Jackson to attend Oregon State

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Dec. 11, 2000 | 10:05 a.m.

His college choice all but final, Steven Jackson had to wait for one bit of unfinished business before committing to the only school he visited.

He needed to know the man who recruited him would be there to coach him.

So after learning that Oregon State's Dennis Erickson had signed a multi-year contract extension last week, Jackson verbally committed to attend the Pac-10 school on a full football scholarship.

"I had a gut feeling, and my father told me to go with my gut feeling," Jackson said. "(Finding out about) Erickson was the only thing I was waiting for."

The 6-1, 210-pound Jackson -- a senior at Vo-Tech who played football for Eldorado -- is coming off a 2000 season that saw him rush for a state-best 2,764 yards and 34 touchdowns on 386 carries. He also caught 14 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns.

The bruising runner helped lift the Sundevils (10-3) to the Northeast Division title, the Sunrise Region championship and an appearance in the 4A State Tournament, earning Southern Nevada's co-Offensive Player of the Year award in the process.

"I personally think he'll be tremendous at the next level," Eldorado coach Ken Trujillo said. "He's such a competitor, and he's so big and strong. Coach Erickson told me he's been out there recruiting, looking at a lot of running backs, but this kid is the best one he's seen in years."

Jackson was also being pursued by Arizona State, Colorado State and UNLV, but made his decision after visiting the Corvallis, Ore., campus last month.

"It was a great trip," said Jackson, who plans to pursue a degree in architecture. "I saw the Oregon-Oregon State game, and I really got to see the town when it's alive during football season."

Erickson, who won two national titles at Miami and also coached the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, had been widely mentioned in connection with coaching openings at the University of Southern California and Arizona State, among others.

But after coaching the fifth-ranked Beavers to a 10-1 record, a share of the Pac-10 title and a berth in this year's Fiesta Bowl, Erickson -- the conference coach of the year -- inked a new seven-year contract that could pay him as much as $7 million. In 1999, his first season at the school, Erickson led Oregon State to a 7-5 record, its first winning campaign in 28 years.

"They're on a turnaround, and I just wanted to make sure coach Erickson would still be there," Jackson said. "I'll be on a top-10 team, and they get lots of air time, so I could get some recognition nationally also."

Jackson becomes the third area football player in as many years to choose the Beavers, following in the footsteps of former Chaparral linebacker Richard Seigler ('99) and former Las Vegas linebacker Jon Pollard ('00). Seigler started every game this season, while Pollard redshirted his freshman year.

"(Richard and Jon) kind of sold it to me while I was there," Jackson said.

Added Trujillo: "A lot of schools don't recruit Vegas because they figure it's a small area. Meanwhile, Oregon State is doing their homework and getting some blue-chip kids."

Jackson, his family and Trujillo met with Erickson during a home visit last week, where the Beavers coach told him he would get an opportunity to play as soon as next season.

"My understanding is that depending how hard I work in the offseason and at practice, they'll give me a shot," Jackson said. "I need to get in the weight room and get a lot stronger. And I need to work on my quickness -- the game only gets quicker."

Jackson, who finished with 3,976 yards and 51 touchdowns in his varsity career, eclipsed the 200-yard mark six times this past fall, went over 300 yards twice and was held under 100 yards just once in 13 games.