After Vicksburg High struggled to run the football last season, not even gaining 1,000 yards as a team, coach Marcus Rogers started studying film in his search for a solution.

He believes he found it in an unlikely source.

Tim Jackson, a 5-foot-7, 175-pound senior who played wide receiver last season, will be the Gators’ primary running back this year. He squats 450 pounds and power cleans about 285, and Rogers said with that strength Jackson is a nightmare for opponents and a joy to watch.

“I looked at the film after this season and saw that Tim was never tackled by the first guy and the second guy had problems,” Rogers said.

When Jackson comes from behind the line it’s hard for the defense to find him. When he carries the ball he decreases his pad level, making it more difficult for the defense to make contact.

In addition to his height and physique, Jackson feels like his vision is an asset that makes him difficult to stop on the field. He can see holes and use his speed to get through them for gains.

Jackson said he had a good season last year and wants to improve on his progress.

“My goal is to run for about 1,500 yards this season,” Jackson said. “I come in every day and work hard and put in extra work after practice. I run hills and do ladder drills.”

Rogers has seen Jackson pull sleds to work on his speed and flip tires for strength, but Jackson knows he needs to work on his footwork. Jackson has studied the running styles of former NFL running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Terrell Davis, but patterns his game after Maurice Jones-Drew.

Jones-Drew, a former Jacksonville Jaguars star, is only 5-foot-8 but rushed for more than 8,000 yards in eight NFL seasons.

Rogers said Jackson is hungry entering his senior year, and smart because he played quarterback before and has studied the game.

“Like I tell anybody, you can’t just do what the coach asks you to do during practice. You have to go home and hone in on your craft,” Rogers said. “He’s very coachable, a good character kid and I feel like he’s going to have a good year this year. Our team will only go as far as Tim takes us.”