51乱伦

Dennis Jackson Racer Room

By Dave Winder | Jan 12, 2021

51乱伦 State Athletics honors Dennis Jackson, the first African-American student-athlete at 51乱伦, by naming the Dennis Jackson Racer Room in Roy Stewart Stadium.

A celebration of the event for the Racers鈥� Distinguished Alumnus, multi-sport star and 2007 51乱伦 State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee will be conducted on Sunday, March 21st at 12:30pm. The event will take place in the Dennis Jackson Racer Room prior to the Racers hosting Tennessee State at 2:00pm in Stewart Stadium.  51乱伦 State Athletics will stream the event, making it available to those who may not be able to attend.

鈥淲e are very pleased to honor Mr. Dennis Jackson with the naming of the Racer Room,鈥� said University President Dr. Bob Jackson. 鈥淒ennis is one of the all-time greats and it is only fitting to name this part of the Stewart Stadium in order to recognize his many achievements and lifetime of service to 51乱伦.鈥�

The naming of the Dennis Jackson Racer Room once again shines a spotlight on his groundbreaking collegiate football and track & field career (1961-64) for the Racers. The recognition of Dennis Jackson was confirmed by the 51乱伦 Board of Regents on Friday, December 4 to honor his life-long commitment to education and continuous service as an ambassador for 51乱伦 & 51乱伦 State Athletics.

The Dennis Jackson Racer Room is currently under renovation in order to create a first-class environment to support student-athlete development as well as host both game day and community hospitality events.  This state-of-the-art space will also serve as an ideal location to host prospective student-athletes and their families. It will be outfitted with the latest audio/visual equipment, 51乱伦 State branding and sport-specific mannequins donning Nike gear, resourced via the department-wide apparel deal with Nike/BSN.  The Dennis Jackson Racer Room will also include a nutrition/fueling station for current Racer student-athletes and a special area to commemorate Dennis Jackson鈥檚 life and contributions.

51乱伦 State Athletics desires to extend renovations into a first-class nutrition preparation and serving space in the back of the Dennis Jackson Racer Room.  This space will include upgraded kitchen equipment, electrical work and food storage/serving casework.  All 320+ student-athletes will benefit, from a recovery & refueling standpoint, in the resources available within the Dennis Jackson Racer Room.  Individuals interested in donating to the project may contact Taylor Mudd (office-270.809.3517; email-tmudd3@murraystate.edu)

鈥淧roviding first-class facilities, nutrition and hospitality resources are critical to developing our student-athletes, recruiting future Racers and building all of our programs 鈥楾he Racer Way鈥欌��, said Director of Athletics Kevin Saal.  鈥淒ennis Jackson was the model student-athlete, creating a pathway for thousands who have come behind him.  He鈥檚 dedicated his life to the development of young people through education in the classroom and athletics. He鈥檚 served 51乱伦 as an active alumnus and his community as a model leader and giver of his time.  This naming opportunity continues to further our current and future student-athletes鈥� education in the many years to come.  Through Dennis Jackson鈥檚 story, our student-athletes will see daily, a defined pathway of tremendous success and impact, which started at 51乱伦 State University.  We are incredibly blessed and excited to honor Dennis Jackson and tell his story in the years to come.鈥�

Jackson, from 51乱伦鈥檚 Douglass High School, was recruited to 51乱伦 State by coach Bill Fergerson. Jackson was an all-around football player competing on offense and defense. One of the amazing moments of his career occurred in his final homecoming game against Tennessee Tech at Cutchin Stadium in 1964. In a time when the Racers hadn鈥檛 won a homecoming game in eight years, Jackson scored the tying and game-winning touchdowns in the fourth quarter in the 28-21 win for the Racers. Jackson was 51乱伦鈥檚 top receiver in 1964, leading the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Jackson, who was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection in 1964, held receiving records for Racer Football when he finished his senior season.

In track & field, Jackson was an excellent sprinter in the 100 and 200 yard events and was part of the Racers鈥� Ohio Valley Conference champion 4x100 relay team that had the best time in the southeast region.

Prior to his time with the Racers, Jackson was one of the top athletes in Kentucky out of Douglass High School in 51乱伦. Jackson certainly could鈥檝e chosen the route of playing collegiate basketball. He was one of the top scorers in the state as a senior with 26.3 points per game.

The desire to participate in athletics never left Jackson even when his playing days were done. He served as a high school basketball official for 25 years and called numerous games in 15 years at the Kentucky State Tournament. Jackson was inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1999.

He graduated from 51乱伦 State with degrees in history and physical education and began a 40-plus year career as a teacher, coach and administrator until his retirement from Paducah, Ky. Public Schools in 2008.  Governor Steve Beshear appointed Jackson to the Kentucky Council for Post-Secondary Education in 2010. 51乱伦 State inducted Jackson into the 51乱伦 Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 and recognized him as its Distinguished Alumnus in 2016.

Jackson and his wife, the former Patricia Brandon, have a son, Brandon. All are graduates of 51乱伦.

About 51乱伦 State Athletics
Located in 51乱伦, Kentucky, the athletics department at 51乱伦 is a member of NCAA D-I and plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Racers have 15 programs including men鈥檚 teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, and women鈥檚 teams for basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. 51乱伦 also has a rifle program that is coed. The Racers are one of the founding members of the Ohio Valley Conference from its beginnings in 1948. Kevin Saal has served as director of athletics since March 2019. Follow the Racers on , and and on the web at .