This is the eighth feature of a series leading into fall camp focusing on the new Panther football coaching staff. Coming Thursday: P.J. Volker

Most would agree that building strong relationships is crucial to having a strong foundation in life. Relationships come in all different forms, whether it is brother and sister, father and son or coach and student-athlete. Relationships built when you are young can remain with you the rest of your life and often lead you down a path that you do not realize until you are there.

Those types of relationships led Shannon Jackson to where he is today, and although he did not realize it at the time, led him to the path he is now on.

Growing up with three older siblings, it should surprise no one that Jackson, the youngest of four children to James and Vinest Jackson, got into sports. His father always pushed the children to play sports and enjoy outdoor activities, but what really motivated the youngest Jackson was the chance to emulate his brothers and sister.

The relationship between him and his father was always strong, as was that of the four siblings, who were separated by six years.

 “I came from a family that played sports and that is something my father really believed in,” Jackson said. “He wanted to get us out there at a young age. It was just a part of my life growing up. I played football all through my youth and I can definitely credit my dad for that. He built a strong foundation for our family which definitely impacted me.”

Ironically, growing up in the basketball-rich state of Indiana, the hardwood was never really the sport of choice for any of the Jackson boys. From football to baseball with some track & field thrown in for good measure, each member of the Jackson family excelled in sports, so it was only fitting that the youngest would find his calling working with young people.

Despite the six-year age difference between Jackson and his oldest brother, Darryl, Shannon was always tagging along to watch. He also followed his other brother James and sister Nakia, who was two years older. As much as it was time spent watching his siblings, it was also a learning experience for young Shannon.

“My brother Darryl was good enough to run track at Ball State, so I remember as a kid going with our family to watch him at all different levels,” Jackson continued. “Seeing him play and competing at that level pushed me to work harder. Since I saw my brother doing it, I thought that maybe I would have a shot at doing it.

If not for the strong relationship with his siblings, Jackson could easily have chosen a different path. However, the relationships he had as a young person would set his own foundation in a few short years.

Due to those relationships, Jackson continued to be pushed to his best in college, earning All-America status while at Indiana State. One of the keys to his success was the stability in the coaching staff, including his position coach who worked with him all five years as a member of the Sycamores.

“Going into my senior year I still hoped to play at the next level, but I got hurt and missed the first five games of the season. I still had a great senior season when I came back and still worked out for a couple of teams, but it was no longer my main focus. I wanted to make sure I graduated and look for a job.”

Jackson built strong relationships as a student-athlete with the staff, while also enjoying another aspect of his life: working on his college degree.

“I have always enjoyed working with the youth. I even did my internship in college at a youth center,” Jackson said. “Working with kids had always been a passion of mine and I think it was partially because of the support my older siblings had given me.

Despite not planning to get into coaching, when his head coach at Indiana State offered him a graduate position, it was something he could not turn down.

“The position gave me an opportunity to stay at Indiana State, a place I will always keep near to my heart, stay around the sport I love and learn about the coaching aspect of the game, something I did not know a lot about,” Jackson continued.

The coaching carousel is much like the recent conference alignment. For fans, it can be hard to keep track of where coaches are on a year-to-year basis.  However, that has not been the case for Jackson, who in 10-plus years of coaching has been at just two schools before his arrival at Georgia State.

“When I was in college, I had the same position coach all five years that I was there. That was a big part of college for me as I knew he would be there for me every year. It allowed me to build a better relationship and it was something I valued. I still talk to him today.

“Once a coach gets to know a recruit and if he can coach him through his senior year, that is what builds relationships for after football. Obviously the goal for all of us is to win, but there is so much more than that as well. Building relationships allows respect to develop, both with the student-athlete toward the coach and for the coach toward the student-athlete.”

Even though there is not much of an off-season or downtime for college coaches, it is only fitting that Jackson finds his most enjoyment away from the field with his family and the relationship he has built with his wife and two children.

“Away from the field, it is all about my faith and my family,” Jackson said. Those two really keep me grounded. Anytime I get to spend with my wife and my kids is a blessing to me. During the season, it is a grind and my wife keeps me grounded during the season. So any opportunity I get to build my relationship with them is truly valuable to me.

“I think keeping that faith has kept me grounded and motivated. It makes me believe that I am doing this not to just coach young men, but to inspire lives and build relationships that will last forever. I hope I can take kids to places that they have never been and allow themselves to be pushed beyond what they thought that could do.”

As Jackson has learned, it is all about the relationships he has built whether around the game or off the field and it is no wonder why he has been successful in life at so many levels.

Relationships are one of the keys to life, sometimes you just don't realize it until after they are formed.