened by his passing, calling Jackson "a beloved teammate, player and friend."
Jamacia Jackson is the second Palmetto State football player to pass away in the last few weeks. Newberry College offensive lineman Heath Benedict died last month. He was found dead on a couch in his Florida home. Benedict was expected to be an early round pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
