Former Delaware State, Johnson C. Smith and Howard Head Coach Edward Jackson Selected as the 2021 AFCA Trailblazer Award Recipient
November 22, 2021
Edward Jackson, former head coach at Delaware State, Johnson C. Smith and Howard, has been named the American Football Coaches Association’s recipient of the 2021 Trailblazer Award. The award will be presented to Jackson during the AFCA Honors Luncheon on Monday, January 10, at the 2022 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
RELATED ARTICLE: Long-time Wake Forest Athletic Administrator and Coach to Receive the AFCA’s 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award
The AFCA Trailblazer Award was created to honor early leaders in the football coaching profession who coached at historically black colleges and universities. Past Trailblazer Award winners include Charles Williams, Hampton (2004); Cleve Abbott, Tuskegee (2005); Arnett Mumford, Southern (2006); Billy Nicks, Prairie View A&M (2007); Alonzo “Jake” Gaither, Florida A&M (2008); Fred “Pops” Long, Wiley (2009); Harry R. “Big Jeff” Jefferson, Bluefield State (2010); Edward P. Hurt, Morgan State (2011); Vernon “Skip” McCain, Maryland-Eastern Shore (2012); Marino Casem, Alcorn State (2013); Gideon Smith, Hampton (2014); Eddie Robinson, Grambling State (2015); Oree Banks, South Carolina State and West Virginia State (2016); John Merritt, Jackson State and Tennessee State (2017); Earl Banks, Morgan State (2018) and Bill Hayes, Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T (2019).
Jackson began his collegiate coaching career at Delaware State. As head coach, Jackson won 21 games from 1932 to 1935, winning a Middle Atlantic Athletic Association title in 1934 with an 8-0 record. The following year, his team finished 7-1, taking home another conference title in back-to-back years.
In 1937, Jackson moved onto Johnson C. Smith, where he led the Golden Bulls to a 46-13-8 record in his eight years as head coach. His team finished second in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) three times (1940, 1941, 1942) and third twice (1939, 1944).
Jackson’s next head coaching job was for Howard University. He coached at Howard for seven years (1945-1952) and had an overall record of 45-22-2. Jackson’s best year at Howard came in 1947 when the Bison went 7-2 and finished second in the CIAA.
Jackson found his way back to Delaware State to end his coaching career from 1953 to 1955. The Delaware State Hornets went 39-16 in his final stint as head coach.
Jackson’s overall record in 23 years as a head coach was 130–53–10. While coaching for the Delaware State and Johnson C. Smith football teams, he also coached the school’s basketball teams. After retiring as a head coach, Jackson served as the physical education director and vice president of academic affairs at Tuskegee from 1956-1968. In 1970, Jackson earned the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Presidential Citation.
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members worldwide, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.”
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Edward Jackson, former head coach at Delaware State, Johnson C. Smith and Howard, has been named the American Football Coaches Association’s recipient of the 2021 Trailblazer Award. The award will be presented to Jackson during the AFCA Honors Luncheon on Monday, January 10, at the 2022 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
RELATED ARTICLE: Long-time Wake Forest Athletic Administrator and Coach to Receive the AFCA’s 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award
The AFCA Trailblazer Award was created to honor early leaders in the football coaching profession who coached at historically black colleges and universities. Past Trailblazer Award winners include Charles Williams, Hampton (2004); Cleve Abbott, Tuskegee (2005); Arnett Mumford, Southern (2006); Billy Nicks, Prairie View A&M (2007); Alonzo “Jake” Gaither, Florida A&M (2008); Fred “Pops” Long, Wiley (2009); Harry R. “Big Jeff” Jefferson, Bluefield State (2010); Edward P. Hurt, Morgan State (2011); Vernon “Skip” McCain, Maryland-Eastern Shore (2012); Marino Casem, Alcorn State (2013); Gideon Smith, Hampton (2014); Eddie Robinson, Grambling State (2015); Oree Banks, South Carolina State and West Virginia State (2016); John Merritt, Jackson State and Tennessee State (2017); Earl Banks, Morgan State (2018) and Bill Hayes, Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T (2019).
Jackson began his collegiate coaching career at Delaware State. As head coach, Jackson won 21 games from 1932 to 1935, winning a Middle Atlantic Athletic Association title in 1934 with an 8-0 record. The following year, his team finished 7-1, taking home another conference title in back-to-back years.
In 1937, Jackson moved onto Johnson C. Smith, where he led the Golden Bulls to a 46-13-8 record in his eight years as head coach. His team finished second in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) three times (1940, 1941, 1942) and third twice (1939, 1944).
Jackson’s next head coaching job was for Howard University. He coached at Howard for seven years (1945-1952) and had an overall record of 45-22-2. Jackson’s best year at Howard came in 1947 when the Bison went 7-2 and finished second in the CIAA.
Jackson found his way back to Delaware State to end his coaching career from 1953 to 1955. The Delaware State Hornets went 39-16 in his final stint as head coach.
Jackson’s overall record in 23 years as a head coach was 130–53–10. While coaching for the Delaware State and Johnson C. Smith football teams, he also coached the school’s basketball teams. After retiring as a head coach, Jackson served as the physical education director and vice president of academic affairs at Tuskegee from 1956-1968. In 1970, Jackson earned the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Presidential Citation.
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members worldwide, ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.”
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
