As far as college basketball signings go, this one was about as informal and low-key as one could imagine. There were no highlight videos or grandiose introductions or rehearsed speeches. There wasn’t even one hat, much less three or four. The guest of honor even had to be prodded to say a few words.
All Will “Turtle” Jackson wanted to do was sign his letter-of-intent with the Bulldogs and get back to his classes at Athens Christian School.
“I’m excited to go to UGA,” Jackson, a 6-foot-4 guard, said off the top of his head. “I want to thank everybody for the opportunity, all the people behind me, all the support I’ve gotten, all the hard work my mom and dad have taught me, schoolwork first and putting God first. I want to thank Him first for the abilities he has given me. I’m ready to change the program at UGA and ‘Go Dogs!’”
Jackson is a big-deal signee for a couple of reasons. First, though he has a composite 3-star ranking, according to 247Sports.com, he was a hotly-pursued prospect who at one time was committed to UConn and held offers from at least a dozen other schools, including Florida, Georgia Tech, Kansas and Louisville. He’s considered a Top 10 player in Georgia and Top 25 nationally. Secondly, Jackson a highly-touted local kid from Athens. It has been since Carlos Strong and Terrell Bell in the mid-90s since the Bulldogs convinced a blue-chip basketball prospect to stay at home.
“That’s why I’m signing this letter today,” Jackson said. “I’m trying to change something, like Barack Obama. That’s why I got up at 4 o’clock this morning to work on my jump shot.”
Georgia coach Mark Fox believes Jackson is a difference-maker.
“One of the most complete guards I’ve seen in the last decade,” Fox said. “I think he’s a guy who if he was on our team right now he’d be getting minutes. I think he’s a terrific player. He’s a better person. He’s been coached well, he’s been raised right, just a terrific young man and we’re very excited about him.”
Jackson is one of two players the Bulldogs signed on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period for basketball. E’torrion Wilridge, a 6-6, 170-pound wing player from Beaumont, Texas. chose Georgia over seven other offers, including Auburn, Oklahoma and Marquette. He, too, is a 3-star prospect.
“E’torrion can play both forward spots,” Fox said. “He’s a very long and athletic guy who has a very bright future.”
The Bulldogs hope to sign two more players either during the ongoing fall period or next spring.
Jackson earned his reputation as a major college prospect while displaying his talents with the Georgia Stars AAU team. It was while he was playing with them this past summer that he had a change of heart and decided to stay home rather than to venture into the Northeast to play for UConn.
“I talked to my parents and we felt the best thing for me would be going to Georgia and sharpen my talents as a guard,” said Jackson, who was born in Buffalo, N.Y. “The (Bulldogs’) coaches really believed in me. After my games they would tell me what I needed to do better, which is what my father does all the time, that’s what Coach (Ron) Link does with me all the time. That’s the type of coach I want. I wanted what Coach Fox and Coach Link and my father have told me, which is we all have flaws and we always need to be working on something.”
Life’s trials and tribulations reinforced Jackson’s to remain close to family. In the past year, Jackson has grieved the deaths of a classmate, an uncle and an older brother. In August he suffered a meniscus injury and had to undergo knee surgery.
“I’m very, very proud of what he’s been able to shoulder, because it’s been a heavy burden on the family,” said his mother, Lorry Jackson. “We’ve had a lot of losses, but this is a big win today. All of those challenges make today even more special for us.”
As for the most important question, Jackson answered that one as well. His nickname, Turtle, has been with him since before birth. It has been with him since the day his mother underwent a sonogram and, because of Jackson’s position — head down, bottom up — he looked like a turtle.
Jackson said he’ll proudly carry that name with him to UGA.
“Little kids love it,” Jackson said. “I’m all about the kids. They don’t get excited for basketball. They’re like, ‘Oh, his name is Turtle.’ They ask me if I’m a Ninja Turtle. I love little kids, so it sticks.”
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