Calvert Hall's Donya Jackson stays true to Navy
Three months of summer vacation will officially begin for Donya Jackson on Saturday after Calvert Hall’s graduation.
It could have been a much shorter summer break for Jackson had things gone as originally planned. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound small forward committed to Navy’s basketball program last June with the expectation of beginning his plebe summer in Annapolis next month. Instead, Jackson will spend the summer working out, playing basketball and preparing for a year of prep school at Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy before enrolling at the Naval Academy next summer.
“I was [a little disappointed about going to prep school] because I was looking at my class and a lot of people in my class are going straight to college and I wanted to graduate with them,” Jackson said. “I have a lot of friends I want to go to college with, but it doesn’t matter now because either way, I’m still going to the school I want to go to. I think another year will be good for me. It gives me another year to develop academically and athletically.”
Jackson had a storybook senior season at Calvert Hall, leading the Cardinals to the Baltimore Catholic League tournament championship. A two-time BCL Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson earned Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro honors.
In the classroom, Jackson took care of business as well with a 3.2 grade-point average. His grades and standardized test score easily surpassed the minimum NCAA qualifying standards. But Jackson soon discovered that his SAT score wasn’t quite high enough for Navy’s requirements. While Jackson had hoped to matriculate to Navy right after graduating from high school, he soon discovered that future Midshipmen attending prep school was far from unique.
“It’s extremely common, not only with basketball [players], but with all other [athletes] and even for [students] who don’t play sports,” Jackson said. “During graduation practice, I was talking to a guy that’s going to the Naval Academy for water polo, and he’s going to prep school. In all the sports, they do it. Even in non-sports. They send kids to [the Naval Academy Preparatory School] that are not quite ready.”
When word got out that Jackson was headed to prep school for a year, several Division I college programs started expressing interest once again. When he suited up for Crusader Nation in a couple AAU tournaments this spring, even more schools came calling, including American, Morgan State, Old Dominion and Tulane.
“It’s kind of flattering, but my thought was, 'where were these schools last year?'” Jackson said. “Obviously Navy saw something in me last year, but [other schools] may have just heard about the way I performed. So I’m being loyal. I’m going to the Naval Academy and nowhere else. It’s always good to be loyal to your school.”
William Russell, Jackson’s father, agreed with his son’s assessment, and was proud that he never withdrew his commitment to Navy.
“He could have gone to Loyola or Morgan, and he would have had the opportunity to play immediately and make it through the [NCAA] Clearinghouse,” Russell said. “But because Navy has such a high bar, we had to look at the prep option. But as far as schools recruiting Donya, [it was tough], especially with Todd Bozeman because I love Morgan. I’m a Morgan State alum. But they can’t offer what Navy can offer Donya. Donya will get to travel the world. I’m more concerned about Donya after basketball, because basketball ends.”
Jackson will spend the rest of his summer training with Russell – the boys basketball coach at Masonville Cove Academy – and playing pickup ball in Annapolis. Russell said the Navy coaches were with Jackson “every step of the way,” and the Midshipmen players were supportive once it was determined that he would spend this year at Mercersburg.
While Jackson wishes he could begin his college career as soon as possible, he remains committed to his future at Navy, no matter what it takes to get there.
“I know I’m going to the Naval Academy and [I know] all the benefits it presents,” Jackson said. “I know how my life will be graduating from the Naval Academy, and other schools can’t offer me things that [Navy] can offer me.”
Baltimore Sun photo of Donya Jackson by Monica Lopossay / Dec. 5, 2008
