High honor
DL Jackson caps fabulous career with Fralic Award
Pine-Richland lineman second recipient of Bill Fralic Award.
Wearing a white dress shirt and blue-striped tie, Miguel Jackson looked more like a businessman than a football player Saturday morning as he sat in his livingroom.
It was fitting, though, because Jackson took a business-like approach to his senior season, and his outstanding play along PIAA champion Pine-Richland’s offensive and defensive lines earned him a prestigious honor.
Jackson was named the winner of the second annual Bill Fralic Memorial Award, which goes to the top senior interior lineman in the WPIAL. The ceremony was heldvirtually on Zoom.
“It’s a huge honor,” Jackson said. “Bill Fralic, he was an outstanding player. It’s a great honor to be recognized forthis award.”
The award is named after the late Fralic, a former Penn Hills High School lineman who went on to become an All-American at Pitt and AllPro in the NFL. A day earlier, Fralic was recognized as the No. 1 player on the Post-Gazette’s all-time Fabulous 22 team.
Jackson, a starter at guard and defensive end, was a twotime Fabulous 22 pick. The three-year starter polished off his terrific career this season by collecting 49 tackles (19.5 for a loss) and 12.5 sacks for the WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A champion Rams, who finished 11-0. He holds the school record with 36 career sacks. Jackson (6 feet 2, 265 pounds) also showed off his athleticism this season by passing and rushing for touchdowns againstNorth Hills.
“Winning this award was a great way to end my senior year,” Jackson said. “All-conference. Fab 22. Bill Fralic Award. I was able to accomplisha lot this season.”
Jackson was one of six finalists for the award, which included one player from each class. The others were Baldwin’s Dorien Ford (Class 6A), McKeesport’s Colin Lyons (Class 4A), South Park’s Eli Podgorski (Class 3A), Laurel’s Mitch Miles (Class 2A) and Union’s Aaron Gunn (Class 1A). Thomas Jefferson’s Logan Danielson earnedthe honor a year ago.
“I really appreciate it. People sleep on me a little bit, so this is a great honor,” said Jackson, who won two WPIALtitles in his career.
Saturday’s ceremony put on by the William P. Fralic
Foundation included featured speaker Andy Urbanic and guest speaker Greg Meisner. Urbanic coached Fralic at Penn Hills, while Meisner, a Valley High School graduate, played against Fralic in the NFL.
Nextup for Jackson is making a college decision. He said heplans on picking a school in the next couple of days and willdecide between Charlotte, Central Michigan and James Madison. He committed to Liberty in July, but his offer was pulled a few weeks ago. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA passed a rule allowing college athletes an extra year of eligibility. Jackson said that Liberty plans on having several seniordefensive linemen return next season, which affected theirrecruiting needs.