Jesse Jackson stops by SCSU Bulldogs' practice

By BRIAN LINDER, T&D Sports Editor

The South Carolina State University football team got a bit of a surprise when Jesse Jackson stopped in on practice following his speech at Martin Luther King Auditorium Tuesday afternoon. According to Bulldogs head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough, whose team was preparing for Saturday’s 6 p.m. home game against Winston-Salem State, the meeting was set up by former SCSU player Dexter Clinkscales who now works with Jackson.

"We could not get up there (to hear Jackson speak) because it was during our practice time, so we asked him to come down here," Pough said. "It was great. He talked about staying in school, getting an education and presenting your diploma to your mom ... real good things that we try to preach all the time. He also talked about voting and voter registration, and that’s stuff I think is important too. So, anytime you can get a good solid message to these guys -- we are in the business of educating -- and anytime you do things that can help them later in life I think that is good."

While Pough was expecting Jackson, defensive lineman James Simmons was not.

"I was kind of surprised," he said. "It was a good experience. I’m from Greenville and Jesse Jackson is from Greenville. My granddaddy told me they grew up in the same neighborhood."

Freshman tight end Sean Lampkin was also impressed by Jackson.

"It was a great experience," he said. "It helped us out a lot. He said a nice little prayer and gave us some good motivational words. It think that is going to go a long way with our team."

Before boarding a bus and heading out of Orangeburg, Jackson spoke just outside of the team’s practice field about the message he tried to convey.

"First, it is a privilege to play football, and they must use this moment to be first-class athletes and first-class students," he said. "This matters if it turns into a diploma. I went to college on a football scholarship. Anybody that can master this game can also master reading, writing, counting and thinking. So, apply leadership skills here and become leaders on campus and beyond that, graduate, go on to grad school and make a big difference.

"If they do that, they can be champions everywhere they go."