The Seahawks made a trade with the Raiders earlier this offseason to upgrade their offensive line, adding veteran guard Gabe Jackson. But while Jackson is a heck of a guard, there's more to him than just his on-field ability, so Seahawks.com picked Jackson's brain a bit to learn more about him. And with that in mind, here are five things to know about Jackson:
1. He's got musical talent.
Jackson's father, Charles, was his high school coach, so the elder Jackson obviously gets some credit for his son's football success. It's Jackson's mother, Wanda, however, who passed along musical talent to Jackson and his siblings.
"I love singing, I love playing instruments," he said. "That's one thing I'm passionate about."
Jackson said he plays the drums, piano and bass guitar, and that he "dabbled with the trumpet a little bit in my early years, but never really stuck with it."
Jackson added there are a lot of singers in his house, notably his mom and his siblings, but said, "My dad, he tried, but I didn't get it from his side of the family."
2. Another Big Smooth.
Not long after news broke of the trade between the Seahawks and Raiders, Seattle sports fans started to notice that Jackson's twitter handled was @bigsmooth61. That was noteworthy, of course, because Seattle sports fans have already cheered for one "Big Smooth," former NBA forward Sam Perkins, who played for the Sonics from 1992-1998.
Jackson said he saw comments on Twitter about Perkins not long after the trade went down, and while he hopes to become a Seattle fan favorite in his own right, he acknowledged that his jumper might need work to live up to the nickname.
As for how Jackson came to be known as "Big Smooth," that involved a visit to Mississippi State prior to his freshman year of college, and a defensive tackle named Kyle Love, who would go on to have a 10-year NFL career.
"I was dressed up, had a Kangol on, and one of the upperclassmen (Love), he saw me in my dorm," Jackson said. "I went to the room, was just chilling, and I heard someone knocking going, 'Big Smooth, Big Smooth, open the door.' I'm like, 'What? I guess they've got the wrong room.' So later on in the day, I saw him and he was like, 'Man, why didn't you open the door?' And I was like, 'I guess I'm big smooth then.' Everybody just started calling me that I guess because of the way I dressed."
3. He's passionate about food.
Maybe it's not surprising to hear a lineman say he's passionate about food, and Jackson is a self-described "big foodie" who doesn't just enjoy eating a good meal, but also making one.
Asked his specialties, Jackson said, "Chicken and shrimp alfredo. I might have some creamed corn with it, some Hawaiian roles—I don't make those, but it comes with it—that's probably my favorite. Or if we're going with my steak night, I'm going to go steak, mac 'n cheese, and I'll just do a salad for it to look cute."
4. He's a "country boy" who likes the outdoors.
While Seattle is a long ways from Jackson's home state of Mississippi, it does offer some of the same outdoor recreation enjoyed by Jackson, who calls himself a country boy and whose offseason activities include fishing and hunting.
5. He was college teammates with K.J. Wright.
Linebacker K.J. Wright is a free agent, but if he does return to Seattle, he and Jackson can rekindle the practice battles they had for two seasons at Mississippi State before Wright moved on to the NFL.
"I practiced against him for two years," Jackson said before adding, with a laugh, "He's a big crybaby. He always said I was holding him, 'Oh, you're holding man, quit holding.' But he's a real competitor. He always wanted to win and he tried to do his best to win, so I respect it.
A look back at guard Gabe Jackson's first seven years in the NFL. Jackson was acquired in a trade with the Raiders on March 21. Read more: https://shwks.com/uq6a7t
FILE - In this Dec. 24, 2016, file photo, Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) is introduced before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Oakland, Calif. The Oakland Raiders have locked up another member of their stellar 2014 draft class, agreeing to a five-year extension to keep guard Gabe Jackson under contract through the 2022 season. A person familiar with the deal said Friday, June 30, 2017, that it is worth $56 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal and its terms have not been announced. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)
Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson looks on from the sidelines against the Kansas City Chiefs during a NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014 in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won the game, 31-13. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)
Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) lines up in a two-point stance during an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, December 21, 2014 at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 26-24 in Week 16. (AP Photo/Kevin Terrell)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) pushes aside Oakland Raiders' Gabe Jackson after Sherman made an interception in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes as guard Gabe Jackson (66) blocks San Diego Chargers defensive tackle Ryan Carrethers (92) during an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Caraun Reid (97) rushes on Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) during an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)
El quarterback de los Raiders de Oakland, Derek Carr, encima, celebra con el guard Gabe Jackson, a la izquierda, y el guard Jon Feliciano, luego de que los Raiders anotaran ante los Chargers de San Diego en la segunda mitad del juego del jueves 24 de diciembre de 2015 en Oakland, California. (Foto AP/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) prepares to block during an NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at O.co Coliseum on September 20, 2015. The Raiders defeated the Raven 37-33. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) blocks during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016 in Oakland, Calif. Oakland won 33-25. (Peter Read Miller via AP)
Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) blocks during a week 14 NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 21-13. (Scott Boehm via AP)
Oakland Raiders offensive guard Jon Feliciano (76), guard Gabe Jackson (66) and strong safety T.J. Carrie (38) run onto the field prior to an NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016 in Mexico City. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson during the team's football minicamp Wednesday, June 15, 2016, in Alameda, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Oakland Raiders offensive guard Gabe Jackson (66) blocks Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90)
during an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys defeated the Raiders, 24-20. (James D. Smith via AP)
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damien Wilson (57) and Oakland Raiders guard Gabe Jackson (66) exchange jerseys following an NFL football game on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. (NFL Photos via AP)
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. The Raiders defeated the Chiefs, 31-30. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Oakland Raiders offensive guard Gabe Jackson (66) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Oakland Raiders running back Doug Martin, center, scores a touchdown behind guard Gabe Jackson (66) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Oakland Raiders offensive guard Gabe Jackson (66) hydrates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018 in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Oakland Raiders offensive guard Gabe Jackson (66) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden talks to Gabe Jackson before an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Las Vegas Raiders offensive guard Gabe Jackson (66) in action during an NFL regular season football game against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 in Las Vegas. The Dolphins won, 26-25. (Ric Tapia via AP)
Las Vegas Raiders offensive guard Gabe Jackson (66) in the tunnel prior to an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Michael Owens via AP)
Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Gabe Jackson (66) looks on during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers defeated the Raiders 42-24. (Joe Robbins via AP)
