Buffalo's 30-Year-Old, Former Navy SEAL Defensive End Damian Jackson Is A Full-Grown Man With An Amazing Story

Damian Jackson is an American hero and college football legend. The 30-year-old defensive end is currently finishing out his six-year career as a graduate student at the University of Buffalo this fall.

He looks like a full-grown man, because he is, and his story is remarkable.

Some of his 18-year-old teammates may not even be able to grow a beard.

Buffalo defensive end Damian Jackson

Beyond his look, Buffalo defensive end Damian Jackson's story is incredible.

Who is Damian Jackson?!

Jackson, who did not play football on any level prior to college, followed in his brother's footsteps after high school. He enlisted in the Navy and, eventually, joined an elite SEAL platoon.

While with the platoon, Jackson took on the role of Lead Breacher and specialized in explosives and obstruction removal. If a barricade needed to be torn down, a door needed to be blown off, or a wall needed to be crumbled, it was his responsibility to get it done.

Jackson was deployed twice, but felt that his career as a SEAL was coming to a close after his second deployment. He had always dreamed of playing college football and decided to make it a reality.

Despite never playing the sport, Jackson hand-wrote letters to every single Division-I college football program and asked for an opportunity. Nebraska gave him that shot.

After arriving in Lincoln in 2017, Jackson walked-on with the Cornhuskers and earned time on special teams as a sophomore. And then, prior to the 2020 season, he was placed on scholarship and worked into the team's rotation at outside linebacker.

Nebraska wore special uniforms on September 11, 2021 and Jackson was part of the coolest uniform reveal of all-time. It will induce goosebumps.

In addition to his hard work on the field, Jackson was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten player. He is a hero, a scholar and a Division-I athlete. Pretty epic.

After five years with Nebraska (including a redshirt season), Jackson chose to take advantage of the COVID-19 blanket waiver of eligibility and transferred to Buffalo as a sixth-year graduate student. The former Navy SEAL has recorded 19 tackles in 10 games with the Bulls.