TJ Max

Thursday, December 3, 1998

TJ Max

JACKSON: Bruin hoopster Takiyah Jackson perseveres and makes the
most of her opportunities despite two career-threatening
injuries

By A. CinQue Carter

Daily Bruin Staff

There she went – around one defender and another and another
until she was approaching the basket all alone. Or so she
thought.

As she elevated, she felt a push in the back and heard a very
loud pop. Being the competitor that she is, she concentrated more
on making the basket than cushioning her landing.

After picking herself up off the floor, Takiyah Jackson realized
that she could not go on.

She could walk out of the gym, but the pain was excruciating.
The next day she got the news: the high school All-American had
torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee. There
was no way she would be able to continue playing basketball.

One arthroscopic surgery and three years later, the player was
now a junior and was beginning to have fun playing basketball for
the first time since the injury. This would be her year to return
to her glory days of basketball.

But on the first day of fall practice and in the first warm-up
drill, Takiyah realized her worst nightmare. She went up for a
layup, bumped into a teammate and came down awkwardly.

Once again she heard the dreaded pop. Same knee. Same ACL. Same
injury.

Her first thought was, "This can’t be happening again."

Her next thought? "I just have to get to working hard in rehab
again so I can return for next season."

Takiyah immediately knew that she would not let a simple injury
defeat her; she would not let obstacles stand in her way of
accomplishing goals.

"The first year was hard for me because I felt I was working
hard in rehab," Takiyah said. "I didn’t know if I could meet those
expectations of college greatness out of high school.

"And I never wanted to go through it again and said if I did I
would probably stop playing. I felt that way because it was one of
the worst experiences that I have had."

But here she is. Following her second season-ending injury in
four years, Takiyah had surgery two days ago. She plans to return
to the basketball team and play next season.

For now, she’ll just have to deal with cheering her teammates on
from the sidelines of games and practices.

"It shows how much she cares about the team," teammate Janae
Hubbard said. "She’s there in practices and at games supporting
us."

While she will be anxious to get back, she will be content until
it is time for her to make her return, because she has a whole new
perspective on school and basketball. Ironically, she owes it all
to the first injury.

"Before the first injury, my main focus was basketball and then
school," said Takiyah. "When I got hurt I got hit with reality.
Then I focused on academics.

"It was important because I realized I might not be able to play
basketball forever."

Brave words well-spoken by the 21-year-old Seattle, Wash.
native.

But Hubbard says that is what Takiyah is all about.

"Takiyah’s very intelligent," Hubbard said. "She understands
that athletics aren’t someone’s life.

"She’s very smart because she’s learned the balance. She’s
realized that basketball is just a means to an end. It is going to
pay for education.

"And that education is going to help her in the long run."

In the long run, Takiyah wants to get into education, following
in the footsteps of her mother, who is an educational law teacher
and her father, an high school administrator. She has two aunts,
two uncles and a cousin who are private school administrators, and
her step-father is a college professor.

Takiyah grew up around educators and knew the field was her
calling. In a sense, she learned by example. Becoming an
administrator was her ticket.

Conversely, her desire to go the route of education was
strengthened by the lack of guidance her friends, teammates and
associates got as students in Washington.

"I’ve always wanted to do something in education," Takiyah said.
"I don’t necessarily want to be a teacher.

"Eventually I want to be an administrator. That’s why I want to
go to graduate school and get a Ph.D.

"I find it fulfilling knowing I can help someone else. I saw
things in high school and thought, ‘When I get older I want to
change that.’ Hopefully I can."

Takiyah witnessed students and student-athletes with potential,
being guided the wrong way academically. They would take less
challenging classes as opposed to those required, because their
counselors steered them wrong.

She would like to counteract the wrongs going on in her
hometown. Because she is getting her education at UCLA, she will be
qualified. She will graduate this spring and continue on to UCLA
graduate school.

That is one of the perks of being a athlete on scholarship. As
long as you are eligible to play the sport, you attend the school
on the university’s tab. Takiyah sees the light at the end of the
tunnel, and that light is shining on undergraduate and graduate
degrees.

"She has a real focus to get on a task and see it through," said
Sam Jackson of his daughter.

"It is important to prepare yourself to work in an area that you
have a passion for," Sam said, "and that’s what Takiyah is doing
with education.

"She knows that she can accomplish more important things than
basketball."

Takiyah attributes her maturity and knowledge to her upbringing.
Whenever she has problems, Takiyah talks to her parents first.
Being an only child, she has a familial bond with each of her
parents. This is made easier by the fact that Sam and Peggy
Jackson-Williams live within 10 minutes of each other.

This support system really helped Takiyah through the rough
times she faced as a freshman while being injured and homesick at
the same time.

Also, she feared not living up to all the "hype" that preceded
her even donning a college uniform.

Takiyah was supposed to be phenomenal in college, since she was
just that in high school. As a junior, Takiyah was named the
Seattle Times player of the Year. She was All-State all four years
and was named to seven All-America teams and picked Washington
State player of the year as senior.

So much was expected of her and she felt the burden getting
heavier on her shoulders as she sat in rehab.

"It was a long year watching," Takiyah said of her redshirt
season. "It was really hard. I wasn’t playing, I was away from home
and I didn’t know how it would turn out.

"And it’s even harder because if you don’t meet people’s
expectations they shoot you down."

Luckily, Takiyah chose a school that would benefit her
academically as well as athletically. Of course, it helps to have
very supportive parents.

"My parents just wanted me to be successful," Takiyah said.
"They were happy with whatever decisions I made and helped me
through the hard times."

Said Sam, "I’m very fortunate. It is a personal pleasure for me
to have seen an 18-year-old turn into a woman; to see her grow
since she’s been at school.

"I just had the faith that she would make the right decisions
and she has."

Sam also feels that personality and character shape and define
individuals. And he says that Takiyah the person is making him
happier than Takiyah the basketball player.

"You can have all the talent in the world," Sam said, "but if
you have an ugly personality it means nothing. You can win a
championship but still be a loser."

And you can be a champion without a trophy or plaque validating
it.

Takiyah knows this. Since knowing is half the battle, she has a
jumpstart on success.

While there will be no All-American title for Takiyah, a title
that will most assuredly come will be "Dr. Jackson, Ph.D."GENEVIEVE
LIANG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Takiyah Jackson’s strength of character and perseverance for the
game has shown through in her determination to play basketball, in
spite of two serious knee injuries thus far in her college
career.

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