Gateway grad Courtney Jackson finds role with Seattle Seahawks

The last time Courtney Jackson was at Heinz Field, now Acrisure Stadium, was Nov. 5, 2022, as Syracuse played Pitt in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.

Things didn’t go as Jackson and his Orange teammates hoped that day as the Panthers held the Syracuse offense to three field goals in a 19-9 Pitt win.

The Gateway graduate made his return to Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 14. This time, it wasn’t on Saturday.

A sunny Sunday afternoon instead was the backdrop for his new team to get a win in the Steel City.

While he wasn’t in uniform for the Seattle Seahawks against the Steelers — Jackson continues to make his mark on the Seahawks’ practice squad — he was home and surrounded by the positive feeling of victory.

Seattle made the plays it needed and prevented the Steelers from going 2-0 with a 31-17 win.

Jackson is living his dream as a rookie in the National Football League as he continues to work to impress Seahawks coaches and team management with the hope of one day getting the call up to the main roster.

An undrafted free agent signing by Denver immediately after the conclusion of April’s NFL Draft, Jackson generated a lot of buzz in the Broncos preseason as he made several big plays.

He opened some eyes with an athletic, leaping 20-yard reception in Denver’s game at New Orleans and caught the attention of many with a 26-yard punt return against Arizona.

Jackson further stated his case against the Cardinals with an end-around rush for 30 yards in Denver’s 27-7 victory.

But his hopes of making the team were dashed when he was waived by the Broncos in their final cuts before the regular season. The team decided to carry only five receivers on their 53-man roster.

The Denver Gazette reported that he had interest in staying with the Broncos with the option of joining their practice squad. But he ended up taking his talents to Seattle.

Jackson’s desire for an NFL career kicked into high gear following the conclusion of his final collegiate season last fall.

He made his intentions clear at the start of 2025 with the hope that all of his exploits on the field at both Syracuse for four years and the two additional seasons at Arkansas State where he was an All-Sun Belt selection, along with his training over the winter, would build a resume worthy of selection to an NFL team.

At 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, Jackson shined in his pro day at Arkansas State in front of NFL and Canadian Football League scouts.

He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds and led all Arkansas State draft hopefuls with a 10 foot, 8 inch broad jump.

Jackson made his mark at receiver and as a kick returner at Syracuse where he earned 2021 All-ACC honors from Pro Football Focus after finishing the season with a team-best 39 catches for 389 yards.

In two seasons at Arkansas State, Jackson collected 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns on 81 receptions. He also delivered 31 kick returns and scored three TDs.

Jackson had one of the most prolific careers in the history of the Gateway football program.

A three-time All-Big East Conference selection and a two-time all-state pick, Jackson was named to the 2018 American Family Insurance All-USA Pennsylvania Second Team by USA Today as a defensive back.

He helped Gateway to a combined 26-3 record in his final two seasons with the Gators and finished with career totals of 153 receptions for 3,015 yards and 47 touchdowns.

As a junior, Jackson helped Gateway capture the 2017 WPIAL Class 5A title and reach the PIAA finals in Hershey. He had a career game in the 31-28 state semifinal win over Manheim Central with 15 catches for 264 yards and touchdowns of 61 and 66 yards.