Sweat drips slowly down the faces of two Lindale Eagles, ever increasing as their bodies attempt to release all the heat that has built after two quarters of intense physical exertion. As the clock runs out and halftime begins, both Jaymond Jackson and Jordan Jenkins are finally able to rest from the constant strain that football puts on their bodies. They both know that there are two words that make it all worth it: Division One.
Jenkins and Jackson received their first division one offers in May of 2019, and other offers have been steadily coming in. NCAA Division 1 is the highest level of collegiate athletics in the U.S.
“The fact is that college football in the south is like religion,“ head football coach Chris Cochran said. “Hundreds of thousands of people pack out stadiums all over the nation.”
Schools that look for students to recruit into their D1 programs are looking for natural talent, quality of play, academic potential, and the ability to fit with the culture of the team. Students who are well-rounded are most likely to be chosen.
“D1 football is a big time money maker,” Cochran said. “There’s a whole lot of money that goes into it. There’s a lot of pressure on them to recruit the right guys. They only get a certain amount each year.”
Jenkins plays offense for the football team, primarily as running back. Jackson plays both sides of the ball as a defensive end and a receiver.
“Jordan and Jaymond are set apart by work ethic and size,” football coach Scott Rozell said. “They have different skill sets, but both of them are important for their sides of the football.”
Jenkins is a junior and has been playing football since second grade. He has been offered a D1 spot at Baylor, ULM, Brigham Young University and the University of Arkansas as a running back. While in college, he intends to study computer science, with a specialty in computer programming. He wishes to either play pro-football or work for a computer gaming company afterwards.
“I never talk about his ability before I talk about his character because he is a top notch young man in every aspect,” Cochran said. “He’s going to do everything the right way, the exact way he wants us to do it. He wants to treat people the right way.”
Jackson is a junior and has been involved in football since third grade. He has offers from Southern Methodist University, the University of Arkansas, ULM and Southern Mississippi University.
“[Lindale football] teaches me how to be a man better because it teaches me toughness and how to not stop right there,” Jackson said. “We have a saying that says two lines past the line. When we are running our drills, we don’t stop at the line, we go two yards past the line.”
During college, Jackson hopes to study animals or sports medicine. He intends to become the head of a company that deals with animals or sports medicine.
“[Jaymond] has a glowing personality which makes him so much fun to be around,” Cochran said. “You can see when you watch him in the hallways that people want to be around him. He’s such a magnet for people and so just a happy guy.”
Jackson and Jenkins are still receiving offers and interest from other schools as the current season progresses.
“Jaymond’s personality and character and Jordan’s way of wanting to do everything right and his character [sets them apart],” Cochran said. “They are both high character young men and it is only going to get better when they continue to grow and mature.”
