FOOTBALL SIGNING DAY
GETTING TO KNOW VONTE JACKSON
The 6-foot, 190-pound tailback from Kenosha, Wis., shared a backfield with new Badgers team- mate Melvin Gordon as a junior before an injury derailed his senior season.
"The older players have been really cool,'' he said. "I've got a few of their numbers and any- time I have a question I'll call them up and they'll help me out.''
Voltz and Etienne are both looking forward to taking part in spring practice. So is Jackson. But the circumstances are much different since he's coming off ACL surgery. "Right now, I'm doing everything they're do-
ing,'' Jackson said of his classmates in the out- of-season conditioning program. "But, when they're running, I'm on the sidelines working with a trainer. "I won't have any contact in the spring. But
I know that I'll be doing some position drills and running the plays. Over this process, it has helped me build mental toughness.'' Jackson blew out his knee in the first game of his senior year at Kenosha Bradford. "I don't even like talking about it,'' he said.
34 ยป VARSITY FEBRUARY 2, 2012
Prodded, he remembered that there were only 16 seconds left in the first half.
"I ran about 40 yards and I had my foot plant- ed when I got hit high and low,'' said Jackson, who had accumulated 140 rushing yards on just 12 carries against Milwaukee Riverside when he went down. "I wasn't thinking ACL (immediately). I just
knew something was wrong. When I tried to stand up, I knew it was bad.'' After the injury was diagnosed, Jackson had to deal with the potential consequences. "There were so many things going through my
head,'' said Jackson, who had already verbally committed to the Badgers. "The No. 1 thing was probably my scholarship. "What's Coach Bielema going to think? Is he going to take it away? "But I talked to him to right away and he told me not to worry about anything.''
