Bengals the bearer of good news, taking UH’s Jackson at No. 24
All night, William Jackson III clutched his cellphone, moving from room to room in a top-floor suite at a Galleria-area hotel.
He wore dark jeans, red-and-white sneakers and black T-shirt with the city skyline and the words “I Will” — a reminder of how far the University of Houston cornerback has come and the motivation to keep going.
At 9:47 p.m., Jackson finally received the phone call that will change his life.
“I’m going to the Cincinnati Bengals,” Jackson yelled as family and friends erupted in applause.
Jackson was selected by the Bengals with the No. 24 pick of Thursday night’s NFL draft, becoming only the second UH defensive back to be selected in the first round.
“We’ve come so far and I worked so hard to get to this moment,” Jackson said. “For a dream I’ve had since I was little to finally
come true … I’m blessed.”
Jackson is the 13th UH player taken in the first round in school history and first since cornerback D.J. Hayden was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the 12th pick in 2013.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis called Jackson with the news.
“I was trying not to cry since my family was here,” Jackson said.
Jackson grew up in the Fifth Ward and attended Wheatley High School. He signed with UH out of high school, but academic issues forced him to take a detour to Trinity Valley Community College for one season.
“I came from a rough environment,” Jackson said. “For me to do this for my family and the kids that look up to me is a blessing.”
Jackson was instrumental in the Cougars’ 13-1 season, leading the nation in pass breakups (23) and passes defended (28). He had 10 tackles and two interceptions to earn defensive MVP honors in UH’s win over Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
UH coach Tom Herman said Jackson “worked himself into becoming a firstround pick.”
“He’s a guy who completely bought into our culture,” Herman said. “(He) changed a lot over the entire year that we had him, both from a development standpoint, just in skill development and overall maturity. He is certainly ready to take on this new challenge.”
Jackson visited Cincinnati, but he said there was no indication the Bengals would select him.
It was another AFC North team — the Pittsburgh Steelers — that showed interest in Jackson after his stock soared from his performance at the NFL combine, where he was clocked at 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The Steelers had the next pick at No. 25.
“I didn’t know who was going to pick me,” Jackson said. “I really didn’t. I knew it was a possibility, but I had no idea they were going to pull the trigger. But I’m grateful they did.”
Jackson will join a rotation that already includes former first-round picks Adam Jones, Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard.
Jackson was the fourth cornerback selected in Thursday’s first round.
“I think this guy has the highest upside of all the corners with his abilities and talents,” Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther told reporters in Cincinnati.
Said agent Kennard McGuire: “We still feel the same way as before the draft when we thought he was the best corner out there. We look forward to him being very successful and being the player we all know he is going to be.”
Jackson becomes the first UH player selected by the Bengals since quarterback David Klingler in 1992.
After taking the call, Jackson walked around the room hugging family members.
Not far away, McGuire and Jackson’s mother Vanessa Hailey and father William Jackson Jr. gathered for a champagne toast.
“I waited for so long for this moment to come true,” the cornerback said. “I’m ready to celebrate.”