This Jackson’s hits are on the field
Cornerback known as ‘Thriller’ in high school now embraces his name.
The Hurricanes’ visits to schools and community centers almost always involve some time answering questions from kids.
Kids, often inquisitive and sans filter, ask the darnedest things. So Michael Jackson knew he’d hear it from the class Thursday at Tucker Elementary in Miami.
“There have been some good ones,” he said. “Where am I from, is my name really Michael Jackson. ...”
You are not alone if you’re wondering about the junior cornerback on Miami’s roster who wears No. 28. He’s constantly asked about the name on the back of his jersey.
“I get it like, once a week,” he said. “Some people think I’m playing, and then I’ll show them my ID, and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, wow. The man really is Michael Jackson.’ ... If I say my name’s Michael Jackson, sometimes they don’t believe me.”
Jackson, from Birmingham, Ala., is named after his father, not the late King of Pop, who died in 2009. He admits schoolyard teasing and regular call-outs made him “kind of mad” when he was younger, “like ‘Mom, why did you name me Michael Jackson?’” he said. “But as I get older, I kind of like it more.”
He played in 12 games last year as a backup, mostly on special teams, and registered seven tackles (two solo), with a pass breakup. His biggest play came at Notre Dame on Oct. 29, when he recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone for a touchdown that gave Miami a fourth-quarter lead.
This year, he’s competing for playing time in a cornerback unit that loses another memorably named player — standout Corn Elder — and Adrian Colbert. Miami added FCS All-American transfer Dee Delaney, junior college corner Jhavonte Dean and recruit Trajan Bandy to go with Jackson, sophomore Malek Young (five starts in 2016) and redshirt junior Ryan Mayes.
Jackson, 6 feet 1 and 200 pounds, will challenge Dean (6-1, 193) and Delaney (6-2, 185) for starting roles as longer cornerbacks on the outside. “They’re competing and working hard every day,” Jackson said of the newcomers. Young and Bandy, both 5-9, are seemingly primed for duty as nickel and dime backs.
There’s plenty of speed in that group; Dean reportedly ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash last summer, while Delaney’s wheels are a reason why NFL Draft Scout rates him 10th among 2018 draft-eligible cornerbacks. Last year Jackson posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash of any UM defensive back (4.38 seconds). Mayes ran a 4.37, Young a 4.40.
Speed is a need, but defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is usually more concerned about Miami’s tackling in the secondary. Last year at this time he was worried, but that unit became an excellent tackling bunch. Jackson said despite the losses — starting safeties Rayshawn Jenkins and Jamal Carter also graduated — his “faith level is really high” they can become a solid group again. “I know the coaches [have brought] in guys who are going to tackle and do what they need to do,” he said.
This, on the other hand, is a black and white issue: The more Jackson plays this fall, the more broadcasters and fans will notice his famous moniker.
“In high school if I made a play, they didn’t even say my name,” he said. “They just called me Thriller.”
That’s not his favorite song, in case you were wondering.
“Ooh, I’ve got a lot,” he said. “I like ‘Beat It,’ ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Man in the Mirror.’”
If you think Jackson has it bad, think of his father. He’s carried the name for decades: through the ’70s and ’80s, when the former Jackson Five child frontman became arguably the biggest star on the planet, and the ’90s, when the King of Pop morphed into more of a tabloid personality. His son seems to enjoy the music a little more.
“He likes him,” Jackson said, “but he’s not a big fan.”