Thrasher honors coach who started football program
Nov. 2—Willie T. Jackson thought his former boss was joking.
Don Johnson, who had just joined the newly formed Prentiss County School District, had asked Jackson if he'd like to start football programs at Thrasher and Jumpertown. Johnson had previously been the principal at Booneville High School, where Jackson was an assistant football coach.
"I thought he was really teasing," Jackson said. "He said, 'I'm for real.' He said, 'You wouldn't have to teach any classes. You'd just have football in the morning at Thrasher and at Jumpertown in the afternoon, and you'll have a two-hour break between.' I said, 'Oh, I love that.'
"I fell for that," he added with a laugh.
Jumpertown's program never got off the ground, but football thrived at Thrasher under Jackson. The Rebels fielded their first varsity team in 1983, and Jackson was the head coach for 16 years. He had a record of 61-99-1 and took Thrasher to the playoffs four times.
Last Friday, the 93-year-old was honored when Thrasher named its field after him.
"It meant everything that they didn't wait until I had died to name the field," said Jackson, who noted that he is in pretty good health. "It means so much to me."
When Thrasher started playing football, it didn't even have a field. The Rebels had to play home games on Thursday nights at Baldwyn's stadium.
What Jackson lacked in facilities was more than made up for in unwavering support from the school and community.
"The parents of Thrasher, they meant all the world to me, because they cooperated with me 110%. Anything I wanted, anything I asked for, I was able to get it," Jackson said.
He also gives a lot of credit to Jacky Rowsey, who was Thrasher's basketball coach at the time. Rowsey encouraged his players to join the football team. Sharing athletes at such a small school was essential.
"I knew that the program wasn't going to survive if my athletes didn't go out there and play, and they wanted to," said Rowsey, who coached the defense for Thrasher's first two varsity seasons.
"Real good athletes, good speed, good quickness, and we had good size," Jackson said. "It was just an ideal situation to start a football program."
This was not the first head coaching job for the Jackson, Tennessee, native. He had been head coach at the all-Black Wick Anderson High School in Booneville from 1954 until Mississippi was fully integrated in 1970. He then took the job at Booneville, serving under the legendary Jim Drewry.
"He was my background," Jackson said. "I tried to pattern myself after him, to tell you the truth."
Integration was still fairly new when he took over at Thrasher, which is a largely white community. But Jackson said there were no major racial issues. In fact, one of the parents made sure his son knew who was in charge on the football field.
"I just want you to know one thing: While you're playing football, your last name is not Bullock now, your last name is Jackson," the father told his son. "Coach Jackson is your Pop from now on."
Many of Thrasher's players were transfers from Booneville, which helped the Rebels have some early success. They were 3-7 that first year, then 5-5 in 1984 and 8-3 in '85.
The program's first win came in Week 3 of the 1983 season, an 8-0 decision over Mooreville. The Rebels scored a defensive touchdown and recorded a safety.
"I can remember that as if it were yesterday," Jackson said. "It felt outstanding, and the people just went berserk."
Thrasher made the playoffs for the first time in 1986. It went again in 1990, '91 and '92.
"To get the kids out, to participate, and to get them to give 110% like they did, I don't know whether anybody else could have done that or not," Rowsey said. "He was just the right person for the job at that time."
The Rebels haven't made the playoffs since that 1992 season. Jackson retired from coaching after the 1998 campaign.
But this year's Thrasher team can break that 30-year drought by beating Smithville on Thursday. After beating H.W. Byers 31-30 on Jackson's night of honor, Thrasher is 3-7 overall and is part of a four-way tie for fourth place in Division 1-1A at 2-4.
"Right now Thrasher's really in a better condition than it's been since maybe I left. The coach (Ross Coley) is doing a magnificent job up there," Jackson said. "...I think they're on the mend — I know they are. In the next year or so, Thrasher should be heard from. They deserve it."
