ASSOCIATED PRESS Tennessee Titans safety Nate Jackson, a former all-WAC performer at the University of Hawaii, has gotten some attention for his long ponytail. He hopes to get attention for his hard-hitting play.

With Titans, Jackson’s
the mane attraction

The former Hawaii star
gets a chance with Tennessee

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By Teresa M. Walker
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. >> Nate Jackson stands out almost immediately on the Tennessee Titans' practice field.

Not so much for his play. The least experienced of the free safeties in training camp, his opportunities are limited. No, look for the only player whose hair covers the number on his jersey, and that is Jackson, whose black hair reaches the middle of his No. 41.

The hair style isn't a fashion statement for Jackson. It's a family tradition for the former University of Hawaii safety and baseball player from Waianae.

"In my culture, we believe that hair is strength and power, so I grew up knowing that," Jackson said. "I'm going to keep it."

If the coaches asked, Jackson would pull out the scissors for a trim. But coach Jeff Fisher, whose own hair usually brushes the top of his shirt collar, worries about how people play, not how they look, and the Titans are busy building depth in a secondary plagued by injuries last season.

Teammates talked of cutting Jackson's hair at the beginning of camp.

When they heard Jackson had cut his hair only five or six times in his entire life, they gave him a choice of jumping in a cold tub or cutting his eyebrows. Jackson, who hates cold water, chose the eyebrows. Now he looks like he has bushy ellipses over his eyes.

STAR-BULLETIN / 2001 Nate Jackson brought his 2-year-old son, Nate Jr., down on to the field where he met Ashley Lelie after UH beat Fresno State on Oct. 6, 2001. Lelie is also at an NFL camp, with Denver.

But Jackson is just grateful to be here. The smallest safety on the roster at 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, his resume includes 44 games at UH. He grew up wanting to play in the NFL, but his chances were limited despite earning second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior with 114 tackles.

Enter Hawaii coach June Jones. He sent a video tape featuring Jackson to Titans general manager Floyd Reese, a buddy from their days as assistant coaches for the then-Houston Oilers in the late 1980s.

"We all watched the tape and saw a little skinny guy out there with long hair flying around, knocking the crap out of people," said Titans secondary coach Everett Withers. "That's what we want at safety. We said, 'Hey, let's bring him in here and give him a shot.' "

He is behind free agent signee Lance Schulters, who has been given the job as the starting free safety. That bumped Bobby Myers, the starter this time last year, to second team. The Titans also have Joe Walker and free agent signee Tony George.

Jackson is relying on impressing the coaching staff by how he hits people. He grew up playing football with the approach that he could either knock somebody out or get knocked out, a philosophy that made him the defensive player of the year as a senior at Waianae High School.

"Now I have my chance," Jackson said. "It really is a dream come true."