Lake Forest College football player A.J. Jackson was named Midwest Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after helping lead the Foresters to a 24-10 victory at Monmouth College last Saturday.
A 50-yard punt return by Jackson early in the third quarter set the Foresters up at the Monmouth 5-yardline. The visitors reached the end zone a few plays later to take a 17-3 lead in the contest.
Jackson's big play came on a 43-yard punt and he had a short return of a 41-yarder earlier in the game. While those were his only returns of a punt or kickoff in the game, the junior's effect on field position was just as impactful the other four times the Fighting Scots kicked the ball away. Their other three punts traveled a combined 38 yards while the home team's only kickoff of the contest went just 36.
Jackson leads the conference and ranks second in the nation with 23.8 yards per punt return this season, slightly higher than his career average of 23.6. His six career punt return touchdowns in just 20 games are a conference record while his 898 punt return yards are easily a school record and rank four in league history.
The Foresters improved to 8-0 overall and took over sole possession of first place in the MWC with a mark of 7-0 in conference play.
MWC Performers of the Week are selected by the league's sports information directors. Jackson has now earned the award four times in his career on special teams and once for his accomplishments as a wide receiver on offense.