Through the first five games of last season, Malik Jackson had made all five starts at inside linebacker and proven to complement teammate Eric Handy in Towson's 3-4 defensive scheme.
But the Reisterstown resident and Franklin graduate suffered a shoulder injury in a 51-30 loss at James Madison on Oct. 10 and eventually gave way to then-freshman Diondre Wallace (Arundel). So is reclaiming that starting role priority No. 1 for Jackson? Not necessarily.
"Everybody wants to be that guy and start, but at the same time it's a team thing," the 5-foot-11, 239-pound senior said Tuesday at the Colonial Athletic Association football media day at M&T Bank Stadium. "Whoever Coach [defensive coordinator Matt Hachmann] feels is the right person, that's who's going to get the job. If [Wallace] starts, it doesn't really matter because we're both going to play. We're all playing for a common goal, and that's to win."
Jackson posted 41 tackles and one sack in 2015, registering most of those numbers before his injury in his first season as a starter.
"I think I had a solid first half of the year," he said. "Then there were injuries, shoulder and stuff. So that kind of set me back a little bit, but I feel like a lot of guys stepped up when I got hurt. So I like that about my team. They're a very resilient team, and that's great. When I didn't play, I felt like I had to step into a leadership role and get the guys going. I think we did well as a team, and I'm really confident about what we're going to do this year."
Jackson's leadership was a pleasant surprise, according to coach Rob Ambrose, who recalled that the linebacker enjoyed his first year on campus perhaps a bit too much.
"But discipline, focus and consistency in your everyday life are not fun," Ambrose said. "He was at the point where he was hanging by a thread for a while. He's done a complete 180. If I was in the locker room and asked, 'Who's your favorite teammate,' offense and defense, they'd all say him. He's grown up so much, and as he did so did his game. He played much better last year than he ever played in his two previous years. He earned the respect of everyone including the coaches."