Jackson Herbert chose soccer because no one in family did, much to the joy of Wadsworth
Jackson Herbert’s path to the soccer field is quite simple.
His father, Joe, played football at Highland and Ashland University.
His mom, Lisa, was another story altogether.
She danced professionally in the Nutcracker as a child in the Boston Repertory Ballet and was a principal dancer at Wheaton College. Lisa trained professionally with the Sydney (Australia) Dance Company.
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She was also part of a state record-holding sprint medley team at Taunton High School in Massachusetts. She was Miss Massachusetts and a top-10 finalist for Miss America, who later competed in the International Raw Powerlifting Federation and held a variety of records.
So naturally Jackson was drawn to the pitch.
Wait. What?
“My dad played football. My mom ran track,” Herbert said. “Really nobody played soccer, so it’s always been a thing where I didn’t know why, but I always did soccer. It’s been kind of my thing and something I’ve loved over the years.
“I was 4 and was with my mom playing in the backyard. I think it was a basketball. I was just kicking it around and I kind of liked the way the ball felt. I told her I liked soccer.”
Sure, he dabbled in football and basketball and you don’t go to Wadsworth and not at least try to wrestle, but it kept coming back to soccer for Herbert, a University of Akron commit.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever had, period,” said Grizzlies coach John Johnson, who is in his 26th season for Wadsworth and has been coaching for 34 years. “What he can do with his size and speed is pretty much unmatched. I’m thrilled to death to have him. He’s a soccer kid and he’s always been.”
Jackson Herbert has speed to burn
Herbert isn’t just fast. The center midfielder is lightning.
He’s been clocked at 4.3 in the 40-yard dash and placed last season at the Division I state meet in the 400-yard dash in a time of 49.09.
“The speed has always been there,” Herbert said. “Even back playing with my neighbors no one could catch me. It’s kind of what I’m known for. It’s sweet having that because you can get so much separation so quickly. It’s really easy to play in space.”
With that speed, however, came a learning curve with a soccer ball.
You can be Usain Bolt between the lines, but if you don’t know how to harness some of that speed you can fall over the top of the ball or get stuck up on it.
Given his stats, Herbert, a second-team All-Ohioan, has figured that out. He’s scored 42 goals and has 20 assists in a three-plus year career with the Grizzlies.
“He’s fast and has a lot of speed, but he also knows how to slow things down to take players out,” teammate Alex Innocenti said. “He’s a team player. He can turn it on and off all the way. If he wants to beat a kid he can, but if he wants to slow it down and wait for his teammates he can, and he does it perfectly. It gives us a big advantage.
“Yes, he can score 60 goals but, if he’s scoring 60 goals, I guarantee he has 20 assists. He just always wants to make sure he gets the team involved.”
That’s the biggest takeaway of Herbert’s demeanor. He could count his successes with each goal scored, but if Wadsworth isn’t winning he’s not happy.
The Zips are on Line 1
How UA landed Herbert is a story in and of itself.
The Grizzlies were hosting a camp in mid-July and Johnson needed coaches. He called Zips coach Jared Embick for ideas and Embick gave Johnson his coaching staff.
Associate head coach Ger Coppinger noticed Herbert right away and by Sunday of that week Herbert was playing in an ID camp at Akron.
Less than a week later, Herbert was a Zip.
“He’s got such a soft touch and good body control,” Johnson said. “He’ll go at somebody and spin around just to get space because he gets man-marked. He has that type of pace that obviously you can’t teach or coach. He’s just blessed. He’s disturbing. He’s naturally fit. He never gets tired.
“He’s just one of those kids that has an engine that doesn’t stop. That’s what Akron wants.”
When he gets to UA, Herbert will have a different look as an outside back — he’ll be pushing up on offense in one of Embick’s most vital positions.
“It’s somewhat of a change, but the game plan they gave me it’s not that big,” Herbert said. “I’ll be an outside back, but I’ll be shooting like a winger. It’s basically the same thing.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Future Akron Zips soccer player Jackson Herbert game, speed to burn.
