Michigan State University Athletics
Travis Jackson: Faith, Family and Football
10/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Matthew Bontorin, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Spartan senior offensive lineman Travis Jackson is known as many things around Michigan State's campus - a team captain, a Rose Bowl Champion, and, most affectionately, the "Yes Man."
What most people might not know is that beyond his success on the field, Jackson is an incredible family man, a devoted follower of his faith, and a selfless volunteer. Jackson grew up just outside of Columbus, Ohio, home of the Big Ten rival Buckeyes, a team that he admittedly followed staunchly as a young football fan. However, the first game he attended at Ohio Stadium was one that would endear him to the "green team up north."
"The first game I ever went to was when Michigan State came into Ohio Stadium and shocked the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes," said Jackson. "It was the first college football game I had actually been to and really opened my eyes to the Spartan program." That game in 1998 was just the beginning of a long interconnected series of events between Ohio State, Jackson and Michigan State.
Despite being one of the top-ranked players at his position nationally by Rivals.com, Jackson wasn't offered a scholarship by his hometown Buckeyes. Instead, former OSU defensive coordinator and then second-year Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio made a push for the talented lineman.
Dantonio immediately connected with Jackson during his recruitment, building a relationship with him that went beyond football.
"I came up here in the summer before my senior year [of high school] and sat in Coach D's office," said Jackson. "He was the first coach that actually talked about recruiting, not just players, but people. He was also really big on letting you grow in your faith, which is huge to me. He sold me right away."
Jackson began to pick up offers from around the Big Ten in his senior year at St. Francis DeSales, but had developed an unbreakable bond with Dantonio.
"Coach D is kind of a role model for me," said Jackson. "He's a guy who goes after his dreams and keeps his faith at the forefront of his life, which is something that is really hard to do and it really inspires me. He puts in a lot of time at the office, but he puts even more effort into his family. He has everything that I want to have in my life at his age."
Heading into the 2011 season, Jackson was given an opportunity to assert himself as the team's starting center, although he was just a red-shirt freshman. Jackson made the most of the opportunity, starting 10 games that year, including a memorable 10-7 road victory over the Buckeyes.
"My second game as a starter was down in the horseshoe in Columbus," said Jackson, who was named a Freshman All-American. "It was crazy to go back there as a 19-year-old and to play in that stadium in front of all my hometown friends and family. It was especially cool to get the win down there. Not just for me but for Coach D, Coach (Mark) Staten and all the Ohio guys. It was a unique experience to share with them all."
 | "People tell you how different being a senior is but you don't really understand it until you're a senior. You start appreciating everything that much more. I'm just so thankful to have shared this experience with this amazing group of guys." |
Coming back in 2012, with a year as a starter under his belt and his team ranked 13th in the preseason Associated Press Poll, he and his teammates had high expectations to fulfill. Just as things seemed to be rolling, Jackson suffered a season-ending leg injury, against none other than the Ohio State Buckeyes in week five.
"No one wants to get injured and it was really ironic that it happened against Ohio State," said Jackson. "It was tough to sit around and watch that season, but the training staff here was so supportive and helped me get back on my feet. I really grew a lot as a person in that season."
Jackson's injury may have prevented him from helping his team on the field that season, but prepared him for a life-changing 2013 campaign.
While the national media was not high on the Spartans entering 2013, internally the team and coaching staff was as confident as ever. Coach Dantonio's famous "You're the ones" proclamation made at the 2012 season-ending banquet to his team made very little headlines until the Spartans started picking up steam in week eight when they trounced in-state rival Michigan, 29-6.
That game also marked the beginning of a nationwide trend known as the "Yes chant" that was introduced to the football world by none other than Travis Jackson. After quarterback Connor Cook bulled his way into the end zone on a third-down play to put the Spartans up 23-6, Jackson celebrated by showing off a WWE inspired dance move that would take the internet my storm.
"When Connor Cook took that QB keeper in, it was the perfect opportunity to break it out, so I just went for it," said Jackson. "I never thought it would become famous or anything. It was just supposed to be something funny for the guys to laugh at. I don't think I have a name on this campus other than the `Yes man.'"
His celebration was the topic of conversation all throughout the country, getting air-time on every major sporting news network in America. Jackson went on to explain that he took the idea from former WWE heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan, who made it famous in the wrestling world months before Jackson replicated it at Spartan Stadium.
"I was watching WWE Monday Night Raw, and Daniel Bryan was doing this `Yes chant', that was getting the crowd fired up," said Jackson. "I just thought to myself, this is amazing."
The "Yes chant" became a symbol of the Spartans' season, with Jackson breaking it out several times in post-game celebrations.
The chant continued to grow in popularity as the Spartans played themselves into nationally televised, high-profile games. After winning the Big Ten Legends Division, Jackson and the Spartans earned a trip to Indianapolis to take on the Buckeyes for the Big Ten Championship and a trip to play in the Rose Bowl.
"No one was really giving us a chance," said Jackson. "It was just so special being on that field playing Ohio State, and helping our program achieve something that it hasn't been done in such a long time."
With his friends and family from Ohio in attendance, Jackson got to share a moment with one of his biggest fans.
"After the game I got to bring my nephew down on the field, and we we're just kind of hanging out," said Jackson. "That experience meant everything to me and is something I'll never forget."
Jackson and the Spartans went on to defeat Stanford in the Rose Bowl, 24-20, to cap off one of the most historical seasons in Michigan State history.
Despite his success on the field, Jackson prides himself on what he has done off the field during his time in East Lansing. His devotion to his faith and the relationships he's built with his team are far more important to him than his accolades as a football player.
"I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, which is tough to do on a college campus, but it has just opened up so many things for me in my life," said Jackson. "The whole experience has given me so much here at Michigan State. I tell younger players here that there's so much outside of being a football player to get involved in and help you grow as a person. There's always going to be a better player than you and a better team, but I think the impact that you have on people's lives is first and foremost."
Jackson has been a part of Athletes in Action, a nationally recognized organization that uses sports as a platform to help people answer questions of faith. As a member of the organization, Jackson has gone on mission trips all over the U.S., and South Africa.
"South Africa was one of those trips where you don't know what to expect," said Jackson. "You just have this inkling to go, so you sign up. We got a chance to go into some of their townships and talk to some of the kids at the schools. You go on these trips thinking you're going to give so much, but in the end you get taught so much more. Those people poured into my life and it's something that'll change me forever."
The experience Jackson had in South Africa confirmed his intentions to work with people after his playing career is over. Jackson has already earned a psychology degree and is currently working on an advertising degree in his fifth year on campus. With the goal of making it to the NFL first, Jackson is also looking forward to a possible career in psychology.
"I can see myself doing clinical psychology," said Jackson. "I know I want to work with people. A big part of my growth was in high school. So working with kids and being able to impact someone's life the way I've been impacted here in college would be really special."
With Jackson's time winding down as a senior, he reflected on what it has meant to be part of the Spartan program, a program he calls his family.
"It's one of those things where something so great is coming to an end," said Jackson, who was elected a captain by his teammates this season. "People tell you how different being a senior is but you don't really understand it until you're a senior. You start appreciating everything that much more. I'm just so thankful to have shared this experience with this amazing group of guys. I'm enjoying every last week here and am so blessed to have been a part of something great."
This feature was originally published in the Oct. 4 edition of Michigan State Football Gameday Magazine.
