Lake Forest College wide receiver and kick returner A.J. Jackson was named Midwest Conference Special Teams Performer of the Week on Monday after he amassed 359 all-purpose yards during the Foresters' 34-27 victory over Ripon College on Saturday.
The versatile Jackson scored touchdowns three different ways in the game. With the score tied 7-7 late in the opening period, the freshman fielded a punt at the Forester 37, weaved through the Red Hawk coverage unit and sprinted the rest of the way to the end zone to give the home team the lead. Ripon posted back-to-back touchdown drives to pull ahead 20-17 late in the second quarter but Jackson returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for another score, giving Lake Forest a 24-20 halftime edge. Finally, with the game tied again at 27-27 late in the fourth quarter, Jackson hauled in a 28-yard touchdown pass with just 19.7 seconds on the clock to secure the victory.
Jackson finished the contest with three kickoff returns for 123 yards, four punt returns for 112 yards, six receptions for 118 yards, and a 6-yard run. His 359 all-purpose yards on the day are the second-highest single-game total in the nation so far this season and he leads the league and ranks 11th in the country with 172.0 all-purpose yards per game.
MWC Performers of the Week are selected by the league office.
