Quick Chat: Kearis Jackson
October 15, 2021 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Kearis Jackson hasn't yet been unleashed as a wide receiver yet this season. Limited by an injury, Jackson has returned punts for the No. 1-ranked Georgia football team but he has only seven catches for 67 yards through the Bulldogs' first six games, after catching 36 passes for 514 yards and three touchdowns in 2020.
A 6-foot and 200-pound redshirt junior from Fort Valley, Ga., Jackson has been around long enough for him to join the Quick Chat three-timers club. He's used to the silly questions about his favorite food or movie, so for this conversation, conducted after practice Wednesday, we covered some new ground.
During our Quick Chat, he talked about being in his fourth year in Athens and being a couple of months from graduation. He also talked about leadership and his experiences as a student representative on the UGA Athletics Board of Directors and SEC Football Leadership Council.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Do you feel like you've been here a long time, or is it all just flying by quickly?
Jackson: Honestly, it feels like I've been here forever. But it's a good thing. Not only do I feel like I've been here forever, but it's flying by. I'm just trying to take advantage of every opportunity. With me being able to graduate in December, it's a huge accomplishment for me, my coaches, my family, everyone. It's exciting.
Frierson: What does it feel like to be so close to graduating, which is one of the biggest accomplishments you can have at your age?
Jackson: My biggest thing, I'll be done with school. I love football and once I can get school out of the way, I'll be able to just focus on football like I want to.
I know how I felt graduating from high school but graduating from college is huge. I'll be the first one in my family to graduate from a big institution like this, so it's a great achievement.
Frierson: Along with football and school, you've been involved with the UGA Athletic Board and the SEC Football Leadership Council. Where did those things come from? Were you involved in a lot of student activities like that in high school?
Jackson: When I was in high school I was able to speak at different things because I wanted to be a motivational speaker. At a young age, I was able to speak at a fifth-grade graduation up in Atlanta and I was able to speak at different elementary schools around my area, being able to use my voice as a platform.
Every time I go home, I try to be a positive influence on somebody's life, whether I'm going to an AAU basketball practice or go talk to a youth football team. Whatever it is, I'm trying to impact the community in some way.
Frierson: What was it like speaking at your first Athletic Board meeting, when you're there with the top people at the University of Georgia and within the athletic department?
Jackson: I remember my first Board meeting, it was on a Zoom. It was after a practice and I was sitting in the locker room [laughs], and I was like, how can I prepare my mind to be able to speak in front of these people? Once it started, it became natural to me and I was like, I've been here before. I was just being myself, and afterwards, it was like, you've got something special in you.
Frierson: I know the Georgia Way program helps get student-athletes comfortable meeting with important and successful people, so did that help?
Jackson: I feel like the Georgia Way, the University of Georgia, everything that this university has provided me with has prepared me for anything I'm doing. Things like going to the SEC Leadership Council, as a sophomore going to Birmingham and talking to the SEC Leadership Council committee, Commissioner (Greg) Sankey, everybody like that — it was a very eye-opening opportunity.
It made me a better speaker and it brought more confidence to myself to be able to speak in front of large crowds and things like that. I appreciate being able to use my platform at things like that and being able to represent the University of Georgia.
Frierson: When you first got here, did you ever imagine you'd be doing that kind of thing?
Jackson: Definitely not. I couldn't imagine myself doing those types of things, but they actually brought out another side of me that's been really good.
Frierson: You strike me as a natural leader. Do you embrace that role in the locker room and on the field?
Jackson: I definitely embrace that role because a lot of guys look up to me, especially in the receiver room since I'm the oldest. They look at me as a guy that's going to be respectful and that's going to lead them in the right way.
Frierson: I asked you a couple of years ago who the funniest guys on the team were and you said Divaad Wilson and Netori Johnson. Those guys are gone and there have are a lot of new guys that have become teammates since then, so who is the funniest guy now?
Jackson: The funniest guy, 2021 version? There are a lot of funny guys. If I need a good laugh, it has to be in the receiver room. I'd say Jackson Meeks because he's really funny and I treat him like my younger brother. Anything he does just cracks me up. I'd also say J.D. (Jordan Davis), just because of the way he carries himself. He's very athletic in what he does joking around and stuff. Whether he's dancing or singing or whatever, he's always funny.
Frierson: As a very good athlete yourself, what do you think when you see Jordan Davis run around and play football at 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds?
Jackson: J.D. is probably the biggest human I have ever seen move that fast, play that fast and run that fast. I think it was the South Carolina game when we were all captains and there's a picture of us standing there at the 50-yard line. I was like, look at me on the left, look at J.D. and look at Channing (Tindall), and J.D.'s like a big mannequin standing there in the middle. I was like, I'm going to frame this in my house one day.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
