It’s never been about the attention or notoriety for Damian Jackson. And the pats on the back and the ‘thank you for your service’ acknowledgements are appreciated, no question, but his pursuits were not really about that, either.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are saluting those in the Armed Forces at Thursday night’s home game against the Montreal Alouettes and so, naturally, we approached the club’s first year defensive end/long-snapper/fullback to talk further about his time in the famed U.S. Navy SEALs program, first touched on upon his arrival to rookie camp in May.
Thing is, he’s not too chatty about the subject because even when he first joined it was never about climbing up the ranks or one day being able to tell tales about his days in the service.
“When I signed up, I was 18 and kind of the ‘too stupid to quit’ guy,” he said with a grin after Tuesday’s closed-to-the-media practice. “You don’t realize in the moment it’s a critical point in your life, you just go through it. But it was great for me, a learning opportunity for me just to pass and go through all the training. It was kind of like football for me now, at the time it was just something I wanted to do.
“Personally, I don’t really seek it out or want people to know about it, but for a lot of people in the military they do a lot for people in the country so it’s good to have a day like this to support them. Any time you can let them know they are appreciated or recognized… I know they’ll be happy. That’s important.”
There’s a fascination with Jackson’s story that has no doubt been fuelled in part by Hollywood’s depiction of the SEALs program. But any conversation about his days in the military tend to be short as he emphasizes that it’s a chapter of his life in the rearview mirror now. Still, there is an instant respect when a man with his resumé earns a spot in the locker room.
“It’s a totally cool story,” said running back Brady Oliveira. “I’ve always been intrigued, ever since I heard about his signing. I mean, an ex-Navy SEAL… c’mon.
“But I’m in the meetings every day with him and he doesn’t bring up anything. We try to get some things out of him. He’ll bring something up if you ask him, but it’s ‘I’m playing football, this is my job now. I’m an ex-SEAL.’ But’s pretty badass to have an ex-SEAL on our team.”
“I’ve talked to him a little bit about it,” added receiver Drew Wolitarsky. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a Veteran on our team. It’s cool to have someone from the military who served like that on our team.
“I don’t have military ties, but I have so much respect for it. I was thinking about going to West Point at one time, but I don’t think my personality would have fit with it. I had recruiters to my house. I do like the camaraderie of it and the discipline. There are a lot of similar mindsets to being on a football team and I think it correlates really well. I’m sure he would say the same thing – you really have to depend on your teammates to do their jobs. Obviously when you’re in the military and things are life and death there’s a lot of emotion and pressure, but you have to trust your guys.”
Jackson returned to the United States from his tours with the SEALs to land a spot as a walk-on at the University of Nebraska – and after having not played the game at all previously – before joining the University of Buffalo. Added late to the rookie camp roster, he has impressed with his versatility – he’s only switched to fullback this season – and his willingness to attack everything at full speed.
“He has one speed. ONE,” said Oliveira. “You tell him to ‘block this dude’ and he’s going to run at him like a heat-seeking missile and run through his face. That’s exactly what he does.
“He does the dirty work to allow a guy like me to get those extra yards. I love having a guy like that out there. Regardless of whether it’s the fullback or not, it’s people that want to be physical and play the game the right way. I believe that when you play this game you should be spent at the end and have no more gas in the tank. That’s exactly how he plays this game.
“That guy’s a grinder. He’s one heckuva physical dude out there.”
That was evident, for example, during a practice last week before the team departed for Calgary, when Jackson was working with the running backs and fullbacks under the watchful eye of assistant coach Jason Hogan. It’s not that the other players didn’t bust their backsides in the drill, it’s just that Jackson seemed to attack it.
“That’s just who I’ve been, who I am – just one speed, always going,” he said with a shrug. “It’s just how I’m wired and how I’ve always been growing up playing sports. I don’t know what goes on through my head. I just like to go full speed through things and, usually, when you go half or half-ass things that’s when you get hurt.
“I’ve never been on offence before in my life. I’m definitely more comfortable on defence… they’ve put me out there in practice on both sides. Fullback, in a way, is Point A to Point B, just like at D end. Sometimes they have me going out for routes. It’s good. I enjoy it a lot. They’ve been accepting. I’m not perfect and I make mistakes all the time, but they just keep coaching me. It’s a good atmosphere, good coaching, so I’m getting better at it.
“Appeal wise, playing both sides helped me in my case. If I was just a defensive end, I don’t think I would have made it past the preseason games. But they had me on both sides and being able to long snap just adds to your inventory. I feel like I’m the perfect back-up – wherever you need me, I’ll play.”
A quiet and low-key type, Jackson reiterated several times during two interviews over the last week the patience the coaching staff and his teammates have had with him as he still learns the game and works through mistakes. What he especially appreciates is the environment he’s walked into with the Blue Bombers.
“I’ve always enjoyed being in a team atmosphere, big or small. It’s like I’ve been doing it my whole life” he said. “The atmosphere here with the coaches and players is tight knit. Sometimes it’s loose, but they know when it’s time to turn the switch on and lock in and pay attention. That kind of atmosphere, where you have vets and everyone knows when to do the right thing, when to be loose and when to be locked in is really good. It shows a lot of maturity in any kind of team you go into. That’s a really big plus.
“Everybody has a lot of respect for each other, from the lowest guy to the highest guy. And coaching-wise, anybody can talk to anyone. It really is ‘let’s just try to get better.’ It’s good on the leaders of this team. You hear them all the time. It’s not some kind of fake energy. They really care. It’s real, especially for someone like me who can come in and not have to, with my previous experience, be put into a position of leadership because it should already be there, and the culture should already be there. I’ve been able to just sit back and watch and take it all in from the leaders on the team.”
