Chevis Dauro Jackson (born December 11, 1985) is an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

coach and former player who currently serves as defensive backs coach for the Wake Forest football team. Jackson played professionally in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

, and

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

, where he was part of the 2007 national championship team and was a first-team

All-Southeastern Conference The All-SEC football team is an annual Southeastern Conference (SEC) honor bestowed on the best players in the conference following every college football season. Seasons

Following is a list of all-conference teams in the history of the SEC: ...

selection.

Early years

While attending

St. Paul's Episcopal School St. Paul's Episcopal School is an independent, parochial, co-educational Christian preparatory school in Mobile, Alabama. Description The school has a four-level structure: the Lower School (Pre-K through 2nd grade), the Intermediate School (3r ...

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, Jackson played

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

, and

return specialist A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...

. Jackson recorded 40

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

and seven

interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

in 2003 as a senior, and also caught 31 passes for 660 yards and five

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

at receiver. He returned 16 kickoffs for 415 yards and 13 punts for 80 yards as a junior and made 45 catches for 850 yards and nine touchdowns.

College career

Freshman season (2004)

Following high school, Jackson attended

. Jackson played in all 12 games as a true freshman as a

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

for the Tigers in 2004. He finished the season with five tackles and three pass break-ups in nickel and dime packages. While subbing in for an injured Corey Webster, Jackson recorded two tackles and a pass break-up against

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Sophomore season (2005)

In his sophomore season in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, Jackson started at cornerback and ranked in the top ten in the nation in five statistical categories. While starting all 12 games on the season, Jackson recorded 47 tackles, an interception and three pass break-ups. He also tallied 3.5 tackles for a loss, one forced

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

and recovered a fumble. In a victory over Florida, Jackson recorded a career-best seven tackles. He then added 6 tackles, one tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble in the win over

Appalachian State Appalachian State University (), or App State, is a public research university in Boone, North Carolina, United States. It was founded as a teachers' college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dou ...

Junior season (2006)

Jackson, as a junior, started all 13 games of the 2006 season. He finished the season with 46 tackles, two interceptions, and a team-high 14 pass break-ups. Jackson was key on the Tigers' defense that ranked third in the nation in pass efficiency defense. He also returned 15 kicks for a 6.7 yard average. Jackson's pass break-up totals ranked second in the SEC. In the victory over

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, Jackson recorded a career-high seven tackles. Against Florida, Jackson recorded four tackles, an interception and a pass break-up. He then recorded three tackles, broke up three passes, and grabbed an interception in a win over

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. In the 2007 Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame, Jackson led the Tigers with six tackles. Jackson finished his junior season ranked eighth on the all-time school list for passes defended with 23.

Senior season (2007)

Jackson opened his senior 2007 season with two tackles and two pass break-ups against

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...

. Against Middle Tennessee State, Jackson recorded three tackles. In the 28–16 victory over

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, he recorded four tackles, an interception, and three pass break-ups. In the 34–9 win over

Tulane The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it be ...

, Jackson tallied three tackles and an interception. In the 28–24 victory over Florida, he recorded four tackles and a pass defensed. In the Tigers' 37–43 loss to

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, Jackson recorded two tackles and an interception. In their 30–24 win over Auburn, Jackson recorded five tackles and three pass break-ups. In their victory over Alabama, Jackson totaled one tackle, one interception, and four pass defenses. Against

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, he recorded four tackles and two pass break-ups. In the 21–14 victory over

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

in the SEC Championship, Jackson totaled six tackles and two pass break-ups. In the

BCS National Championship The BCS National Championship Game was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college football season as one of four desi ...

victory over

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

, Jackson recorded two tackles and grabbed an interception that he returned 34 yards. Jackson finished his senior season with 42 tackles and 5 interceptions. Jackson also earned first-team All-SEC honors at defensive back.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Upon graduating from

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

in 2007, Jackson entered the

2008 NFL draft The 2008 NFL draft was the 73rd NFL draft, annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York (state), New York ...

. Jackson was then invited to the

NFL Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...

Atlanta Falcons

Jackson was selected by the

in the third round (68th overall) of the

. He returned his first career

interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...

for a 95-yard

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

on November 9, 2008, in a Week 9 meeting against the division rival

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

. His return became the second-longest in Falcons history behind a 101-yard interception return by Tom Pridemore against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

on September 20, 1981. Jackson finished the

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

regular season with 31 tackles and five passes defensed in 16 games played (one start). He recorded his second interception on January 3, 2009, in a

playoff The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

game against the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

. In

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, Jackson played in 15 games, starting two, and finished with 29 tackles, two passes defensed, and one forced fumble. On September 4, 2010, Jackson was released by the Falcons during their final cuts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jackson signed with the

on October 18, 2010. He was waived on November 17, 2010, after playing in two games as a reserve.

New England Patriots

The

signed Jackson on December 10, 2010. He was waived on December 18, 2010.

Denver Broncos

The

claimed Jackson on December 20, 2010. He was waived on August 4, 2011.

Carolina Panthers

On August 6, 2011, Jackson was claimed off waivers by the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

. On September 3, 2011, he was released by the Panthers.

Coaching career

Early coaching career

In 2016, he became the defensive backs coach for the

Ball State Cardinals football The Ball State Cardinals football team is a college football program representing Ball State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football. Ball State plays its home ga ...

team. In 2017 he received an award as the top recruiter in the

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...

. Starting in the 2019 football season, he joined head coach

Les Miles Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, where and served as the defensive backs coach. In 2021, Jackson was retained in the same role at Kansas when

Lance Leipold Lance Leipold ( ; born May 6, 1964) is an American college football coach who is the head football coach at the University of Kansas, a position he has held since 2021. He was the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater fr ...

was named the new head coach to replace Les Miles. He was let go following the 2021 season.

Marshall

He was hired by Marshall for the 2022 season as the defensive backs coach.

References

External links

New England Patriots bioJacksonville Jaguars bioLSU Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Chevis 1985 births Living people American football cornerbacks Atlanta Falcons players Ball State Cardinals football coaches Carolina Panthers players Denver Broncos players Jacksonville Jaguars players Kansas Jayhawks football coaches LSU Tigers football coaches LSU Tigers football players Marshall Thundering Herd football coaches Miami Hurricanes football coaches New England Patriots players South Alabama Jaguars football coaches Players of American football from Mobile, Alabama Coaches of American football from Alabama