Soccer News: One-on-One with Danny Jackson

SoccerNationNews exclusive interview - New Feature 

Danny Jackson is a former college and Major League Soccer (MLS) player who grew up in England and played youth soccer in the Leeds United Youth Program.

Jackson played defense at the University of North Carolina, where he led the Tar Heels to the 2001 NCAA National Championships.

Jackson spent the 2002 season with the MLS Colorado Rapids. From 2003 to 2008 Jackson played for the then-USL First Division Seattle Sounders, serving as captain from 2004-2008.

While at Seattle, he was named the league’s Defender of the Year and selected to the A-League First Team.

Jackson currently serves as Director of New Business for Korrio, and has coached youth soccer with Eastside FC and the Sounders FC/ODP development program. SoccerNation sat down to find out more about the man behind the boot.

SNN: What is your idea of the perfect game?

Danny Jackson: The perfect game is having everyone on your team play to the best of their ability. Fighting for each other, having fun, committing to the same cause, and in the end scoring the goals to win the game is fantastic. As a defender, my ideal situation would be to score a goal and then make crucial plays to defend that lead.

A great tackle for me was better than scoring a goal. Once the game is over, and we have achieved success, there is nothing better than celebrating with your teammates. That joy, after so much hard work and tension, is such a wonderful feeling.

SNN: Which living person do you most admire?

Danny Jackson: In the soccer world, I have to say Sir Alex Ferguson. For a manager to be coaching at a club like Manchester United for so long and to win so much is quite incredible.

There appears to a very quick shelf life for most coaches in professional sports now, but Sir Alex is an incredible example of longevity and excellence.

SNN: What is your greatest fear?

Danny Jackson: I think my greatest fear is not being happy.

SNN: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Danny Jackson: As a player, I wished I had been a few inches taller. I think this would have opened up more doors and playing opportunities.

SNN: What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

Danny Jackson: Personally – my family. Professionally – I think transitioning from the sports field to the office. I have as much passion for my work with Korrio as I did playing soccer.

SNN: What talent would you most like to have?

Danny Jackson: I would love to play the piano.

SNN: What is the quality you most like in yourself?

Danny Jackson: I work hard to maximize my potential.

SNN: Who are your heroes in real life?

Danny Jackson: I most admire my grandparents. Unfortunately, they are no longer with us, but their generation sacrificed so much, and their stories were always fascinating.

SNN: What do you value most in your teammates and in a player?

Danny Jackson: For teammates it would be commitment to each other. In a player it would be honesty.

SNN: What trait you do dislike the most?

Danny Jackson: Laziness.

SNN: When and where do you think you played the best soccer?

Danny Jackson: I think I played the best soccer when I was fully healthy.

SNN: When did you first start to play?

Danny Jackson: Growing up in England, soccer is all that we know. Every break period at school, every afternoon at the park, we would be playing. This started at a very young age.

SNN: What is your great ambition?

Danny Jackson: I always wanted to play for Barcelona. I don’t think that’s going to happen now, so suppose I need to rethink that.

SNN: Who is or was your favorite coach?

Danny Jackson: I had many coaches who I enjoyed playing for, such as Paul Hart, Eddie Gray and Brian Schmetzer. The most influential was my UNC coach, Elmar Bolowich. He gave me the opportunity to come to UNC and play college soccer, and build a life in the United States.

SNN: What did you eat and drink to prepare before a game?

Danny Jackson: I had a routine on game day. I would eat a meal about five hours before a game, and drink lots of fluid. I would then drink a 32 oz bottle of Gatorade two-and-a-half hours before the game, and eat an energy bar of some sort two hours before the game. I would continue to drink prior to the game, but that was merely due to thirst and not the need to force hydration. Everybody has their own quirky ways of doing things, and you just figure out what works best for you.

SNN: What's the worst thing you eat?

Danny Jackson: I would rephrase it as the best thing – chocolate. Not the healthiest, but so good!

SNN: What is your greatest extravagance? Or what would it be?

Danny Jackson: Guys like fast cars, so an Aston Martin would be nice. It would be great to own a professional soccer club in England – maybe my hometown team, Leeds United.

SNN: On what occasion do you lie?

Danny Jackson: When the house needs cleaning, it’s funny how my 9 month old son always needs something from his Dad.

SNN: Where do you live? 

Danny Jackson: Bellevue, Washington.

SNN: Where would you want to live?

Danny Jackson: I love the Seattle area, but living in a warmer climate during the winter months would be nice. Maybe the Caribbean or Hawaii.

SNN: What was your youth soccer club(s)?

Danny Jackson: I played for Leeds United from 9-18 years.

SNN: What do you think of referees?

Danny Jackson: I love them, as long as they are making the calls for my team!

SNN: Should soccer use technology (playback features) like other sports?

Danny Jackson: If you would have asked me after Frank Lampard’s shot in the 2010 World Cup against Germany – absolutely. That was a goal! But I’m just not sure how you stop such a free-flowing game to analyze video replays. We are always told to play to the whistle, so I think replays would adversely affect the game and the natural reactions of players to keep playing. Soccer is about human errors and triumphs. That’s what makes the game so exciting. We can’t turn players, or the game as a whole, into a robotic event.

SNN: Who is your favorite professional soccer team?

Danny Jackson: Leeds United.

SNN: Who do you think is the best pro player playing today?

Danny Jackson: It has to be Lionel Messi. What a player!

SNN: What is your greatest challenge at your job?

Danny Jackson: Having the time and opportunity to introduce Korrio to everyone in the sports community. Once people see what Korrio can do, they are hooked. Introducing new people to Korrio is what makes every day so exciting.

Danny Jackson's recent coaching experience ranges from youth soccer at Eastside FC and the Sounders FC / ODP youth development program and speaks to high schools and youth clubs regarding the far reaching impacts of youth sports. Danny also is serving as the Director of New Business for Korrio.