Florida Gators

A true senior, four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at defensive back…

CAREER: Has seen action in 49 games with starts… Compiled 81 tackles in his career along with four interceptions and one tackle for a loss.

2007: Appeared in all 13 games during the season, seeing the starting lineup in six games… Started the first four games of the season against Western Kentucky, Troy, Ole Miss and Tennessee… Finished the year with 12 total tackles and a pass breakup… Contributed on special teams with the kickoff and punt coverage units… Saw the starting lineup in back-to-back games against Georgia and Vanderbilt… Had a career-high eight tackles against Georgia, tying for the team’s second-best effort along with Brandon Spikes… Notched an unassisted tackle, the 70th of his career, in the season opener against Western Kentucky.

2006: Earned playing time on the Gators’ kickoff and punt squads in all 14 games last season… Saw special teams’ action in the win over Ohio State in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game… Made a tackle against Arkansas in the SEC Championship Game… Logged four tackles - all solo – against Western Carolina… Made a solo tackle versus Auburn… Contributed an assisted tackle to the victory over LSU… Assisted on a tackle versus Alabama… Tallied two solo tackles and an assist in the season-opening win over Southern
Miss.

2005: Played in 11 games and started the first six games of the 2005 season as well as in the Outback Bowl win over Iowa at safety… Finished the season with 34 tackles, including
24 solo efforts, and one tackle for a loss of one yard… Was also one of only four Gators to snag
more than one interception on the season (two) and one of 15 to record a pass break-up… Tied
for the team lead with two interceptions on the season… Posted a career-high six solo tackles in the Gators’ win over Iowa at the Outback Bowl, including one tackle for a loss of one yard, as well as one pass break-up… Recorded four total tackles in Florida’s road swing against South Carolina, including three solo efforts… Did not see any game action against Georgia…

2004: One of eight freshmen to see action, playing in 11 games with five starts (Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, FSU and Miami) for 513 plays… Did not play against Kentucky… Was a key player for UF on kickoff return and punt return special teams… Five tackles were the third highest in school history by a true freshman defensive back… Was the first true freshman to have two picks in a game since Daryl Dixon in 1998, collecting two interceptions vs. South Carolina… Had a then-career high of five tackles against Vanderbilt, including four solo tackles… Collected his first pass defense of the season versus Vanderbilt and notched another in the South Carolina contest… Member of a career-high 89 plays against Vanderbilt… Made first career start at Middle Tennessee State… First career road trip was the Tennessee matchup.

PREP: Rated the ninth-best prospect in the state of Florida in SuperPrep’s All-America issue…
Ranked as the second-best safety and 51st-best player in the nation by Rivals.com… Rated as
a four-star athlete by Rivals.com… Member of TheInsiders.com National Hot 100 and was rated
the second-best safety in the country, as well as the top-rated safety in the South… Member of
TheInsiders.com Hot 100 and Southern Hot 100… Florida Sports Writers Association Class 5A first team defense all-state selection… Named as the Defensive Player of the Year by The Quarterback Club in 2003… Florida Times-Union “Player of the Year”… Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl… As a senior, recorded 106 tackles and had six interceptions, giving him a school record of 25 interceptions… Led Fletcher to a district title and the regional final in Class 5A… As a junior, he earned all-state honors at free safety as he totaled 106 tackles (17 for loss), nine picks and seven batted down passes… Chose Florida over Florida State, Michigan, LSU, North Carolina and Georgia Tech… Former teammate of former UF tailback Ciatrick Fason, who compares him to former Gator Keiwan Ratliff… High school coach was Joe Reynolds…

PERSONAL: Was born on Sept. 4, 1985… His parents are Bruce and Ute Jackson… Has two older siblings, Cedrick and Bianca.

MAJOR: Sociology.

JACKSON’S CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 8 (Georgia, 2007)
QB Sacks: None
Forced Fumbles: None
Interceptions: 2 (South Carolina, 2004) 

Game-By-Game

What They Are Saying About Kyle Jackson

"We've got a saying, carpe diem — destroy anything that gets in the way. That's kind of how we treat [The Swamp]. Anyone who is in an opposite colored jersey when we step on that field, we're trying to destroy them."
Kyle Jackson, UF safety

"He is the most total football player ever to go through Fletcher's football program, both academically and athletically.  He is a born leader and he demonstrates that when he is one the field and off the field.  If I could, I would play Kyle Jackson at every position on the field.  He is a great athlete." (February 15, 2004)
Joe Reynolds, Fletcher High School head coach

"He's got good size and speed and is just what you are looking for in a safety.  He's a tremendous tackler and plays very physical.  He has a chance to help us right away." (March 15, 2004)
Mike Locksley, Former UF Recruiting Coordinator

“He’s got a knack.  “He’s made a couple of interceptions out there. Some guys have it and some guys don’t.”(August 14, 2004)
Ron Zook, Former UF Head Coach