Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time
“From…Louisville”
Tom Jackson, the man responsible for bringing up his college squad as often as possible in his days as an ESPN broadcaster, has become well-known for his years of in-depth analysis and captivating play in the NFL. But before that, he was one of the best players to put on a Louisville football uniform.
In his three seasons under Lee Corso, Jackson was a busy man. He led the team in tackles for all three seasons, earning him the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Award his final two seasons. During his three years, Jackson helped guide the Cards to a 23-7-2 record.
During his freshman season, Louisville and Corso earned a trip to the Pasadena Bowl, a great accomplishment at that time for the program. In his final season, Louisville rose as high as No. 17 in the AP Poll and finished the season 9-1 and ranked No. 18 in the nation.
Though Jackson grew up in Northern Ohio and dreamt of playing for his favorite team, Ohio State, he is extremely proud of his alma mater. As a color analyst alongside Chris Berman on SportsCenter, and as a long-time analyst on NFL Primetime later in his career, Jackson, Berman, and the rest of the crew rolled through daily highlights.
When a former Cardinal made a big play, Berman would normally prompt him to shout out his college squad. For example: “Deion Branch… WHAP! With the grab, from…” and Jackson would respond “Louisville.”
Jackson finished his career having only played three seasons in Louisville, but still sits at No. 9 on the all-time tackles list. He also is second in school history in tackles recorded in a single game with 30.
His long and illustrious NFL career saw him start and end as a Denver Bronco, where he is one of the all-time leaders in sacks and interceptions. He has since been inducted into the Denver Ring of Honor.
Jackson retired from broadcasting in 2016 and still has reason to return to Louisville to watch his daughter Morgan who is an up-and-coming star on the women’s soccer team.