When Jarrail Jackson stepped onto the Jack Yates High School field this summer, it wasn’t as a player or a hometown hero; it was as a mentor.
The Texas College head football coach and proud Yates alum returned to Houston to host a youth football camp designed to prepare the next generation for more than just game day. With a blend of drills, discipline and dialogue, Jackson’s camp focused on developing both athletic skills and character, because for Jackson, building great athletes starts with building great young men.
“Other schools had reached out before, but being able to bring a camp back to Jack Yates, the place that put me on the map, was special,” said Jackson.
A highly recruited high school athlete, Jackson helped lead the Yates Lions to a 39–8–2 record and three conference championships before earning a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma in 1995. Though he went undrafted in the 2000 NFL Draft, Jackson played several years in the Arena Football League before moving into coaching.
He now serves as head football coach at Texas College, a private HBCU in Tyler, Texas.
“Stepping back onto the field at Jack Yates High School brings back memories of playing for coach Maurice McGowan, running two miles on the track, watching Milton Powell (Big Pokey) finding a way to get it done,” said Jackson. “Hearing Coach McGowan yell out, ‘Say Mane, we gonna run 14.’ Every day with my brothers on that field.”
The Lions were known for their signature play, “14,” and weren’t shy about announcing it; they dared any opponent to stop it. Jackson hopes the campers bring that same confidence and purpose to every opportunity.
“Opportunities don’t come often; embrace every one that comes your way,”
Jarrail Jackson
“Opportunities don’t come often; embrace every one that comes your way,” said Jackson.
Jack Yates’ head football coach Jason Lewis shared in Jackson’s vision.
“When the kids heard about the camp, they were excited,” said Lewis. “It’s a great opportunity to be seen by a college coach and receive honest feedback. Having someone like Coach Jackson who walked the same halls and now leads at the collegiate level is incredibly motivating.”
Former teammate and current Yates assistant football coach Lloyd Banks also attended the camp.
“Jarrail’s always been supportive,” said Banks. “I was two years behind him in school and I remember him encouraging me, ‘Hey man, hop in there, get those reps, you can do it.’ He was a super athlete, but an even better person.”
The camp was the only football camp held at Jack Yates this summer.
“He could have held this camp anywhere in Houston,” said Banks. “But doing it right here, inside the loop with our kids, that’s special. Our kids don’t always get these kinds of opportunities and he gave them that platform.”
The camp included position-specific breakout sessions for wide receivers, quarterbacks and linemen. Receivers worked on route running and staying low at the top of their breaks. Quarterbacks focused on footwork and ball placement, while linemen focused on hand-fighting and driving their legs.
“This isn’t a conditioning camp,” said Jackson. “We focus on fundamentals and respecting yourself both on and off the field.”
Brodrick Brown, a former Yates quarterback and current Texas College quarterback, assisted with the quarterbacks.
“I was focused on their footwork and how they threw on the move,” said Brown. “We worked on accuracy, timing and understanding the importance of ball placement.”
Brown stressed the difference between high school and college football.
“In high school, natural talent can carry you. But in college, it’s all about timing, precision and technique,” said Brown. “Everything is faster and every detail counts.”
One of the quarterbacks in attendance, Trevin Berrod Jr. from Glenda Dawson High School, was returning from a torn ACL that cut his junior season short. He welcomed the chance to improve his mechanics ahead of his senior season.
“My favorite part of the camp was the one-on-ones,” said Berrod. “I was able to show off my accuracy, ball placement and the power I generate from my lower body to zip the ball where it needed to go.”
Although labeled a football camp, the camp wasn’t just about football. Jackson made sure it emphasized life values such as discipline, accountability and self-worth.
“Today’s youth need all the guidance we can give,” said Jackson. “Football can take you far, but you also need respect for yourself and others. As men, we need to teach the next generation how to succeed both on and off the field.”
Former teammate Charles Barr brought his son Charles Jr. and nephew Jayrin Williams, both eighth graders, to the camp.
“Even though Jarrail was a star, he was always humble,” said Barr. “He scored often and was heavily recruited, but he never bragged. He was cool, calm and collected qualities I’d love for my son and nephew to learn.”
Jackson says this is only the beginning. He hopes to make the camp an annual tradition at Jack Yates High School.
“We’re going to do this every year and make it bigger and better,” he said. “I just want these young men to take full advantage of the resources in front of them.”
