Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2015)
6 CLACKAMAS PRINT - MAY 6.2015 Former CCC coach inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame Story and photo by Blake Thomason May 2, 2015, m ig h t go dow n as one o f th e m ost historic days in sports his tory: there was th e NFL Draft, th e Ken tucky Derby, NHL and NBA playoffs and a legendary fig h t betw een Manny Pac quiao and Floyd Mayweather. But none o f those could to p w h a t happened in the Washington Square Embassy Suites. The Oregon chapter o f th e N ation al W restling Hall o f Fame inducted six new members, including form er Clacka mas Community College wrestling head coach and athletic director Jim Jackson. “ I w o u ld n ’t miss this fo r the w orld," said Davey Evans, w h o w re s tle d fo r Jackson from 1992-93 a t CCC. T h roughout th e ceremony, friends, family, form er wrestlers and colleagues of Jackson were on their phones check ing th e score o f th e S purs-C lippers game or seeing w ho was w inning the M ayweather-Pacquiao fight. But when Jackson was called up, all eyes w ere on him. “ I guess I fo o le d everyone," jo ke d Jackson. “All th e things I get credit fo r I d id n ’t d o alone. I stole fro m o th e r coaches and peers." W h e n Josh Rhoden, c u rre n t head wrestling coach at CCC, heard Jackson’s hum ble line he called it “ BS.” Rhoden, w ho was hired by Jackson, w e n t on to say, “ People d o n ’t under stand how hard [Jackson] w orked. If I was there late, he was there lat er. He w o u ld be th e re c le a n in g u p th e w e ig h t ro o m , cle a n in g up th e gym after a m atch. T h a t’s w h e re I g o t m y drive from .” E vans a ls o re m e m b e re d Ja ckso n ’s ha rd work, explaining how Jackson w ould ride his bike from Northeast Portland all th e way o u t to CCC every day. Jackson’s dedication and com m itm ent likely comes from his m il itary days. Jackson graduated from the Naval Academ y In 1973 and coached th e U.S. Marine and M ilitary team s fo r five years. Those team s included four Olympians and tw o w o rld champions. “W h e n you th in k o f O lym pic bas ketball, you th in k o f Mike Krzyzewski,” said Rhoden. “ If you had to com pare [Jackson] to someone, it’d be th e guy w ho coached “Anytime you see X ’ X a guy working that “ X' hard get honored X " no,h" like this, you know 'X X :*»_ wiooha ” Jackson affected 11 S rigni. people, th o u g h . - Josh Rhoden a te a m m a te o f Evans a t CCC fro m 1992-93, credited Jackson w ith im pacting his life. “He was very encouraging,” said Bon neau. “ He was really a positive, u p lift ing guy.” Bonneau is currently an artist, and after th e cerem ony he presented Jackson w ith a painting as a gift. The same man w h o th e y showed flipping opponents over his head gushed about how “ beautiful" th e a rt was. W hile Jackson is no longer at CCC, where he spent six years coaching and seven years as AD, his im pact is still fe lt in th e athletics programs. “ People always ask me, ‘W h a t’s your legacy now th a t you’re not at Clacka mas?’" said Jackson. “ I tell th e m Clack amas still is my legacy. I hired five of th e coaches there now and a sixth is no longer coaching, b u t still a faculty member." Although Jackson was gracious and humble about his induction, th e form er and cu rre n t CCC w re stlin g m em bers agreed he belongs in th e hall. “ It’s long overdue,” said Bonneau. “ He deserves it,” said Evans. “ Like [Bonneau] said, it’s long overdue.” “ It’s way overdue, he d e fin ite ly de serves it,” said Rhoden. “A nytim e you see a guy w orking th a t hard get hon ored like this, you know it’s right.” Jim Jackson, front row and third from the right poses with the other Oregon National Wrestling Hail of Fame inductees for 2015. After lettering at the US Naval Academy, Jackson was a head coach of the US Marine and Military teams, Clear Creek High School in Iowa and Clackamas Community College before transitioning to athletic director at CCC. Jackson also officiated wrestling for 18 years. He currently serves as the compliance manager for the NWAC
