Junior I-back Brandon Jackson is still listed as a backup on the Nebraska depth chart, which is sort of unusual for a guy who has started NU’s last six games.

Jackson missed all of spring practice after having shoulder surgery but worked his way back into a prominent role, scoring a touchdown on a 25-yard run in the Huskers’ season opener vs. Louisiana Tech. With 739 rushing yards in the bank and three games remaining, he has a shot at joining the 1,000-yard club this season.

Jackson was in grade school when he lost his father, Charles, to health problems that resulted from a car accident. Jackson was still a youngster when his mom, Barbara, moved the family from Chicago to Horn Lake, Miss.

Jackson spent a few minutes Monday visiting with the Journal Star’s John Mabry.

How does it feel to be the veteran among the I-backs?

“It just feels good knowing that I can go out here and help these guys. If one of them’s frustrated and they don’t know a play or they don’t know what to do, they’ll come to me and ask me.”

Did you ever feel like an underdog back in fall camp in terms of how the depth chart was going to shake out?

“If you’re not playing, you’re injured, and you feel like the pack is separating from you, yeah, you’re going to feel like an underdog. But at the same time, I felt like once I came back, I could jump right back in the mix of things.”

How much work has been done to your shoulders?

“I’ve had a lot of work done to my shoulders. Joint reconstruction surgery in my right, and my (right) labrum redone. In my left shoulder, I just had my labrum redone.”

How did you end up picking Nebraska?

“I had a couple of choices, but it mostly came down to academics and Coach (John) Blake. I know that when he was at Mississippi State, he would call me and come visit and talk to me, to see how I was doing. That was one major role. …

“The tunnel walk, that was one major thing.”

What’s the best way to get to Horn Lake?

“On a bus. It gives you time to relax and see the scenery.”

Why did your family move from Chicago to Mississippi?

“It was a bad environment. It was getting tough out there. My mom just thought it was the best thing for us to move. The cost of living was kind of low. And, also, my grandfather, he grew up out there, and he had some land out there. We tried to move out there on the land, and that didn’t work out. That’s how we ended up in Horn Lake.”

Did your mom have a tough time sending you to Nebraska over schools a little closer to home?

“She wanted me to leave the state. She felt that I had been there long enough, and this was my one chance to go out and see the world and just see new things.”

What do you remember about your dad?

“I just remember he was a very strong individual, taking care of us, making sure we had food and were acting right. We were very disciplined when we were around him. We knew what and what not to do around him. He was a good man. He took care of us.”

What part of your personality did you inherit from him?

“My brothers and my mom say I got the adversity part from him. I can handle adversity, with my two shoulder surgeries, not getting playing time, all those types of things.”

Do you have any sports heroes?

“My dad’s one of my sports heroes. He played basketball. He was the first African-American to play for (his college team in Arkansas).

What’s your favorite way to spend your Sundays?

“I read my Bible, and I pray for about a half an hour. Then, after that, I just relax. If I have any homework, I do my homework. Then I watch football games.”

Defensive lineman Brandon Johnson, another Chicago guy, is up around 315 pounds. Could you take him in a wrestling match?

“I think I can. I wrestled (Ndamukong) Suh, and I flipped him a couple of times, but he’ll swear that I didn’t get him.”

What’s your favorite Randy Jordan expression?

“It’s the little things. Say we did something wrong, or he thought we did something wrong, he will be like, ‘Whatcha doing?’ He’s just like yelling really loud. I just think it’s funny.”

Which teammates inspire you?

“The guy I think who inspires me the most is Greg Austin.”