When Keith Jackson was honored Thursday by having the Little Rock Parkview fieldhouse named after him, it was for his accomplishments as an athlete.
Before a crowd that would have been standing room only if not for covid-19, it was a big deal.
Most know Jackson these days for Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids (P.A.R.K.), which he and his wife Melanie have made a huge success.
Before that, there was the player who every other player either envied or should have been envying.
At Parkview, Jackson started on both sides of the ball.
Receivers and running backs hated to see Jackson coming their way on defense because they were about to experience one of his bone-rattling tackles.
On offense, he was a tight end with wideout speed. He was hard to catch, and if you did, he was hard to bring down because of his size and strength.
Basketball coach Charles Ripley, who the Parkview basketball gym is named after, nicknamed him "Hack" Jackson for his aggressive defense.
"Keith knew football was his future," former Parkview teammate and close friend Bill Ingram said, "but he could have played college basketball, too."
Jackson was named to Parade magazine's All-America football team.
Arguably, he is one of the top three or four football players in the history of the state.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for some Arkansas Razorback fans when he chose Oklahoma, but Barry Switzer had just signed the No. 1 quarterback in America, Troy Aikman, and was scrapping the Wishbone.
Arkansas was running the Flexbone, a form of the Triple-Option offense.
In a twist, Aikman got hurt and eventually transferred to UCLA when the Sooners went back to the Wishbone.
Jackson persevered and was a two-time All-American, played on a national championship team and graduated in 3 1/2 years, which was a strong indication of his mother's priorities and what would later define Jackson.
He was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles and was named NFC Rookie of the Year.
In his rookie camp during one-on-one drills, Jackson said he wanted the biggest, meanest and toughest guy on the team.
Reggie White stepped in front of him with a smile and got in position. As soon as the coach yelled go, Jackson moved out of the way.
"I want you to know I'm not stupid," he said.
White, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best defensive ends to ever play the game, laughed.
They became close friends. After Jackson started P.A.R.K., White donated thousands of dollars of workout equipment.
Jackson played nine years in the NFL and won his Super Bowl ring during his final season with the Green Bay Packers, but a dream had long been burning in his heart.
Jackson wanted to create an after-school program for kids in Little Rock, the city where he was born
It wasn't about athletics, but academics.
P.A.R.K. celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year.
Around 1,000 kids have started the program in the eighth grade with grade-point averages below 2.0 and gone on to graduate high school, and 76% graduate from college.
For several years, Jackson also was the football analyst for the Razorbacks on the radio. When his two youngest sons started playing college football, he retired so he or Melanie could make sure a parent was at every game.
Last week, one of Central Arkansas' biggest difference-makers was honored for his athletic skills. He deserved it.
But Keith Jackson the man has done much more.