Former couch potato a star at Hamilton High

»Wrestling honor roll, B2

HAMILTON — Terrion Jackson has always had an athletic body. He just didn’t have that athletic drive.

“Couch potato,” is the phrase Hamilton High School wrestling coach Nick Hensley uses, although Jackson is a little more blunt in his self-assessment.

“I was lazy,” he says. “All I wanted to do was come home from school and watch TV and play video games.”

The basketball and football coaches at Garfield Middle School tried to get the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Jackson to come out for their teams, but he didn’t want any part of organized sports.

Then Jackson went to the Hamilton Freshman School and ended up in Hensley’s class. A few persuasive conversations later, Jackson agreed to join the wrestling team.

He showed some promise that first year, and dominance ever since.

The Big Blue junior went 9-0 in limited action last year, and he’s 22-4 this season.

“He’s just been on fire,” Hensley says. “Over the past two weeks, he can’t stop talking about wrestling. He’s got it in his brain that he’s qualifying for the state tournament, and he’s placing.

“And next year his goal is to win a state championship,” Hensley continues. “I’ve heard a lot of wrestlers say that in the past, but for some reason, with his focus right now, I’ve got to believe him.”

Hensley also convinced Jackson to go out for football his sophomore year. He didn’t see a lot of time that first season, but he was a starting defensive lineman this past fall.

“They told me to give it a shot, and I just fell in love with it,” said Jackson, who already is attracting interest from Division I football programs. “I don’t think people have seen my best yet. I’m ready to explode.”

Two of Jackson’s four losses this season have come against Lakota West’s Konner Blevins, but Jackson also has a win against Blevins. Another loss came at the hands of Harrison’s James Kellems early in the season, but Jackson avenged that defeat a few weeks later at the Fairfield Invitational.

And his only other setback came against Elder standout Nick Nusekabel.

“We’re just so proud of him,” Hensley says. “I love the fact that he’s goal-oriented. He reflects what our program is all about, and we believe he’s one of the best heavyweights in the state.”

Just imagine how good he’d be if he hadn’t gotten such a late start.

“Yeah, I wish I would’ve started a lot sooner, but there’s nothing I can do about it now,” Jackson says. “All I’m focused on is getting better.”