A life well lived: Remembering Kevin "Catfish" Jackson

Inspired by a high school coach who encouraged him to follow his football dreams while gaining a valuable education — Kevin "Catfish" Jackson went to Athens and found the spotlight as a defensive lineman at the University of Georgia, where he played for the legendary Vince Dooley and was a member of the 1980 National Championship team.

Known for his competitive fire on the field — and his innate ability to connect with everyone he encountered off of it — Jackson came to Savannah and built on that legacy in a life filled with success as a businessman, coach and first, and foremost, a man devoted to his family.

Jackson died in Savannah on Thursday at the age of 62, a couple weeks after suffering a heart attack.

The reaction to Jackson's passing came quickly from all corners of the state as Governor Brian Kemp posted about the loss on X, while UGA football Coach Kirby Smart also offered his condolences, along with former teammates, players he coached, friends, politicians and business associates.

"He did so many things throughout his life, and I never really took time to reflect on how many lives he actually impacted," his son, Kevin Jackson Jr. said on Friday. "We had 22 thousand visitors on a page where we were updating his condition and to see all the people he has touched meant so much to our family. We've been overwhelmed by all the love and support we've received in the last two weeks."

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Jackson was a three-time letterman in his playing days at UGA, and was a co-captain in his senior season. He was a sophomore defensive tackle on the 1980 team, featuring freshman Herschel Walker, that beat Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl to claim the national crown.

Jackson was known as a "Damn Good Dawg," who maintained close relationships with his UGA teammates and coaches, including Dooley and Erk Russell, an assistant coach who came up with nickname "Catfish" that stuck with Jackson for the rest of his life.

Jackson was known for his fiery style in college. He once won a beer chugging contest at an Athens watering hole, and got into his share of fights in the college town. Russell, who went on to become the head coach at Georgia Southern, gave Jackson the moniker because he said Jackson "drank like a fish and fought like a cat."

Donald Chumley made his way to Athens to join the Bulldogs as a defensive lineman out of Groves High School and had Jackson assigned to him as his "Big Brother."

"He picked me out and we were attached to each other ever since," said Chumley, who became the head coach at Savannah Christian in 2005 with Jackson an assistant in charge of the defensive line. "We fought a lot of battles on the field together, and sometimes were in fights off the field. When we couldn't find someone to fight, sometimes we fought each other — we were like brothers like that and I loved him."

Chumley said the pair had great times as teammates, but had even more fun coaching together. The Raiders reached the Class A State finals in 2009 and 2010 before breaking through to win the state championship in 2011.

"He just loved working with the kids — he was always there to take care of them and went way beyond the call of duty to make us a first-class program," Chumley said. "He touched every one of them. I'll tell you what, if you called Kevin a friend, you had a real friend and a friend for life. We're all going to miss him."

Armed with a business degree from UGA, Jackson was known for his ability as a salesman. He founded his successful industrial cleaning company EnviroVac in 1999 and often hired players and friends to work for him.

Jackson started a tradition when the Raiders won semifinal playoff games to advance to the state championship. He would give the seniors high-end Maui Jim sunglasses so they would "be ready for the bright lights at the Georgia Dome."

If the defense had a shutout the previous week, Jackson would often treat the team to a meal of steak and lobster or shrimp at the team dinner the following Thursday.

DeAngelo Brown was a star defensive tackle and member of the Raider state title team in 2011, when he was named the Savannah Morning News Defensive Player of the Year. He said playing for Jackson changed his life.

"I'll always remember the love he showed for the players, especially with me — he was in my corner from the first day he met me to the last day of his life," said Brown, who went on to become a star at the University of Louisville and now owns his own athletic training business in Savannah. "He helped me become a better player and always called me his son and said I was part of his family. He was like a second dad to me. I was glad I was able to help him in his final days, like he helped me for my whole life. I loved him."

Kevin Jackson Jr. has heard similar testimonials from people from all over in recent days as his father fought to stay alive after suffering the heart attack. He said his father played football at Cartersville High, and the family lived in a cabin built by his grandfather.

"My dad came from humble beginnings and always said he never got a hand out, but he got a hand up," Jackson Jr. said. "His was going to go work for Georgia Power as a lineman, but his high school coach convinced him to use his football skills to get to UGA and get an education that would be a generational change for his family.

"He had people give him a lot of opportunities in life and said once he got a chance to get into the dance, he showed people how to tango. So, he always wanted to pay it back and give others those opportunities."

Jackson Jr. said his dad always taught his kids to treat everyone how you would want to be treated — from a janitor to a CEO. And those weren't just words for his father.

"I remember I was about 12 and it was my dad and I eating at a restaurant in Cartersville," Jackson Jr. said. "He really liked our waitress and left her a huge tip. She came out of the back and said, 'You must have made a mistake' and he said 'No, that is for you.' She broke down crying and told us how she had a young kid and was having trouble making rent. It meant the world to her, and that's the kind of thing he did throughout his life. He saw the best in everyone in all walks of life."

He received numerous awards in the business community as EnviroVac grew from a company of four to a business employing more than thousand with offices in six southern states. He became a member of the Junior Achievement Savannah Business Hall of Fame in 2023. But he always said his family was his biggest accomplishment. He was married to his wife, Libby Saye, since 1987 and in addition to Kevin Jr. (married to Kate), they have two daughters — Elizabeth (Tyler) Sumner and Mary Margaret (Thomas) Cone and seven grandchildren.

A memorial service is set for 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, at Christ Church Episcopal, 28 Bull St., followed by a celebration of life at the Savannah Golf Club.

Jackson Jr. said he is expecting a big turnout.

"It's been amazing," he said of the support from throughout the state. "He loved this coffee shop on Wilmington Island, and the people from there came into the hospital with a bunch of coffee and food. Some say that people have a teacup of love to give out in their life, but I think my dad had an industrial grain silo of love.

"The world is going to be a little less bright without him, but we want to expand on his legacy — to keep that light shining and keep his flame burning."

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Kevin "Catfish" Jackson remembered for a life of impact in Georgia