**IOWA CITY, Iowa--** Nick Jackson was only on Iowa's campus for two years, but he became one of the most engaging and productive players in recent years for the Hawkeyes. Jackson, who played his first four years of college football at Virginia, immediately gravitated toward Kirk Ferentz's culture and proved to be a tremendous asset.
On Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that they have signed Jackson. The 24-year-old backer had rookie mini-camps with the New York Giants before the Buccaneers but managed to do enough to keep his NFL dreams alive.
Despite being on the east-coast for the majority of his life, Jackson found comfort in Iowa City. The chemistry he had with his teammates and the linebacker room were at high levels. You would have thought he was on campus throughout his entire career. Especially when you hear how his teammate Jay Higgins talks about him.
He provides leadership, perspective and he's a team guy," Higgins said of Jackson. "I think if you ask anybody in the locker room about Nick Jackson you'll get positive things. And obviously, that's a testament to coach (Seth) Wallace and our recruiting staff. You really don't know when you get a transfer, but the dude, he fit right in, a perfect match. My best friend. I didn't know I was going to find my best friend my junior year."
Jackson registered 26 career 10-plus tackle games and four 100-plus tackle seasons. Jackson was a third-team All-Big Ten choice in 2023 by the league's media. He has the second-most tackles in college football history with 555.
Iowa needed another difference-maker in the linebacker room and they wasted no time by finding Jackson. The level of respect between Ferentz and Jackson was palpable and that's what ultimately sealed the deal.
"I think it's just honestly from my official visit, the culture is very similar to the culture at Virginia, and it's very similar to the morals that have been instilled in me by my my parents," Jackson said previously. "And I think that ultimately coach Ferentz is an unbelievable guy, an unbelievable man. And what he's built here in this program, it's just been awesome. As soon as you walk into it, he treats us like men. And at the end of the day, that's all you can ask for."
Jackson has the production and skill-set to make the NFL if given the right situation. His consistency, ability to learn and willingness to be a leader should give him every opportunity when he arrives down in Tampa Bay.
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