View source for Russ Jackson

{{Short description|Canadian football player (born 1936)}}
{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography
|name = Russ Jackson<br />{{post-nominals|country=CAN|OC}}
|image = Russ Jackson, Quarterback (44039046041).jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Jackson with the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] in 1969
|position1 = [[Quarterback]]
|number = 12
|CIS = [[McMaster Marauders football|McMaster]]
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1936|7|28}}
|birth_place = [[Hamilton, Ontario]], Canada
|height_ft = 6
|weight_lbs = 195
|CFLDraftedYear = 1958
|CFLDraftedRound = 1
|CFLDraftedPick = 6
|playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|1958|1969}}
|playing_team1 = [[Ottawa Rough Riders]]
|coaching_years1 = {{CFL Year|1975|1976}}
|coaching_team1 = [[Toronto Argonauts]] ([[Head coach|HC]])
|career_highlights =
* 3× [[Grey Cup]] champion ([[48th Grey Cup|1960]], [[56th Grey Cup|1968]], [[57th Grey Cup|1969]])
* 2× [[Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy]] ([[1959 CFL season|1959]], [[1969 CFL season|1969]])
* 4× [[CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award|Most Outstanding Canadian]] ([[1959 CFL season#1959 CFL Awards|1959]], [[1963 CFL season#1963 CFL Awards|1963]], [[1966 CFL season#1966 CFL Awards|1966]], [[1969 CFL season#1969 CFL Awards|1969]])
* 3× [[CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award|CFL MOP]] ({{CFL Year|1963}}, {{CFL Year|1966}}, {{CFL Year|1969}})
* [[Grey Cup MVP]] ([[57th Grey Cup|1969]])
* [[Lou Marsh Trophy]] ({{CFL Year|1969}})
* 2× [[Lionel Conacher Award]] (1959, 1969)
* 3× CFL All-Star ({{CFL Year|1966}}, {{CFL Year|1968}}, {{CFL Year|1969}})
* 6× [[CFL East]] All-Star ({{CFL Year|1962}}, {{CFL Year|1963}}, {{CFL Year|1966}}–{{CFL Year|1969}})
*[[Ottawa Rough Riders#Retired numbers|Ottawa Rough Riders #12]] retired
*[[Ottawa Redblacks#Retired numbers|Ottawa Redblacks #12]] retired
*[[Order of Canada]] (1970)
*[[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]] (1975)
| CFHOF = russ-jackson
|CFHOFYear = 1973
}}

'''Russell Stanley Jackson''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|OC}} (born July 28, 1936) is a Canadian former professional [[Canadian football|football]] player.<ref name=Mac>{{cite web|title=Russ Jackson '58|url=https://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni/125/POI_Bios/Jackson_Bio.html|access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref> Jackson spent his entire 12-year professional football career with the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL). He is a member of the [[Order of Canada]], the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]], and [[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]], and has been described as the best Canadian-born quarterback to play in the CFL.<ref name=WoF>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/headlines/hamilton-s-russ-jackson-walk-of-fame-1.1233867|title=Hamilton's Russ Jackson walk of fame|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=December 19, 2020|date=September 24, 2012}}</ref> In 2006, Jackson was voted one of the CFL's [[TSN Top 50 CFL Players|Top 50 players]] (#8) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network [[The Sports Network|TSN]], the highest-ranked Canadian-born player on the list.<ref name=WoF/>

==Early life and university career==
Jackson went to [[Westdale Secondary School]] in [[Hamilton, Ontario]].  After a stellar college career as both a [[basketball]] and football player, he graduated from [[McMaster University]] in 1958 with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[Mathematics]]. He was the McMaster nominee for a [[Rhodes Scholarship]], but did not pursue an interview for the scholarship, deciding to play professionally.<ref name=WoF/><ref name=numbers>{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/football/cfl/russ-jackson-by-the-numbers-summary-of-a-hall-of-fame-football-career|title=Russ Jackson by the numbers: Summary of a hall of fame football career|publisher=[[Ottawa Citizen]]|access-date=December 19, 2020|date=October 25, 2019}}</ref>

==Professional career==
Jackson was drafted in the first round, sixth overall, by the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] in the [[1958 CFL draft]] as a [[Halfback (Canadian football)|halfback]].<ref name=draft>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/draft-tracker/1958/ |title=1958 CFL Draft |publisher=[[Canadian Football League]] |access-date=July 11, 2024}}</ref> In his rookie year, he also played [[quarterback]] and eventually became the starter and led the Rough Riders to three [[Grey Cup]] victories ([[48th Grey Cup|48th]], [[56th Grey Cup|56th]], and [[57th Grey Cup]]s).<ref name=numbers/>

Jackson was the dominant CFL quarterback of the 1960s. Referred to as the "[[Y. A. Tittle]] of the North", he was honoured many times during his CFL career.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Olderman|first1=Murray|title=Y. A. Tittle of North Intends to Stay There|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1908&dat=19640812&id=DJcfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UtQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3328,4862674&hl=en|access-date=August 13, 2016|work=The Nevada Daily Mail|agency=Newspaper Enterprise Association|date=August 12, 1964|page=4}}</ref> He won the [[CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award]] in the [[1963 CFL season|1963]], [[1966 CFL season|1966]], and [[1969 CFL season|1969 seasons]]. He was also a four-time winner of the [[CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award]] ([[1959 CFL season|1959]], 1963, 1966, 1969). He was a six-time [[Canadian Football League East Division|Eastern Conference]] All-Star quarterback (1962, 1963, 1966–1969) and the CFL All-Star quarterback in the 1966, [[1968 CFL season#1968 CFL All-Stars|1968]], and 1969 seasons.

Russ Jackson was inducted into the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]] in 1973.<ref name="cfhof">{{cite web|url=http://cfhof.ca/index.php?module=page&id=24&player=Jackson,%20Russ|title=Russ Jackson|work=Hall of Famers|publisher=Canadian Football Hall of Fame|access-date=December 21, 2008}}</ref> Many consider him one of the best Canadian-born players to play in the CFL, while most consider him to be the best Canadian to play the [[quarterback]] position.<ref name=WoF/> In November 2006, Jackson was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players (No. 8) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network [[The Sports Network|TSN]].,<ref name=WoF/> the only Canadian-born player in the Top 10.

Jackson ended his career with 24,593 passing yards, with 1,356 completions on 2,530 attempts (53.6%), 124 interceptions, 185 touchdowns, and an efficiency rating of 91.2. He was also a mobile quarterback, gaining 5,045 yards on the ground on 738 rushes, with 54 touchdowns. Among the few Canadian-born quarterbacks to play in the CFL, Jackson is the one of two to pass for over 10,000 yards, as he was joined by [[Nathan Rourke]] in 2025.<ref name="2017 Record Book">{{cite web|title=CFL Guide & Record Book, 2017 Edition|url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CFL-Book-2017-Perfect-Bind.pdf|publisher=[[Canadian Football League]]|access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>

He holds the record for throwing the most passing touchdowns in a Grey Cup game with four (set in the [[57th Grey Cup|1969 game]]) and highest career [[passer rating]] in Grey Cup games with 118.4<!---is tied for the career lead in Grey Cup passing touchdowns with eight = since surpassed by Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray--->.<ref name="2017 Record Book"/>

''[[Ottawa Journal]]'' sports editor [[Eddie MacCabe]] wrote a biography for Jackson's career in Ottawa, titled ''Profile of a Pro: The Russ Jackson Story'' and first published in 1969.<ref>{{cite news|title=Eddie MacCabe: A glimpse it the city's soul|last=Chwialkowska|first=Luiza|date=May 24, 1998|newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]]|location=Ottawa, Ontario|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91401770/maccabe-1998/}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=MacCabe|first=Eddie|author-link=Eddie MacCabe|title=Profile of a Pro: The Russ Jackson Story|publisher=[[Prentice Hall]]|date=1969|location=Scarborough, Ontario|oclc=869502215}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="0" width="65%" style="text-align:center"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="2" | 
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="8" | Passing
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="7" | Rushing
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Games
! Att
! Comp
! Pct
! Yards
! TD
! Int
! Rating
! Att
! Yards
! Avg
! Long
! TD
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1958 CFL season|1958]]
| [[1958 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 112
| 61
| 54.5
| 858
| 3
| 6
| 66.0
| 66
| 357
| 5.4
| 51
| 5
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[1959 CFL season|1959]]
| [[1959 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 89
| 45
| 50.6
| 1,009
| 7
| 7
| 84.8
| 69
| 385
| 5.6
| 30
| 3
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1960 CFL season|1960]]
| [[1960 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 12
| 52
| 20
| 38.5
| 322
| 2
| 3
| 40.7
| 52
| 381
| 7.3
| 25
| 6
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[1961 CFL season|1961]]
| [[1961 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 117
| 59
| 50.4
| 1,048
| 8
| 7
| 79.3
| 67
| 472
| 7.0
| 24
| 6
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1962 CFL season|1962]]
| [[1962 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 157
| 78
| 49.7
| 1,427
| 10
| 13
| 68.1
| 71
| 512
| 7.2
| 26
| 8
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[1963 CFL season|1963]]
| [[1963 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 259
| 152
| 58.7
| 2,910
| 19
| 8
| 109.4
| 64
| 384
| 6.0
| 42
| 5
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1964 CFL season|1964]]
| [[1964 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 230
| 116
| 50.4
| 2,156
| 18
| 16
| 80.3
| 81
| 588
| 7.3
| 33
| 3
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[1965 CFL season|1965]]
| [[1965 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 252
| 130
| 51.6
| 2,303
| 18
| 13
| 85.5
| 24
| 129
| 5.4
| 26
| 2
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1966 CFL season|1966]]
| [[1966 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 276
| 142
| 51.4
| 2,400
| 17
| 15
| 79.1
| 65
| 396
| 6.1
| 26
| 3
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[1967 CFL season|1967]]
| [[1967 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 323
| 189
| 58.5
| 3,332
| 25
| 9
| 108.0
| 61
| 329
| 5.4
| 23
| 4
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1968 CFL season|1968]]
| [[1968 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 305
| 171
| 56.1
| 3,187
| 25
| 16
| 97.8
| 54
| 534
| 9.9
| 73
| 6
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[1969 CFL season|1969]]
| [[1969 Ottawa Rough Riders season|OTT]]
| 14
| 358
| 193
| 53.9
| 3,641
| 33
| 12
| 106.1
| 64
| 578
| 9.0
| 49
| 3
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="2" | [[Canadian Football League|CFL]] totals
! 166
! 2,530
! 1,356
! 53.6
! 24,593
! 185
! 125
! 91.0
! 738
! 5,045
! 6.8
! 73
! 54
|}

==Post-football playing career==
===Teaching===
After retiring from football, Jackson returned to teaching, having been a mathematics teacher from 1959 to 1961 and head of the Department of Mathematics at [[Rideau High School]] in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]] from 1961 to 1966. He was the principal of Canterbury High School in Ottawa from 1973<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19730501&id=jaIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s-wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1385,24737|title=Google Search Result: Ottawa Citizen Article: Principals Named for Ottawa Schools|work=Ottawa Citizen|date=May 1, 1973|access-date=September 22, 2012}}</ref> to 1975. He later became a vice-principal and principal at secondary schools in Ottawa and [[Mississauga, Ontario|Mississauga]].  He also became principal at Brampton Centennial Secondary School, John Fraser and T.L. Kennedy secondary schools.

===Broadcasting===
Jackson served as colour commentator for the [[CFL on CBC]] broadcasts from 1971 to 1973 and again from 1977 to 1980. From 1996 to 2001, Jackson was the colour commentator [[CHML (AM)|CHML-AM]]'s coverage of the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]].

===Coaching===
Jackson briefly left teaching in 1975, spending two years as head coach of the [[Toronto Argonauts]]. Jackson compiled a 12–18–2 regular season record in two seasons as the Argos' head coach, not reaching the playoffs in either season. Jackson was replaced by [[Leo Cahill]], in his second tenure as the Argos' head coach, prior to the [[1977 CFL season]].

===Honours===
Jackson is an Officer of the [[Order of Canada]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=830|title=Russell S. Jackson, O.C., B.Sc.|work=Order of Canada|publisher=[[Governor General of Canada]]|access-date=December 21, 2008}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in law by [[McMaster University]] in 1989. He was added to [[Canada's Walk of Fame]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/russ-jackson-attends-the-2012-canadas-walk-of-fame-awards-news-photo/152595261|title=Russ Jackson attends the 2012 Canada Walk of Fame Awards|date=23 September 2012 |access-date=October 3, 2015}}</ref>

In 1986, the [[Russ Jackson Award]] was created in his honour to recognize the [[U Sports football|university football]] player who best exhibits athletic ability, academic achievement, and devoted citizenship.<ref name=cfhof/>

Russ Jackson was inducted into the [[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russ Jackson |url=http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/100-russ-jackson |website=oshof.ca |publisher=[[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] |access-date=September 23, 2014 |archive-date=December 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228144606/http://www.oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/100-russ-jackson |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
*CFL Facts, Figures and Records 1987 and 2007.
*Ronald A. Ferroni, The 2001 Unofficial Canadian Football Encyclopedia, Hamilton 2001.

== External links ==
* [http://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/russ-jackson/ "Russ Jackson"]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''.
* {{YouTube|3avI8XvtWbI|Canadian Football Hall of Fame member}}
* {{YouTube|zwDZz-_eLOk|80-yard TD pass in 1969 Grey Cup}}
* {{YouTube|LtzzT5tsBSE|32-yard TD pass in 1960 Grey Cup}}

{{Navboxes |list1=
{{Jeff Russel pre 1973}}
{{CFL MOPs East}}
{{CFL MOPs}}
{{CFL Most Outstanding Canadians}}
{{CFL passing yardage leaders}}
{{CFL passing touchdowns leaders}}
{{Grey Cup Most Valuable Player}}
{{Commissioner's Award winners}}
{{48th Grey Cup}}
{{56th Grey Cup}}
{{57th Grey Cup}}
{{Ottawa Rough Riders starting quarterback navbox}}
{{TorontoArgosCoach}}
{{Lou Marsh Trophy}}
{{Lionel Conacher Award}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Russ}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League announcers]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Canadian Award winners]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player Award winners]]
[[Category:Canadian football people from Hamilton, Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Canadian monarchists]]
[[Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats announcers]]
[[Category:Heads of schools in Canada]]
[[Category:McMaster Marauders football players]]
[[Category:Northern Star Award winners]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Ontario]]
[[Category:Toronto Argonauts coaches]]