Saturday evening, Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson paid a visit as a guest speaker at Hornell Sports Night sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in Hornell New York. Jackson was supposed to attend the 2012 Sports Night but he had to cancel due to a prior commitment and fellow Bills tailback C.J. Spiller stepped in for him. This year Jackson made up for his absence from last year’s event by attending Saturday night. Along with Jackson, Buffalo Sabres all time great, Pat LaFontaine, was one of the other featured guest speakers.
Hornell Sports Night is an event that celebrates Hornell area high school students and coaches for their athletic performance this season. The notable honorees included, Lynn Craig who was honored with the Special Achievement Award, and Hornell boys’ basketball coach Kirk Scholes, who received the Sportsman of the Year Award. Also Zack Bacon, a star running back for the Hornell football team was named as Co-Male Athlete of the Year, and there was a dedication to Josie Brown.
Fred Jackson’s career has been one of perseverance. He started his professional football career by playing in arena leagues and playing in Europe. He got his shot in the NFL by being brought in for a tryout by fellow College alum and former Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy. Jackson made the team that summer and had to wait behind former Bills tailback Marshawn Lynch before he got his shot to be the feature back. When it was Jackson’s turn to carry the load, he did not disappoint, making him a mainstay at running back over the past few seasons. Jackson’s role in the offense behind C.J. Spiller will be diminished this season, but Jackson will still be a valuable piece of Buffalo’s offense.
When Jackson’s turn to speak arrived, the fan favorite spoke about the Bills’ new offense. Saying “I think we’re going to be able to keep some defenses on their heels with the things that we can bring to them,” Jackson added. “It will be good for us. The more plays we can make, the better. With us being as productive as we can be, I think it gives us the best chance to win football games”.
Jackson will likely be the second string to C.J. Spiller this coming season, who had a breakout season in 2012. New Bills head coach Doug Marrone would be wise to utilize both running backs as much as possible.
At the event, Jackson also spoke about the team’s uncertainty at the quarterback position. With Buffalo expected to draft a quarterback later this month and two veterans already on the roster, Jackson is confident that whoever is at quarterback, will have a very strong running game to rely on saying, “We know that we don’t have a quarterback that we know is going to be the starter, but we have two capable guys in Tarvaris and Kevin. I think we’ll be able to lean on either one of those guys and they’ll get the job done”. Buffalo’s running game is one of the team’s strengths, and will carry the offense this season.
