Roosevelt football's Kardell Jackson focuses on 'building a relationship with these guys'
Several months into his first season leading Roosevelt's football program, the playbook is just part of the equation for Kardell Jackson.
Sure, any football coach loves to be Don Coryell wreaking havoc with the spread, or Buddy Ryan instilling fear with the "46."
But Jackson's focus on taking over Roosevelt, his alma mater, was in relationships.
"The biggest point of emphasis coming in for not only myself but the whole staff is just building a relationship with these guys, getting to know them," Jackson said. "X's and O's, we're believers in doing what your players do best, kind of showcasing what they do well and figuring out ways to hide what we don't do as well, so a big part of that is also just getting to know them as players and as people. So getting them to believe in us and us believe in them has been our biggest focus coming in."
That focus on relationships also governed Jackson as he assembled a staff.
His staff includes several alums and other coaches with whom he built relationships while serving as an assistant coach at Stow-Munroe Falls. That Fishcreek/Graham Road bond includes his offensive coordinator, John Schumm, who ventured east with Jackson.
"Some of them I had previous relationships [with]," Jackson said. "Well, most of them, previous relationships, but the biggest thing I was looking for is guys that are going to care about players and have a pride for Kent football."
While Kent pride and relationships was the priority, that's not to say the Rough Riders haven't been hard at work as they've changed schemes this offseason.
On offense, expect Roosevelt to embrace the spread, at least this season.
"We are fully spread," Jackson said. "A lot of empty and then we have a couple of other formations that mix it up, but we want to spread the ball around. Our receiver room and our skill room, defensive backs room, we want to get those guys the ball in space and let them make plays."
Helping the cause is that talented sophomore quarterback Yahntae Smith, who impressed last season against Ravenna before tearing his ACL, will be able to learn from senior starter Jack Smith, who transferred over from Stow-Munroe Falls.
"He gets to learn because the offense is new for everybody," Jackson said. "I mean, it's new for Jack, it was new for all the quarterbacks, it's new for us as coaches. We haven't fully run this full-time before but just getting to see and experience a lot of things, get some more varsity time. He got hurt Week 3 last year and only played sparingly, so I think it is going to benefit him to get some experience and a feel for the game at other positions right now."
As for the defense, that's Jackson's responsibility, and he is looking at a 3-4 base with "some carryover as far as how it looks but we run things a little differently out of an odd front."
Roosevelt stays close to home early
Week 1: at Ravenna (Aug. 17); Week 2: CVCA (Aug. 25); Week 3: Lakewood (Sept. 1); Week 4: Cuyahoga Falls (Sept. 8); Week 5: at Barberton (Sept. 15); Week 6: at Copley (Sept. 22); Week 7: Highland (Sept. 29); Week 8: at Aurora (Oct. 6); Week 9: at Tallmadge (Oct. 13); Week 10: Revere (Oct. 20)
With a young team that includes just eight seniors and a bunch of new starters, a schedule packed with early home games doesn't hurt.
Three of the Rough Riders' first four games are at home. Their longest road trip of the first four weeks? A trip to neighbor and leading rival Ravenna.
That one road game, of course, is a big one.
"Our focus is definitely on Ravenna right now Week 1," Jackson said. "That's what all summer has been about is just preparing for Week 1. All the scrimmages, seven-on-sevens were just preparation for the season and first and foremost Week 1."
In that Ravenna game, and the next week as well in the home opener against CVCA, Roosevelt will look to avenge losses from a year ago.
"They're motivated to prove that we're better than last year, that they're not the same kids," Jackson said. "We're not the same team as last year, so that [motivational] piece has actually come a little easier than I anticipated. We have good leadership in our locker room right now.
"[The players] are just hungry, they're hungry, and they created a great energy of wanting to kind of rebound [from] the last couple years."
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: For Roosevelt's Kardell Jackson, it's all about building relationships
