April 17, 2000
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Seven is a lucky number whether Jarious Jackson likes to admit it or not.
Denver picked up Jackson in the seventh round.
The quarterback wore No. 7 all four years of his career at Notre Dame where he went on to finish as one of the top signal callers in the school’s history.
Now, Jackson is headed to a city where seven is more than lucky, it is holy.
In Denver, the only player known by his No. 7 is John Elway. The Broncos added No. 7 to their Ring of Fame to honor Elway and his accomplishments.
Thus, the 6-foot-1, 228-pound Jackson will choose something different. While Jackson is not guaranteed a spot on the Broncos roster, he is happy that he has an opportunity to prove himself at the quarterback position.
“I have the opportunity to come in and play there,” Jackson said. “The big thing is that I can get in and be on the active roster.”
Jackson will join two other quarterbacks to contend for a spot. The Broncos currently have Brian Griese and Gus Frerotte on their roster.
Jackson went down in the record books as one of the top quarterbacks at Notre Dame. He broke Joe Theismann’s single-season record for yards passing with 2,753. Also the quarterback finished with 464 yards rushing this past season, the second most on the team.
Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan appeared excited about Jackson’s style of play. He likes his “slash” abilities. Shanahan gave no indications that Jackson would be playing anything other than quarterback.
Jackson could join the likes of Steve Young. The Broncos are courting the quarterback after the 49ers made it clear that they would no longer need his services. Young has yet to declare if he will be back in the mix for next season or not. Shanahan indicated that if Young does come on board, the Broncos could carry four quarterbacks next season.
Never the less, Jackson is set to pick a new number for his new team. He has no qualms about giving up lucky number “7.”