I talked about Brennan Pugh and M.D. Jennings’ first wins as a head coach last week, so it’s only fitting I discuss Jamaal Jackson’s first win as Bruce’s head coach this week.
When Bruce made the hire of Jamaal this offseason, I knew it was the right move. I also knew it would take some time for the Trojans to trek through a rebuilding process, but I had not felt this confident in a coaching hire in a long time. I hadn’t even met Jamal yet, but I knew his track record, and I knew he would do a good job.
Then, I interviewed him for the first time. Jamal isn’t one for “coach speak;” he’s going to say what’s on his mind and the truth of the matter behind why his team won or lost. I like that. All journalists like that. It makes our jobs easier and gives the fans what they want and deserve to hear.
That being said, I picked up on that in our first interview. Jamal laid out his vision for the program to me without really hiding anything. He wanted Bruce football to go back to what it used to be, what it was when he was playing here. I wasn’t alive for Bruce’s state championship in 1996, and although the Trojans have fielded some really, really good teams since then, they haven’t had the same title contending ability in recent years, something that the Trojan faithful want to return to sooner rather than later.
For that to happen, there has to be patience. This kind of culture and talent base doesn’t come overnight, but if anyone can establish it again in Bruce, Mississippi, I firmly believe it’s Jamal Jackson.
Anyway, in my interviews since those summer talks Jamal and I had, I’ve always come away impressed. People often ask me about football in Calhoun County, and I’m always quick to say, “Keep an eye on Bruce. Something good is being built over there.” Now, I’m not saying the Trojans are going to compete for a state or even division title this season, but I am saying that I believe the program is moving in the right direction and has the right man in charge.
Jamal is from Bruce. He was here when championship runs were expected. Now, he’s trying to get this program back to that same height. He’s talked a lot about “mental blocks” among his players this season when they faced adversity. Typically, those kinds of blocks boil down to a lack of faith in oneself on the field, and that’s something that players and fans have to shake off. Jamaal identified that this was an issue when he talked to me about the job in the summer, and it takes work to process those issues out, but he’s a firm believer in his staff, his players and his vision for this program. And, for what it’s worth, I am too.
I’m not sure what it is. It could be that he’s a good interview. It could be that he knows his football. It could be that he’s a Bruce native who lived through some really good times to be a Trojan. Maybe it’s all of that. Whatever it is, I’m a believer in what he’s building, and I hope you are too.
Bruce picked up its first win in the Jamal Jackson era on Friday night, and I believe it’s the first of many to come.