Masters to play at Texas State

Video by Julie Robertson

Julie Robertson, Editor in chief

JB Faught, Jackson Masters and Davis Roe gang tackle a College Station ball carrier during the Knights appearance in the 5A Division 2 state semifinal at NRG Stadium in Houston on Dec. 16. Photo by Madison Olsen.

Adding onto the committed senior football players, senior linebacker Jack Masters has committed to play at Texas State as a preferred walk on.

“The campus is beautiful, they offered me academic scholarship money,” Masters said. “I got to talk to some players who worked their way up the depth chart. The facilities were really awesome and the coaches were great.”

Coming in I wasn’t big or fast or tough, I knew a lot about football but I wasn’t good.

— Senior linebacker Jackson Masters

Masters also said that the fact that the school was D1 and close to his home also attracted him to committing to Texas State. The decision came down between Texas state and Rice but according to Masters Texas State was the right decision. Masters said that he started a different player than he is now and he credits that a lot to the years of practice.

“Not to discredit myself, but I’m very much a product of the system,” Masters said. “Coming in I wasn’t big or fast or tough, I knew a lot about football but I wasn’t good. Freshman year I didn’t even start, I basically played only on Special Teams. Then sophomore year I was on JV which I completely expected, on JV I got opportunities to play and really develop my game and find my style.”

Masters said that he was able to play quarterback, running back, wide receiver and linebacker. Over the off season of his junior and senior year was when Coach Gammerdinger really carried him to the varsity level.

Jackson Masters talks with Austin American-Statesman sports columnist Kirk Bohls after he keyed a stellar defensive effort in the Knights’ 20-7 win over Calallen in the 5A D2 Region 4 Final in the Alamodome. Photo by Dave Winter.

“I got so much bigger, stronger and faster,” Masters said. “It’s because of the help of them that I even have the opportunity to play in college.”

I don’t think I could ever thank Coach G, Coach Osorio, and everyone else enough for what they did for me.

— senior linebacker Jackson Masters

When asked who Masters thanks the most for all of his improvements in football he said that he couldn’t thank all of the coaches enough.

“I don’t think I could ever thank Coach G, Coach Osorio, and everyone else enough for what they did for me,” Masters said. “G, Osorio, and Stancik helped me develop helped me develop into a good football player and they are like father figures to me, I love them. I only got this type of opportunity because of what the coaches, my teammates, my parents and what McCallum did for me.”

The Knight defense anchored by Jackson Masters held the Coyotes scoreless after a first-quarter touchdown. Photo by Madison Olsen.