The crowd broke out as Syracuse wide receiver Courtney Jackson walked 64 yards across the field to score Orange’s first punt return to touchdown since 2018. That game helped Syracuse beat Boston College 21-6 at the Carrier Dome on Saturday.
Jackson isn’t your typical Syracuse punt returner. This responsibility rests with Trebor Pena. However, with Pena unavailable, Jackson was asked to be the next man in his place.
Doing a similar job in high school helped Jackson prepare for this moment, even though college is different. He said that thinking on your feet and reaching the level of skill you are at now takes practice.
“In practice we practice catching, [but] In the game, you play with the ball in hand, ”said Jackson. “After you caught the ball [the goal] is just making a game, making a move, scoring a touchdown. That’s every time you catch the ball. That goes through my head. Catching the ball is the hard part. After that you just play football. “
He said there is an important thing in finding out what his next step is.
“You understand your return and understand your blockers and what they want to do for you. So they play out with them and they play out with us, ”Jackson said.
Jackson said the punt’s trajectory helped him read Boston College coverage.
“That gave me time to put a return together and I saw the void because they were so far, so I just hit the seam and cleared it across the field,” said Jackson.
Through the wins and losses, Jackson said he was staying motivated.
“I try to stay positive myself. I’m not a really negative guy, and I don’t like that kind of energy around me, “said Jackson. “So I am always prudent and hope for the best.”
The greatest thing for him, however, is the support of his team.
“We have a good team and we all stick together,” said Jackson. “We win as a team; We lose as a team. “
Jackson said beating Virginia Tech helped a lot in their team’s mentality.
“The last week has shown what we can do,” said Jackson. “That was a big comeback and it showed that we can do it as a team as long as we stay together.”
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