Rev. Jackson Not in Running This Time : He’s More Than Happy to Sit on Sidelines Watching Son Play Linebacker for Virginia

On this afternoon, the Rev. Jesse Jackson gladly gives up his high-profile professional life for a chance to assume the role of a proud parent.

Clad in jeans, sneakers, sweat shirt and a baseball cap, the former Democratic presidential contender blends in with more than 44,000 other fans at Scott Stadium for Virginia’s football game against North Carolina State.

A former college football standout himself, Jackson pays particular attention to No. 51 for Virginia, linebacker Yusef Jackson.

As Virginia finished off Saturday’s 31-0 victory, the elder Jackson made his way out of the stands and prepared to greet the youngest of his three sons with a warm hug.

Later, Jackson joined several other relatives of Virginia players and visited the dressing room of the undefeated Cavaliers, who two days later would be elevated to the top of the Associated Press poll.

“It is so, so special,” Jackson said of the chance to watch his son succeed at Virginia in the classroom and on the football field. “When I went to college, African-Americans couldn’t attend U. Va. My wife is from Newport News. She couldn’t attend. So it’s really a special delight to me to see the opportunities of this day be taken advantage of.”

Jackson seems particularly proud of his son’s ability to blend in on a team that has several sons of celebrities.

“To me, that is the real mark, because if you come into a situation like this where you’re well-known because of your parents, you’re under a more critical eye. So when these coaches and players give him the reputation of being one of the hardest hitters on the team, that’s really something to me.”

The Virginia roster also includes Bill Curry, son of Kentucky Coach Bill Curry; Derek Dooley, son of Georgia Athletic Director and former Coach Vince Dooley; Scott Griese, son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese, and Rickie Peete, son of PGA Tour member Calvin Peete.

Yusef, who went on the road for a period to help his father during the 1988 presidential campaign, said he enjoys having him at the games.

“He’s my father,” he said. “To me, he’s not a politician. I expect him to be at all the games if he can make it.”

At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Jackson was relatively small by Division I-A linebacker standards when he came to Virginia on a scholarship in 1988. But his father, who played quarterback, linebacker and punted at North Carolina A&T; before being graduated in 1964, said he was not concerned that Yusef might be overmatched at Virginia.

“I knew he could cut it academically. I also knew that Yusef was very fast for his size and was going to grow,” Jackson said. “And the other factor that I observed with him is that he will tackle with authority. And in football, there really is no substitute for tackling and blocking with authority--and the desire to win.”

After being redshirted in 1988, Jackson saw considerable action last year before injuring his right knee in the fifth game. Surgery sidelined him the rest of the year.

The injury slowed his start this season, but he has come on strong in the last four games and is fifth on the team with 23 tackles.