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Former Kansas University forward Darnell Jackson, far right, poses for a high school graduation photo in 2004 in Oklahoma City with his late mother, Shawn (middle), brother Evan (behind), family friend Don Davis (behind left) and former KU basketball player and fellow Oklahoman J.R. Giddens. Jackson recently spoke openly regarding the death of his mother, which occurred a little more than a month ago.
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Grief-stricken Darnell Jackson collapsed onto his late mother Shawn’s bed, tears welling in his eyes.
“I lay down, smelled her sheets, moved the pillows back, and the only thing I saw was a couple words she left on a sheet of paper: ‘Please watch over my kids,’’’ said Jackson, a 24-year-old former Kansas University basketball power forward from Midwest City, Okla.
He’d hustled back from Cleveland — his NBA home of the past two years — to his mom’s three-bedroom, 800-square-foot house in the Sooner State after learning from his brother, Evan, and sister, Ebony, that Shawn had died of an apparent overdose of pain medication on March 25.
She was 41.
“I saw the pills my mother killed herself with,” said Jackson, whose inspection of Shawn’s bedroom also led him to an envelope.
In it was a letter to Darnell, written by his mother.
“I didn’t read it. I haven’t read it,” Jackson said. “If I read it now, I’d go crazy. I’ll read it some day. Then I will burn it.”
Maybe Jackson will read it today — the first Mother’s Day spent without Shawn, who apparently took her own life after enduring more than a dozen surgeries following a car crash caused by a drunken driver on May 25, 2005, in Las Vegas. That crash claimed the life of Jackson’s grandmother, Evon.
Kansas' Darnell Jackson was all smiles on Tuesday after bringing down a one-handed alley-oop against Loyola in the second half on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I told somebody yesterday that I’d never, ever celebrate Mother’s Day again,” Darnell Jackson said Thursday in a 30-minute telephone interview from Milwaukee, where (after getting released by the Cavs) he finished the 2009-10 season as a member of the Bucks.
He agreed to the interview as a Mom’s Day tribute to Shawn. And perhaps as a way to get some things off his chest.
“I can’t be like that. My mom wouldn’t want me to be selfish and turn myself against the world. There are great mothers out there. My mother was one of them. It’s just hard to lose mine, the way she went out,” Jackson said.
Darnell told the Journal-World the same thing he told hundreds of Shawn Jackson mourners April 3 at Oklahoma City’s Rolfe Funeral Home — that he’s “pissed off” the way his mom “went out.”
“Every day that I think about her, I’m pissed off. I’m mad,” Jackson said. “Some days I want to blow up and go crazy. The other day I broke down while working out. It hurts. It hurts a lot because she was always there. I was the apple in her tree.
“She called me her good-luck charm. If I’d go to the casino with her and sit next to her, she’d win. She’d say, ‘See, every time I’m with you, I win.’
“I’d tell her, ‘No mom. You are MY good-luck charm. If it wasn’t for you beating me up every day, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.’”
Jackson credits his mom for some tough love during his formative years.
“My mom whupped me. She got out the belt for me not being respectful, not doing the dishes, not cleaning my room, getting in trouble.
Former Kansas University basketball player Darnell Jackson relaxes in the locker room the day before Kansas took the court against Memphis for the NCAA title in April 2008 in San Antonio.
“Nah, it didn’t hurt. I just laughed,” added Jackson, a 6-foot-9, 255-pounder who since a very young age was much bigger than his mom, who worked several jobs to support the family. Darnell’s dad was not a factor in his life and died when Darnell was in the eighth grade.
“My mother was everything to me. I thought it’d always be like that. I thought we’d grow old together,” Jackson said.
‘It was a freak accident’
Now he’s motherless and, because of his close bond with Shawn, believes he knows why.
“She never got over my grandmother’s death,” Darnell said. “She felt it was her fault that her own mother died. We’d argue about it. I’d say, ‘Mom. It was a freak (car) accident.’
“She never got over the pain. You break every bone in your body from a car wreck, it’s painful. Before she died, she called me and said the doctors would have to cut off her leg. She was hurt and tired. She was tired of fighting.”
There was only one way for Shawn to experience any relief from her physical pain.
“Pills,” Darnell said. “Pills take away the pain for half a day. You wake up in the morning, and the pain is there again. Nobody knew how much pain she was in but me.”
KU fans had a clue on March 3, 2008, when after a Senior Day victory over Texas Tech, Jackson told his mom in his postgame speech he’d “do anything” to trade bodies with her, just to make the pain go away.
“She fought it every day for five years,” Jackson said.
Looking back, he can pinpoint the moment Shawn decided she could take no more agony.
Kansas forward Darnell Jackson leans in to the microphone as he takes questions in the locker room Friday, March 21, 2008 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
“She texted me and said, ‘Darnell, I love you. Make sure you watch over the kids.’ I was thinking it was a little motivation speech,” Jackson said of the last text message he received from his mother shortly before she died.
He has taken those words — and the words on the piece of paper under Shawn’s pillow — to heart.
Already close to Ebony, a junior at Langston (Okla.) University, and Evan, who will be a freshman at Oklahoma City University this fall, Darnell promises to be their mentors forever.
“I’ll never be their dad. I’m their brother. Their brother will be there for them, always,” said Jackson, who as the family’s big bread-winner, already has taken care of some of his siblings’ financial responsibilities.
Awaiting his NBA fate
Jackson is currently awaiting word whether the Bucks will pick up his option for next season or release him to free agency, where there’s always the possibility he could be signed by his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I’ll let my grandmother and mother take it up with God and double-team him so things will work out best for me,” said Jackson, who is also responsible for the most recent addition to his family — daughter Evonna Joie Jackson, who checked into the world at 91⁄2 pounds on April 15 in a Kansas City hospital.
“Man, she’s the greatest thing that’s happened to me. She looks just like my mother,” Darnell said proudly. “She was named after my grandmother, and her mother picked the middle name. She’s beautiful.”
Unfortunately, Shawn Jackson will never meet her granddaughter.
“The only thing she got to see was a picture of the ultrasound,” Darnell said. “She said, ‘I’m going to call her my little sugarplum.’ That’s what really hurts. She’ll never get a chance to hold her granddaughter.”
And Darnell will never again have a chance to playfully wrestle with his mom on the bed in her Midwest City home, or his bed in Milwaukee or other NBA cities yet to come.
“My mom stayed with me in Cleveland one time for four months,” Jackson recalled. “She wanted to talk to me all the time. Sometimes I’d come home from practice and try to sneak upstairs. I’d close my bedroom door, but she’d bang on the door.
“I’d say, ‘Go away. I’ve gotta go to sleep.’ She’d say, ‘Open this door now!’ She’d come in, jump on the bed and have a conversation about everything going on.
“We’d talk for a while, until she got tired. I’d have to kick her out of the room. I’d say, ‘Go to bed, mom, we’ll talk tomorrow.’’’
He’d give anything to speak with her today.
His friends and loved ones wished he could.
“Shawn was a special person. She and Darnell had a great relationship,” KU basketball coach Bill Self said. “She’s one of my favorite parents ever.
“She got on me — in a good way, a fun way — from the time Darnell got here to the time he left. She cared about her kids so much.”
Darnell a ‘mama’s boy’
Indeed ... “The core of her life would be her kids,” noted family friend Don Davis, who spoke at Shawn’s funeral. “Shawn was very strong-willed and very much a mother. She had no compunction at all about giving it to coach Self,” he added with a laugh.
“They had a great love-hate relationship. She knew the coaches were taking good care of Darnell. On the other hand, that’s her baby, and she wanted him to be especially cared for. If she didn’t like the way things were going, she could give it to them. She was always thinking like a mom.
“Darnell was very much a mama’s boy. They had what I consider to be a very sweet and tender mother/son relationship,” Davis added.
“What we had was magical,” Darnell said. “There’s something with my mom ... I’ll never have it with anybody else.”
Still, Darnell wants KU fans — who embraced him during a four-year career capped with the 2008 NCAA championship — to know he’ll be OK.
“My mom showed me there’s nothing to fear while I’m on this planet, nothing except God,” Jackson said. “I don’t know what will happen to me in my life, but this is not a final story. My story doesn’t end with my mom. My story ends when I’m gone.”
KU coach Bill Self talks about signing of Andrew Wiggins May 14, 2013
Ben McLemore interview March 28, 2013
360 QTR of Cowboy Stadium March 28, 2013
Jayhawks arrive in Dallas March 27, 2013
Jeff Withey talks about the team staying loose March 23, 2013
Comments
100 3 years ago
You've got a lot of people looking after your family Darnell. I'm one of them.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Darnell Jackson.
milwaukeeJAYHAWK 3 years ago
Darnell, if you're reading this I want you to know that it takes a strong man to go through what you've been through. Someday you'll be the patriarch of a large family with many grandchildren, I can see it. You'll never get over the loss, but there's going to be so many new people in your life hopefully it can heal some of that pain.
Hang in there, and remember there's quite a few Jayhawks in Milwaukee! We're glad you're here!
GBJayhawk 3 years ago
Darnell, My heart goes out to you and all of your family. No one can ever replace your mom, and I know from the loss of my mom that it takes a while to have things return to something like normal.
Just look into that baby's eyes and know that part of your mom's heart lives in her, and that will help you along the way. May the peace of God be with you and yours at all times.
You will always have a special place in the hearts of all us in the Jayhawk family.
JBurtin 3 years ago
You've got to love the way that Darnell just keeps finding a way to fight through and bounce back. It's unbelievable how many hard knocks he's taken in his lifetime, and could easily use it as an excuse to fly off the handle and screw up his life. Instead he just keeps showing us wisdom beyond his years and continues to be as down-to-earth and genuine as any of us could ever hope to be.
Despite the pain and suffering he's had to endure, I have no doubt that when it's all said and done he'll have done more true living and loving than any of us, and will be able to lie down in his death bed content that he's made the most of his time here on earth.
He's just an amazing human being, and I think we could all learn a few lessons from watching his life unfold.
yates33333 3 years ago
You wonder why such a fine, wonderful person like Darnell has so much tragedy in his life. God Bless.
AsadZ 3 years ago
May God give you strength and courage to go through this difficult time. Your mom will always be with you.
jross1972 3 years ago
From a sentimental standpoint, probably my favorite Jayhawk of all-time simply because he loves and appreciates KU SO much. He was embraced like a son here, and make no mistake: Darnell IS family! I agree with the poster who said that tragedy seems to follow him, but in Darnell's case, he is doing nothing to self-destruct. It's all things that are going on outside of his control. He has endured so much and I don't know if my shoulders will ever be that broad. He has my love, sympathy and support as he should with all Jayhawk fans everywhere.
Here's to better days, Darnell! Keep your head up, big fella.
globaljaybird 3 years ago
Dear Darnell, Many posters are in their own way, sharing grief with you. And if it may not seem so at the time, it truly can help sustain you a day at a time. After all is said & done, one day at a time is all we get from our Lord. Each person has their own grief or tradgedy to share with others as well, and we have the opportunity to become much better individuals because of it. Those were words my mother spoke to me when I lost my sweetheart as a teenager. Things just sort of clicked after that and even though great pain endured for many years, she was right. It will take time, grief has no timetable. But you have the utmost support in your KU family; we are not fading away because you are not still a student here. We are your friends also. Check back again soon, we'll still be here for you until the Lord calls us home too. God's speed. Always, Phil
kumama 3 years ago
Don't give up Darnell:: once the anger and the saddness go away you will be OK! I know it does not feel like that now but you have to go on living your life that is what your mom would want you to do:: When God closes one door he opens another I believe this to be true only your Mom and God knew the pain she was in you could see it from the outside but he sees it from the inside! She is in a better place. You need to honor her on this day! She gave you,your brother and sister life, she took care of you, she taught you, she Loved you with all her heart and soul! As a member of the Jayhawk family I wish you peace and comfort through the tough days, keep her memories close to your heart and remember "If he brings you to it, he will get you through it!" Beleive Darnell.
khelm9 3 years ago
Darnell, you are a stronger person than just about anyone I can think of. God Bless you and your family!
chicagoeddie 3 years ago
stay strong darnell! God is watching over you and your family with your mom and grandma. remember to be happy with whatever way God plans for your future =)
swishymcjayhawk 3 years ago
Keep your head up, D-Block, and know that if you need anything you've got a FAMILY called KU and Lawrence, KS that will be here for you should you need anything. We're praying for you and your family. I know this a horrific thing to endure, but just remember that your mother will always be with you in your heart, and a little bit of her is in that new daughter of yours.
chaggs 3 years ago
If there were a HOF for people (let alone athletes) with character...Darnell would be first-ballot selection. Rarely, have I seen someone with his personal/family struggles not just survive...but thrive. AFH needs to have a hall...or plaque...or unused locker or something dedicated to Darnell. Why? As a reminder that character matters. MUCH more than stats!
RockChalk1225 3 years ago
I have always been told that God only gives you what you can handle. Darnell is such an unbelievably strong person. There is no way I could handle what he has gone through. I agree with a previous poster, that DJ is my favorite Jayhawk because of his dedication not just to the basketball program, but to KU. His senior day speech will go down as one of my all time favorite. I was 28 when he gave it and cried like a child. You could just see how much pain he and his mother where going through. When he said 'I wish I could take all of your pain and put it inside of me', that was the most heartfelt thing I have ever heard. God bless and good luck as you move forward DJ. Jayhawk nation will always be here for you.
KEITHMILES05 3 years ago
You echo everything I would have said.
DJackson is a man's man and God is putting alot on his shoulders because he knows he can handle it.
The losses in his life are astounding and hurtful in the core.
Stay close to God Darnell and you'll be fine.
ProudKansan 3 years ago
My favorite Jayhawk ever.
cklarock 3 years ago
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Darnell. So, so sorry for your loss.
supermario15 3 years ago
Darnell,
there is no chance I can even fathom all the things you've been through in your young life.as swishy saiud you have another family here at KU who are ready and willing to help in any way we can
AverageCitizen 3 years ago
Not much anyone can do except send you our love, Darnell. When I lost my mom the one thing that sustained me were all my family and friends close by. I am so glad you have a child to help with that! If I had my wish, you and your mother would have been at KU for a decade. I was sad to see you go. If is evident that your character came from your mom and grandmother. You are her legacy and what a legacy it is! Love forever from the Jayhawk nation.
jayhawkinATL 3 years ago
Hang in there, Darnell. Much easier said than done, of course. We all are pulling for you!!!
addlime 3 years ago
I've never wanted any Jayhawk to succeed as much as Darnell. We all saw him persevere through adversity and transform himself at KU. It was unbelievable to watch! I sincerely hope he does it again. I can't begin to fathom what he has endured.
chuckberry32 3 years ago
I think this sums it up for me as well.
E4KUJHawks 3 years ago
Thoughts and prayers are with you, Darnell. Jayhawks everywhere are with you. You are an inspiration to us all, with your strength and ability to persevere. Stay strong DJ!
IBRONNIEB 3 years ago
If you ever doubted that you have a family here, the posts here today should put that doubt to rest. You are a member of a very select family, and you make every one of us proud. May God see fit to bless you, in this time of such sorrow. My thoughts, and prayers, are with you, and your family.
Jayhawker28 3 years ago
God bless you, and your family Darnell Jackson. You are the Man.
jaybate 3 years ago
“My mom showed me there’s nothing to fear while I’m on this planet, nothing except God,” Jackson said. “I don’t know what will happen to me in my life, but this is not a final story. My story doesn’t end with my mom. My story ends when I’m gone.”
It is the most profound quote by anyone in sport that I have ever read.
It is one of the most profound quotes I have ever read by anyone.
Rock Chalk!
selfhimbill 3 years ago
Darnell is my favorite Jayhawk as well. I loved his effort and then the subsequent chest thump! I hope the best for him.
HighEliteMajor 3 years ago
D-block, D-man. His improvement from junior to senior season produced a national championship. Glad his mom got to see the man she helped create, both on and off the court.
moorobs5 3 years ago
D Jack was/is one of my favorite Jawhawks too. We agonized for him as we watched him overcome the adversity in his early years. He was the soul of the 2008 championship team. I hope time takes some of the pain from your recent loss.
Rock_Chalk_25 3 years ago
Darnell Jackson---the greatest Jayhawk of all-time. If my kids grow up to be 1/100th of the man he is today I will be the proudest parent on the planet. Just an extroadinary human-being.
HockHawk 3 years ago
Sorry for your loss D-Block...... KU will awlays be here for you!
God Bless,
Rock Chalk!
dynamitehawk 3 years ago
Truly an inspirational man. May there only be 'good' Darnell stories going forward.
gchawk 3 years ago
Darnell, my heart aches for you. At Bible studies a while back someone said that age-old adage that "God doesn't give you more than you can handle" which our pastor retorted with "With all due respect, that's not quite right, God does give you more than you can handle, that's why He's God, He wants you to turn to, and depend on, Him. I can't think of a more appropriate time to turn to Him for some kind of understanding and acceptance. I'm not necessarily trying to give you a sermon, but those words by my pastor did give me a lot of comfort at a time of real turmoil in my life. Our prayers are with you Darnell.
mikendal 3 years ago
What a great inspiring story! Darnell, T-Rob and the rest of the team winning the NC---that was sooooooo sweet! Darnell, adversity makes you a stronger man. My thoughts are with you and your family. God Bless You! Jayhawk Nation will always be grateful for your contributions to the Basketball Program. Rock Chalk, forever! Be strong!
approx 3 years ago
Think you meant RussRob right?
JayViking 3 years ago
Keep with it Darnell. You've got the whole Jayhawk Nation behind you!
97jhawk 3 years ago
Three pounds to the chest Big D, three pounds to the chest.
So proud to call Darnell a Jayhawk! Keep your head up, you're inspiration to us all!
PikesPeakSmitty 3 years ago
Favorite all-round Jayhawk ever. I'll never forget his smile and banging his chest.
jross1972 3 years ago
Yes, Pikes. Three bangs. One for his grandma, one for his mother, and the third I can't remember who for. But the gesture was born out of a love for his family!
KGphoto 3 years ago
D-Block.
Nuff said.
rockcjayhawk 3 years ago
God bless you Darnell & all your family as well. And you're exactly right, as hard as it seems now, your chapter is just beginning & you've got so much more to write & accomplish. Never forget how many caring Jayhawks you've got that want only the best for you. We've got your back DJ. RCJH
crooner 3 years ago
Go Darnell.
mikendal 3 years ago
Approx--- Gosh darn, I did mean RussRob. Sorry for the boo boo!
bradh 3 years ago
My favorite Jayhawk ever, due to his hustle and down to earth attitude. May God sustain you during this time of sorrow Darnell.
skwahjayog 3 years ago
I know this isn't the right place, and of course I echo all the comments and thoughts above about Darnell...
Just saw a poll on ESPN U for ranking top 20 college basketball coaches. (Sorry, I don't know how to paste in link.) Currently Bill Self is 4th, whereas Caliperi is 12th. The non-biased Jayhawk I am, I voted Coach Self number 1 and Caliperi 20th. :-)
lighthawk 3 years ago
DBlock, you have love from your mom and can pass it on to your family and those around you. Her love for you will grow as you care for others.
don't be too hard on her, she endured as long as she could and has released her pain and in some ways, though hard to understand, she released you of her pain as well, her gift to you.
you inspire me.
OakvilleJHawk 3 years ago
Darnell, draw stength from the love around you. Your Mom suffered her Purgatory on earth and I have to believe that she is in a better place. Your greatest tribute to her will be for you to be the best person you can be.
Take care, Brother Jayhawk
[PS..skwahjayog..I would have voted Calipari 21st!! Let me guess, Coach K, Williams and the Mich. State guy were voted ahead of Bill...what a joke!!]
92Jhawk 3 years ago
I've been so blessed in my life to have family close in all respects and other than losing grandparents (who left us after LONG lives) and some friends to accidents, I've never, EVER experienced true tragedy in my life. I like to think that I'm strong enough to overcome as Darnell has (if and when tragedy strikes)...but I just don't know if I could. You are the anti-Charles Barkley, YOU ARE a role model and I'm proud that you are a Jayhawk. My heart goes out to you and your siblings (and extended family) and you are in my prayers. My hope is that over time your hurt and anger will subside...one thing I know for sure, if anyone can move past this and overcome, it's D-Block...
God Bless you and your family...
KUHawkhead 3 years ago
Hoping and praying for peace for all in the Jackson family.
marchphog88 3 years ago
Wow Darnell. You've been blessed with an enormous heart and broad shoulders, only to have more than your fair share of burden piled upon them. I admire you as a basketball player, for your drive to succeed and never quit, but more importantly, I admire you as a person, for the same reasons.
One part of me wants the Bucks to pick up your option or another team to sign you as a free agent, so that I can see you achieve the success a person of your character deserves. The other part of me knows that something as trivial as being released from an NBA contract won't stop you from making your own success.
I wouldn't know the first thing to say in terms of advice on life and I certainly cannot know the amount of pain the recent months have brought you. All I can do is express my heartfelt gratitude that us Kansas fans had the privilege of knowing you as a person and athlete. We are all better for having had you in our lives, even if in a small way.
You will always be family in Kansas. Best wishes to you in everything that you do.
jhawk7782 3 years ago
I hope that Darnell realizes how much he meant to so many in the KU family. He brought a toughness to our team even with all the personal problems he was dealing with. Darnell is the best of KU.
lincase 3 years ago
How can you not love Darnell? I believe I rooted for things to go well for him more than I did for any other player. I will always remember the unrelenting hustle and the three chest taps. Darnell, my mother died before she ever saw her great-granddaughter who bears her name. I feel a real kinship with you because of this. Sometimes I just know that these wonderful women are looking down from heaven and watching over the little ones. God bless you and your new little girl.
ralster 3 years ago
Darnell, my condolences, my man! My favorite KU DBlock highlight is the YouTube 2007 video "Darnell Jackson dunks on Oklahoma State" (1-hand put back tomahawk jam off of Chalmers missed layup, did the jut-jawed, 3 gorilla thumps afterward). The nonverbal expression and the actions said it all about Darnell Jackson. No mere words needed. RockChalkSolid! Always will be, Darnell. You will be a great father to little Evonna! My son is 11. I am proud that he will know your story, too.
jhawkclassof02 3 years ago
One of my all time favorite Jayhawks, if not my number one. This hits close to home for me too. Love you, Darnell. Sorry for your loss.
fansincewilt 3 years ago
“I don’t know what will happen to me in my life, but this is not a final story. My story doesn’t end with my mom. My story ends when I’m gone.”
~ My guess is that his story will continue much beyond his life on this earth. God always has a reason for the things that happens. I hope Jackson goes to OKC and I get a chance to go see him play.
JHWKNMIZRY 3 years ago
I hope things work out for the best for him. He almost defines "work ethic" and "dedication".
If he can embody the qualities in his children that his mother helped him with they will grow up to be fine people.
I agree that he is one of my very favorite Jayhawks also.
mnbw727 3 years ago
Darnell, I wish you could read all these comments and feel the love and support we in Jayhawk nation have for you. Everything that has happened has been for a reason. When life seems the most unfair, that is when you learn the most about yourself. It may hurt soo bad, and seem like the worst thing possible, but in the end, you will see why, and be glad to have experienced it. I have you in my thoughts and I wish your family nothing but the best. Stay strong big guy. Rock Chalk!
jhokfan 3 years ago
She got to see her little boy turn into a man. That has to be of some comfort.
plasticJHawk 3 years ago
I don't usually get spiritual on the message boards, but I get the feeling that Darnell's faith is in God. The church may have some mixed feelings about suicide, but what it all boils down to is that if your faith is in God and you are following Him then you need not fear death. It sounds like his mother was just anxious to leave the pain that she felt on this earth and go to be with Jesus. Can't blame her for that. Darnell is a man who has been given great understanding and wisdom and I'm sure that he understands that. I get the feeling that Darnell doesn't fear death, because he knows that when God calls him home he will get to spend eternity in heaven with his mother.
I think that when Darnell is done with the NBA he's going to be a great inspirational speaker and make a huge impact in the lives of many people with his story of faith, love, and perseverence.
txrockchalk 3 years ago
Talk about incredible fan support - for those who think the majority of posters on KUsports.com stories are mean spirited, need look no further than the comments attached to this piece. These are truly representative of the kind of people KU fans are.
We love you DBlock, and always remember, if God can bring you to it, He can bring you through it.
Martini_Boy 3 years ago
Darnell, God is a foundation that will never break. I know your Mom preached that to you over and over. You've got a lot of prayer support from those of us that have met you and your family.
Brighter days are ahead. God bless, you, your brother and sister, and your most proud accomplishment Evonna!
jw
VegasJhawk09 3 years ago
My heart and thoughts are with you D block.
VegasJhawk09 3 years ago
I just finished watching the 08 title game, we miss you in Jayhawk land!!
Mz 3 years ago
Wow. The above pics in the article were the days weren't they?
ralster 3 years ago
Mz, Yes, I thought that too. Definitely can say Darnell Jackson was the team leader & motivator on that squad(along with Chalmers, RussRob, and Collins, I think). So far, my favorite KU "team" ever--since they achieved greatness without any true superstar. RCJH
drgnslayr 3 years ago
It's great to read all the posts here. Lots of heartfelt support... it's the part of the Jayhawk Nation that is most important and definitely shows how all kinds of people can come together to form a positive bond. And it's off the court. Basketball is just a game... but it is an activity that creates opportunities for people to come together... and what starts as competition develops into bonds that live forever!
My girlfriend and I met Darnell this past fall and he was (is) such a class act. I believe Darnell will take his hardships and use them to stimulate his ambition to create the best world around him; with his family and the outside world. I see Darnell realizing his opportunity to be a great role model to others... especially to those who have faced hardship on the level that Darnell has.
My condolences to Darnell and his family.
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