As the second oldest of six children, Elijah Jackson has had to grow up quick while his mom, a single parent, works two jobs to provide for him and his siblings.

She helps run an apartment complex and also works for GameStop in a virtual role, taking off work whenever needed in order to take Jackson to his football camps and commitments.

It’s a sacrifice that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the talented football player from Archer City.

“My mom does everything by herself,” Jackson said. “She’s doing a good job. She travels with me everywhere and people notice me because she put me out there.”

As a standout freshman linebacker and defensive end for Archer City, a 2A school 25 miles south of Wichita Falls, he quickly caught the eye of college recruiters. Jackson said he currently has seven Division I offers, including two new offers this month from Texas Tech and Indiana.

“He’s been a great leader on and off the field,” Archer City head coach Shad Hanna said. “He mainly just played defense for us. We could use him in a couple different positions, and he was just a great defender.”

From a young age, Jackson realized that he had a special gift on the football field. After he began playing the sport with older kids at his apartment complex, he joined an organized league when he was eight and quickly realized that he was the center of focus for opposing teams.

“I would stand out from the other players,” Jackson said. “The other teams would always make up plans to stop me, so I knew I was a problem.”

Seven years later, not much has changed. Jackson is coming off a freshman year where he had an impact on both sides of the ball. He racked up 58 tackles as a linebacker and defensive end while adding 372 rushing yards offensively.

His play has earned him plenty of interest from college coaches. Jackson said that Tulsa became the first school to offer him last May. After that, he reports that he received offers from Illinois State, UCF, Jackson State, and Pittsburgh. He also had a busy start to June as he attended an Alabama football camp and reportedly received offers from Indiana and Texas Tech all in the first week of the month. He’s not slowing down either as he has upcoming camps scheduled this month at Florida State and Virginia Tech. 

“It’s been good,” Jackson said of his recruiting process. “It’s been going because colleges started to notice me. I just put myself out there.”

Hanna credits Jackson for taking the initiative to be noticed.

“He’s done a great job of marketing himself,” Hanna said. “He’s gone to camps. He’s been getting his name out there as far as where coaches can know who he is. Because at a small school, it’s kind of hard for a kid to get recognized.”

But with three more years still left in high school, there is still plenty to achieve as a Wildcat. After Archer City won its first playoff game in 10 years in a 67-20 demolition of Lockney in the bi-district round, Jackson believes that the Wildcats have what it takes to make a deep playoff run this year. The team is boosted by the return of three all-state honorees, including District 6-2A Division II Offensive MVP quarterback Ty Bates.

“We’re a young team,” Jackson said. “I expect us to go far next year and the year after that.”

Hanna is also excited for this upcoming season as Archer City goes in search of its first district title since 2008. He is also looking forward to using Jackson in a multitude of roles offensively in addition to his defensive playmaking ability.

 “I’m going to use him more as an h-back and tight end type of player,” Hanna said. “I’m going to try and get him the ball in space this next season. Just using his body and his size because I think he can do some things out there for us.”

No matter where Jackson ends up starring for the Wildcats next season, Hanna believes that the sky is the limit for him.

“His potential is as great as he wants it to be; he works his tail off in the weight room and on the field,” Hanna said. “I think his future is bright, and he’s got a lot of positives to bring to a program.”

And with plenty of football opportunities still ahead of him, Jackson is playing with his mom on his mind every time he takes the field.

 “I appreciate her,” Jackson said. “That’s why my goal is to make it to the NFL, so I can give back to her.”