Pasha Jackson Journal No. 6

This is the sixth installment of the Pasha Jackson journal and this week I'm going to answer more of your questions you emailed in. Click on the link at the end of this page to email more questions for next week's journal. First, I'm going to talk about the Texas win and then I'll take a look at the upcoming game with Mizzou.

Pasha Jackson
Journal Entry No. 6 (Oct. 16, 2003)
The Texas game was real sweet! The way we performed as a team was exactly what we prepared for all week. We maintained our focus and took all the hard work from throughout the week and brought it to the Cotton Bowl. I think we approached the game perfectly with our attitude and everything else and obviously the score was a reflection of that.

You can never exactly predict what the other team is going to do going into a game. But once the Texas game started, we all kind of had that feeling and all the way through it felt right, because we knew that is what we were capable of.

This week we have Missouri and they are going to bring it, no doubt! They are going to have their "A" game. We played them in Columbia last year and now we have them back in our house.

I respect every last facet of their game especially Zach Abron and Brad Smith. Abron runs hard and is solid, despite being 5'8" but he is 225 lbs. He is stout, like a teapot, and we have been watching film on him and he just flat out knocks people down. Then you have Smith who is playing well and really took it to us last year as he was just coming out of his shell, so to speak.

But we will be ready for both of them and the rest of those Tigers. I was actually recruited by Mizzou and talked with Coach Pinkel and I have a lot of respect for that program, especially how he started out. So there is no doubt that they will be ready to play, but we will be as well. It will be good to be back home and we will be prepared, focused and we will be fine because we will play as one.

Now it is time to answer some questions from some fans, don't forget to keep emailing me some more and I will try and get to them next week. Here is the first of a couple:

What did you like most about the win over Texas?
-Blake from Tishomingo, Okla.
More than anything, since the Sooners have respect for what the Texas program has accomplished over the years, the win was just like any accomplishment you have. You work hard for something and then you achieve it and that is pleasing. And to do so like we did makes it even more satisfying.

When you look at the game after it is completed it all comes down to the fact that your performance is a reflection of all the hard work, energy and commitment that you put in, in order to achieve that goal. And last weekend everyone wins, except Texas of course, but our team, the program, the school, the fans, everybody gets to enjoy a little bit of the 65-13 victory.

If you and a teammate were caught in the unfortunate situation (probably more unfortunate for the other guys) of a back alley brawl, who would you want that teammate to be and why?
- Darrin from Davenport, Iowa
If I had to pick one teammate -- let me think. I got it; say the odds are against us, meaning two of us and four of them. I go with Smokey Hurst, he can hold his own and is a sandbagger just like me. But the thing with Smokey is that he has a way with words. He would make those guys feel so bad, he would make them sit down and take a knee with him as they all say a prayer (laughs). We would all be best friends by the end of that situation, so definitely I would go with my boy, Smokey.

But just in case, and I don't see Smokey failing, I would have Paddyson Chidi caged up in the back. In case things got out of hand and the knee and prayer thing did not work, I would have to unleash the beast and it would be no contest!

If you could change one thing about your football career so far, what would it be?
- Chelsie from Burkburnett, Texas
It would be, without a doubt, to get to Oklahoma sooner! I would have wanted to start out as a freshman, maybe red shirt, with OU's program and increase the time and exposure that I had the pleasure of experiencing these past two seasons. I love playing here and the only regret is that I wish my tenure was a little longer than what it is.

Pasha, what does being a Sooner mean to you and has the "Sooner Nation" met your expectations?
- Mark from Arkansas City, Kansas
Being a Sooner is more than just performing on the field and you can see it in every way we handle ourselves. We are well spoken, we know how to deal with the press, we are not cocky, we don't use over exaggerated celebrations and most important you see us all on the same page with each other. And that is important when talking about a team, because being on the same page makes you successful.

So being a Sooner goes way deeper than playing football, it also comes from where your heart is. There have been so many people in this program, past and present, which have beaten the odds and cleaned up shop! That is more or less what being a Sooner is about, despite the odds you go out and be the best you can be. That may sound gimmicky or whatever, but its true and you see it through the players and the coaches.

The "Sooner Nation" has no doubt met my expectations. This whole athletic program is successful and it shows with the fan support across the board. In the end people might say we are lucky but a very wise person told me once "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." My father said that and I believe in it 100 percent.

What is something that really stresses you out about the entire college football experience?
- Janee from Houston, Texas
I have kind of touched on this before, but the answer to that is simple. And that is finding a balance between being a good student and a good athlete. Wait, I take that back, being a great student and a great athlete! That is a challenge we all go through and it is stressful but that is why we are here, to achieve those two things.

Well that is all I have this week, be sure to keep emailing me questions for next week's journal by clicking on the link below. Hope everyone enjoyed the win down in Dallas and see you all Saturday night in Norman! Go SOONERS!

Pasha

- #53 Pasha Jackson

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