Rich S. Jackson (1995) - Hall of Fame - Southwestern Athletic Conference

Hall of Fame

College Career at Southern University

He accepted a football scholarship to Southern University (a historically black university in Baton Rouge) and started from his freshman year.
He played multiple positions: on defense (outside linebacker, defensive end), and on offense (split end, tight end, flanker) during his time there.
Track & field excellence: He won seven championships in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) four in discus and three in shot-put.
He set a Louisiana collegiate record in the shot-put (58 ft 1 in in 1964) which stood for many years.
Jackson has said that his HBCU experience taught him life-skills, self-confidence, and how to navigate society.

Professional career

He went undrafted in the 1966 NFL draft but signed as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League (AFL) for the 1966 season.
In 1967 he joined the Denver Broncos and was moved to defensive end (having previously played linebacker) by head coach Lou Saban.
With Denver he became one of the premier pass rushers of his era:
- Credited unofficially with about 45 sacks over his career (pre-sack official records).
- Named First-team All-Pro three times (1968, 1969, 1970).
- Selected to the Pro Bowl three times.
His nickname “Tombstone” came because he wanted to be “the end of the road” for his opponents — the termination of life for the quarterback.
Unfortunately, his career was cut short by a knee injury in 1971; he played some in 1972 (including for the Cleveland Browns) then retired.