Growing up in California, Nate Jackson spent all his time in the swimming pool… because he wasn’t allowed to play football until high school. He excelled in the pool and figured out how to compete. Once he started high school, his football experience began as a running back. Nate had to catch up quickly with guys who had been playing for a while… and had hit puberty.
He caught up and moved to wide receiver, however in a run-first offense, Nate didn’t get enough exposure to earn a college football scholarship. He decided he would try to walk on somewhere and settled on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The football coach told him all the walk-on spots were full and he should come back in the spring. When he came back in the spring, Nate and the other walk-ons were put aside. So, he transferred to Division III Menlo College.
At Menlo, Nate set records at wide receiver, earned NCAA Division III Offensive Player of the Year his senior year and is now in their Hall of Fame. He went undrafted after graduation and was able to catch on with the 49er’s. From there the ups and downs of pro football started: injury, cut, resigned, traded to the Broncos, NFL Europe, cut by Josh McDaniels, more injuries and a final try with the Las Vegas Locomotives.
Nate’s body had enough. He retired, started a family and embarked on many missions: published a book, wrote numerous articles and became a radio talk show host. Today, he’s working with Guerrilla Sports and is the NFL’s Uniform Inspector on the Broncos sidelines during home games.
Listen to Nate’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.
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