Tulane’s Jha’Quan Jackson is used to winning, not done improving

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Jha’Quan Jackson
(Photo: Parker Waters)

Tulane wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson of Hahnville set a Cotton Bowl record with an 87-yard touchdown reception in the 46-45 program-altering win over USC. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work.

“We had a great week of practice,” Jackson said. “We were going to play USC. We knew we were the underdogs. We went back to our motto, 1-0.”

Jackson was a winner in high school. He was used to success. He almost didn’t sign with Tulane, fielding offers from Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Navy, UAB, Kentucky, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana (Lafayette), Western Kentucky, South Alabama, Toledo, Arkansas and Ball State. Jackson originally committed to SMU before changing his course to ink with the Green Wave in the 2019 class.

Even though some of the talented players in this state have taken an alternate route, the transfer portal has been an outlet to steer them back home. Jackson knows why.

“Going through the recruiting process kind of opened my eyes,” Jackson said. “If you think of the guys like Leonard Fournette and others, if we could keep everyone at home, in state, we would dominate the rest of the country. A lot of guys follow their heart, but at the end of the day, they wind up coming back home. We have a lot of players who went elsewhere, but came back home to play in front of their families and friends. They got homesick.”

Despite having Pooka Williams, the 2017 Louisiana Prep Player of the Year, as a teammate in the Hahnville backfield, an injury to Jackson, then a quarterback, changed the entire complexion of the title game in the Louisiana Superdome.

“If he doesn’t get hurt on the very first play of the championship, we win the game,” recalled former Hahnville head coach Nick Saltaformaggio. “We ran a power read. Jha’Quan was hit hard and tore his MCL.”

Zachary kept Williams in check the remainder of the game and prevailed, 34-14.

Hahnville has produced a few players that made it to the NFL, including Alfred Blue, Dawan Landry, LaRon Landry, Brain Williams, Darius Reynaud, Pooka Williams and LaRon Byrd. Jha’Quan could be next.

“A quality human being, he is always equal to the task,” Saltaformaggio continued. “A terrific athlete, he’s everything you want in an athlete and a young man. He has a phenomenal work ethic, a real pleasure to coach. He has a chance to play in the NFL.”

Jackson didn’t excel just on the football field but also in the classroom while always helping in the community. The magical 2022 campaign didn’t happen overnight. It was a tedious process that required everyone to buy in. There were constant reminders of Tulane’s previous disappointing 2021 season.

“It’s good going back three years ago, no one knew who we were,” said Jackson. “We didn’t get much love. We just kept building. It’s been a blessing. Who would have thought we would go 12-2 after 2-10. That’s really tough. You’ve got to have grit and grind everyday.”

Visible reminders were seen everywhere following 2021, to serve as motivation.

“Me and Tyjae (Spears) had signs everywhere as a reminder,” Jackson said. “We put the 2-10 record everywhere and the 2022 schedule everywhere in our house. I printed 150 pictures of reminders and put them everywhere, in the shower, on the front porch and on the door. A dog ate one. We put our blood, sweat and tears into what we had to do in 2022.”

Jackson models his style after an undersized overachiever who fashioned an excellent 16-year NFL career and recorded 1,031 catches for 14,731 yards and 81 touchdowns plus six more touchdowns via punt returns.

“I always watched Steve Smith, a short guy, about 5-9, 195,” Jackson said. “When he was with Carolina and the Ravens, I watched him. He talked a lot (but) I’m not like that. I just play.”

Tulane coach Willie Fritz notices the hard work Jackson has put into his craft.

“He’s a playmaker,” Fritz stated. “He’s logged a lot of miles. He’s also a super return guy. He has good hands, speed and good football IQ. You only have to tell him something once. He’s out there working all the time.”

Putting up statistics is an obvious part of the job for a receiver. Jackson is trying to sharpen his overall skill set.

“I’d like to work on my blocking,” Jackson said. “I want to get my hands in the right position. Catching the ball is one of my strengths. Running routes and getting open is something that I do well.”

Jha'Quan Jackson
(Photo: Parker Waters)

Jackson has played in 39 games with the Wave, snaring 83 passes for 1,304 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s displayed his versatility in moments like a 14-yard rushing score against Army in 2020 and a 90-yard punt return against Memphis (second longest in program history) last season. He led the AAC in punt return yards last season, and only “Bullet” Joe Bullard’s 92 yard return vs. Vanderbilt in 1969 tops his in Green Wave lore.

It will help Jackson show off his wideout talent to have an experienced passer throwing his way. Michael Pratt, preparing for his fourth season as Tulane’s starting quarterbaack, should leave possessing every passing mark in school history.

“He’s a special guy,” Jackson said about Pratt. “He’s the leader, the real piece to the offense. He’s the type of guy that you would want your daughter to marry. He’s a great guy.”

Jackson enters his final season in the Olive and Blue. He calls himself ATM, which stands for Automatic Touchdown Maker. Tulane has gone from the hunter to become the hunted. Jackson embraces the challenges of living up to higher personal and team expectations.

“I’m just trying to get better than I was last year,” Jackson said. “It’s going to be challenging. We went 12-2 last year and it will be harder this season. We’re the big dogs now. We just have to believe. We are tired of hearing about the Cotton Bowl and the conference championship. That’s in the past. We just want to flush that. This is a new season with new players.”

Jackson and the Green Wave squad of 2023 will have a mix of old and new faces, looking to keep Tulane on top.

“Now it’s on us. It’s just one day at a time, each game. We believe in what we do.”

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Rene Nadeau

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Born and raised in the New Orleans area, Rene Nadeau has been involved in sports ever since his earliest memories. Rene played basketball, wrestled, ran track, and was an All-District running back in football at John F. Kennedy High School. He went on to play football at LSU, developing a passion for the game in even greater fashion while in…

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