INDIANAPOLIS —Georgia Southern isn't forgetting about the legacy of Edwin Jackson anytime soon.
On Feb. 27, the school's football team held its inaugural Edwin Jackson Memorial Walk-On Tryouts, in which prospective players would get an opportunity to earn a roster spot the hard way — just as Jackson did going into his freshman year.
And this weekend, the school continued to honor Jackson, awarding him his degree posthumously:
The former Indianapolis Colts linebacker was one of two victims, along with Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe, who was tragically struck and killed along the side of Interstate 70 in Indianapolis on Feb. 4.
After taking advantage as a walk-on at Georgia Southern, Jackson would become a starter by his junior season and led the team in tackles his final two years; his senior season, he was named First-Team All-Sun Belt.
Jackson went unselected in the 2015 NFL Draft, and after initially signing a college free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals, he would be picked up by the Colts later that year. By Week 1 of the following season, Jackson had won a spot on the final 53-man roster, and midway through the 2016 campaign, he was one of the team's starters at inside linebacker. In 16 games, with eight starts, he finished with 66 tackles.
Jackson missed the entire 2017 season with an injury, but was expected to be a major piece for the Colts' defense in 2018 and beyond prior to his untimely death.
Colts owner Jim Irsay has since created a $25,000 gift to establish the Edwin Jackson Memorial Scholarship, while his family has continued to honor his legacy off the field — one in which he was very active as a positive influence out in the community — with the Edwin Jackson 53 Foundation.
