Jackson’s Dedication Wins Over Pierce Football Coach

Bill Norton, Pierce College’s first-year football coach, had doubts about accepting Willie Jackson on his football team as the start of spring practice neared.

Jackson, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound defensive end at Taft High, has the strength, speed and skills to play at Pierce but has a severe, congenital learning disability. Because Jackson has the intellectual development of a first-grader and struggles with elementary tasks most adults take for granted, Norton feared that Jackson might be unsuited for college life.

But Norton pushed aside those doubts after Pierce’s first practice last week and vowed to help Jackson realize his goal of continuing his playing career despite considerable odds.

Norton had sent Jackson a letter announcing the start of spring practice as he had to other high school seniors recruited by Pierce. Because of Jackson’s limitations--he doesn’t have a driver’s license--Norton was unsure whether Jackson would attend spring practice, which began April 9.

“I was concerned whether he could get here himself,” Norton said. “I wondered, ‘How bad off is this guy?’ ”

Even though Jackson was on spring break from Taft last week, he found his way to Pierce’s first practice, albeit a few minutes late.

“I asked him how come he was late and he told me he had to take the bus to get here,” Norton said. “Guys are missing practice with cheap excuses and this guy was willing to take the bus to get here. That put tears in my eyes. When I heard that I knew I wanted him on our team.”

Jackson officially enrolled Thursday in Norton’s spring football class, a one-unit physical education class open to current Pierce students and high school seniors. Jackson also has applied for enrollment in the fall, but the school has yet to decide whether it will accept him.

“We don’t want to use Willie,” said Robert Garber, a Pierce assistant dean. “I don’t think there is a class on campus that he can profit from or be successful in.”

Pierce is considering an appeal to the state in an attempt to gain athletic eligibility for Jackson under special circumstances. Under the plan, Jackson would augment his Pierce curriculum with courses at West Valley Occupational Center.

Pierce must gain approval of the Western State Conference and then appeal to the California Community College Commission on Athletics.