Jackson attended Tamalpais High School where he played defensive end.
It was decided to switch Jackson to defensive back, in order for him to have a better chance to make the roster, even though he had never played the position before.
Within a week, because of problems with the Patriots organization and head coach John Mazur, in an unprecedented move, the NFL commissioner voided part of the trade, sending Thomas and Garrett back to their original teams.
[5][6] Jackson was tried first at wide receiver, before being moved to safety after the Patriots claimed Randy Vataha off waivers, who was a college teammate of starting quarterback Jim Plunkett.
He worked as a manager for Longs Drugs and also became president of the Northern California chapter of the NFL Alumni Association.