Former Ohio State quarterback Stanley Jackson loves a challenge.
Along with Joe Germaine, Jackson was one of the Buckeyes' two quarterbacks in 1996 and helped Ohio State defeat Arizona State in the 1997 Rose Bowl. He then played professionally for the Seattle Seahawks, Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Marion Mayhem from 1997-2009 and became an Ohio State football media personality in the 2010s.
In 2023, Jackson is ready for his next football-focused endeavor: Leading the Westerville North football program to prominence as its newest head coach.
Jackson was approved by the board of Westerville City Schools to become Westerville North's head football coach in February. Since then, he has assembled a staff of familiar names, including former Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells, defensive back Winfield Garrett and offensive lineman Eric Smith.
“We talk about our backgrounds all the time... I want them to know that they’re not learning from guys who read it in a book. They’re learning from guys who played at a very high level.”– Stanley Jackson on his coaching staff
It is with that staff of former Buckeyes and a team led by his son, Ronald, who started at quarterback in 2022, that Jackson hopes to turn around a program that went 16-36 in its past five seasons.
“The coaching staff is dynamic,” Jackson told The Columbus Dispatch's Frank DiRenna on July 20. “Most (of the) time, they have more energy than the kids because they’ve lived it. They know what’s at stake, and you can see the kids changing right in front of us. We put in a really robust strength and conditioning program with a lot of speed work, so you’re seeing the team getting faster and stronger. It’s totally different than what they’ve done in the past from a technique standpoint.
“We talk about our backgrounds all the time because I want them to know that they’re not learning from guys who read it in a book. They’re learning from guys who played at a very high level.”
Former Ohio State quarterback and first-year Westerville North head football coach Stanley Jackson leads his players during an offseason workout session in the summer. (Photo Credit: Courtney Hergesheimer / Columbus Dispatch)
The strength and conditioning regimen hasn't been the only aspect of the program that has changed this offseason. Jackson also wanted to teach his players to compete at the highest level, which meant competition with some of the best teams in the state. To do that, Jackson took Westerville North to face Springfield, a program that has reached four consecutive state semifinals and has been the back-to-back state runner-up.
“I scheduled that on purpose (because) I wanted us to be challenged,” Jackson said. “We learned why Springfield has played for a state championship the last couple of years –they’re really good. They have talent across the board, but we also learned that we’re not far off and can compete with them. It’s not real football because you don’t have a line, but it was nice to see our guys compete at that level.”
Westerville North's preseason kicks off with two-a-day practices on July 31. Including freshmen, Jackson expects there to be 120 players in attendance for the first session.
“The (offseason workouts are) voluntary, but if you’re not there, you’re going to be way behind,” Jackson said. “The language is different. The offense and defense are different, so you have to be there to learn those things. We’ve had great turnouts. We probably have about 85 percent of guys showing up. Guys who are playing other sports, you just can’t help that. We’ll try to get them caught up as quickly as possible.”
Jackson's urgency is evident, as Westerville North will only have 18 days and 16 possible practice days until the Warriors host crosstown rival Westerville Central for their season and home opener on Aug. 18.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Jackson said. “In some ways, we’re ahead of schedule, and others we’re behind. There’s more talent on the roster than I anticipated. Every coach evaluates a little differently, so some guys haven’t played much and have a lot of talent. We’re happy with where we are. Time has gone by fast.”
