Dane Jackson remembers June 23, 2014, "detail for detail."
Then an under-recruited Quaker Valley standout, Jackson attended a Pitt prospect camp, worked out in front of the Panthers' coaching staff and impressed Paul Chryst enough to earn an invitation to the head coach's office. Chryst offered Jackson a scholarship at the camp's conclusion, a "great feeling" for the two-star defensive back.
When Jackson left the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, he did so in the passenger's seat of DeWayne Brown's Chevy Silverado 1500. Brown — an area trainer who's worked with Aaron Donald, Damar Hamlin, Paris Ford and more — was driving Jackson home when his phone buzzed.
"Aaron (Donald) calls me up," Brown said. "I said, 'Aaron, we've got a future Pitt Panther here.' You could see Dane get all emotional. Dane was about to cry."
Jackson accepted Chryst's offer the next day. And now, more than five years later, the Coraopolis kid is prepared to guide Pitt's defense into 2019 — his final season as a Panther.
"It really is (surreal)," Jackson said Tuesday. "I think about it all the time. I have these talks with my mom. She says all the time, 'It's like you just stepped foot on campus.'"
When Jackson, a team captain, walks out to midfield on Saturday night for the coin toss, he'll be a 28-game starter — the most experienced player on Pitt's defense. He'll also be one of the top returning cornerbacks in the ACC.
The redshirt senior recorded 14 pass breakups in 2018, third-best in the conference. Only five returning Power 5 corners had more pass breakups than Jackson last season: Virginia's Bryce Hall (22), Stanford's Paulson Adebo (19), Oregon's Thomas Graham (18), Wake Forest's Essang Bassey (15) and Nebraska's DiCaprio Bootle (15).
Jackson — who, on top of pass breakups, also led Pitt in fumbles forced in 2018 — earned the highest coverage grade (82.6) on third and fourth downs among ACC corners, according to Pro Football Focus.
"Dane is a different breed of human," Pitt wide receiver Tre Tipton said. "He has 'it.' ... Dane is a competitor." Brown referred to the corner as something else: "An NFL guy."
Based on Jackson's production and experience, Brown sees the DB as someone worth selecting when the 2020 NFL draft rolls around in April. WalterFootball.com has Jackson tentatively listed as a Round 3-5 pick, while CBS Sports doesn't have the Panther in their top 16 corner prospects.
"Think about it, he's a three-year starter down there," said Brown, who operates 2/10's Speed & Agility. "I don't know if people appreciate how good he is."
When asked if Jackson is perhaps overlooked or underrated, Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates shrugged.
"I think all that matters is if at the end of the year he gets overlooked or not. If he plays the way he has over the last three years, I don't think he'll get overlooked," Bates said. "His body of work this year will bring him what he deserves."
If that's a shot in the NFL, it'd be one few expected back in 2014.
Jackson had offers from four schools prior to Chryst's interest: Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Duquesne and Indiana State, according to Rivals. He camped at Penn State but did not receive an offer. West Virginia showed interest, but not enough to pull the trigger.
So he went with Chryst, who left Pitt for Wisconsin five months after Jackson committed. Pat Narduzzi honored Jackson's commitment and scholarship offer — a wise move, considering how the corner's career has played out.
Of course, that career is almost over. Jackson has at least 12 games to go with Pitt, 13 if the Panthers make a bowl and 14 if they win the ACC Coastal. Jackson had a significant role in locking up the division last year, tallying a career-high four pass breakups in Pitt's clinching win over Wake Forest.
Perhaps the captain and long-time fixture in the secondary will do it again as a curtain call.
John McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: August 27, 2019, 8:30 p.m.
