BONAIRE, Ga. — From the age of 9 when he zipping down the track, to making sensational plays for the Peach County Trojans on the football field, Kearis Jackson knew he'd play on the big stage one day.
"My husband even came up with the slogan, 'D1 Since Day One.' It's something that I always told him, 'You're going to go to a Division I school, so I kind of prepared him for that,'" said his mother Kimberly McGhee.
Now, Jackson makes plays for the Georgia Bulldogs and even though he's one win away from an SEC championship title, McGhee says her son still makes time for his mom.
"I talk to him three times a day. He'll call me around my lunchtime [and] once he gets out of football practice, we'll talk about how was practice, how was school," McGhee said.
Jackson was a standout at Peach County High, an All-American and 4-star recruit, but despite the fanfare and the bright lights of Sanford Stadium, he remembers his roots.
"He has remained humble, which was my main thing, remained coach-able, that was my one of the things I told him. 'Remain humble,' and he has done that since he left Peach County High School," McGhee said.
But running with the Dawgs has not come without its adversity, including a broken hand in the first week of 2019 against Vanderbilt.
"I know we always say don't question God, but my mind was like, 'Why Jesus? He has worked so hard all summer, he's been practicing, he's been practicing when everyone else was sleeping,' so it was very hard for him," McGhee said.
Now, Jackson's fully healthy and he's ready to make his mark on the LSU Tigers. He'll do it with kids who use to be his rivals on the high school gridiron, including former Houston County Bear Jake Fromm and Mary Persons Bulldog Malik Herring.
"That I know of, they don't really talk about high school, playing against each other," McGhee said. "It's just like now, we're family, we're all Georgia Bulldogs and we're out here to win."
So with family support at home, including little sister Madeline who prances around the house yelling 'Go Dawgs,' Jackson and the Georgia Bulldogs are ready for the bright lights.
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