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Jackson, the sports director and news director at KOTM/KLEE, was born to be involved in sports radio. Whether it's prep sports, NFL, MLB, NBA or college, Jackson will probably have a stat or story to spit out if asked. At an early age, he knew he would follow his dream of play-by-play announcing.
"I've got a big passion for sports, obviously. I've wanted to do sports and mostly play-by-play since fifth grade. When kids would be playing kickball, I'd be pretending to do the play-by-play of the kickball game," said Jackson, 25.
A 2000 Pekin High School grad, Jackson cut his teeth and got his first taste of radio in Webster County on the campus of Iowa Central in Fort Dodge. Jackson started out at KICB, the college FM radio station. He then became the voice of the Gaels of Fort Dodge St.
Edmond on KVFD and also was the sports editor for Iowa Central's student newspaper, The Collegian.
"At some point I found time to study," said Jackson, who earned an associate degree in mass communication and later a bachelor's in business from William Penn University in Oskaloosa.
Jackson is happy to be involved in a profession that is built around the unknown. It's that type of excitement that makes each day different and refreshing for the Pekin alum.
"With sports, you never know who is going to be left standing. It's just fun to see the drama.
You don't know what's going to happen each day," he said.
A different calling could have moved Jackson away from southeast Iowa and into the land of make-believe - namely Hollywood.
"I remember the very first thing I ever wanted to do. Remember 'Double Dare' with Mark Summers? That's what I wanted to be - a game show host," he said. "Maybe I just like games or seeing people get excited over stuff."
Jackson parents, Judy and Verl Jr. Jackson, have come to accept Scott's love for sports and have even started enjoying sports even more because of their son. Jackson's father has become a Green Bay Packers fan and the Jackson household has hosted Super Bowl parties the past couple years.
"Sports really wasn't a big part of my family. I kind of brought the sports in. They were like, 'where the heck did he get this? How did we get such a sports nut for a kid?'" said Jackson, who has a younger sister, Jill.
Jackson wrote for the Courier for nearly five years. He talked about the difference between the two mediums.
"At the newspaper, while the game was going on, it was like, 'Boy, I wish I could be calling this.' But at the same time in writing, you really get to take the whole experience and put it all together. What everybody was feeling, the coaches, players - you get to take all the different emotions like that and soak it in," said Jackson. "With radio, you're in the moment it happens and then maybe you'll go back and reflect on it later."
Jackson also calls games for KELR, 105.3 out of Chariton.
Jackson has grown up watching his high school alma mater and Ottumwa sports teams put season after season into the books. It's the sense of community pride that joins everyone together to rally for their team that impresses Jackson the most.
"Whatever area you're in - but especially in Iowa - it seems like everybody ties together with their high school teams," said Jackson. "This is home for me. That's what makes it special."
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