Player Spotlight: Jackson Cusack, WR | Written By St. John Fisher Athletics Communications Student Assistant Nic Bakker
Jackson Cusack doesn't keep track of his numbers. Ask the St. John Fisher senior wide receiver how many touchdown catches he has, and he'll tell you he has no idea.
"I'm not a stat guy at all," Cusack said. "I just want to be the person that's going to leave it all out there on the field."
That is, unless he is bantering with his wide receiver coach, Will Blake. Lately, he has enjoyed ribbing coach Blake, a Fisher alum on the program's all-time receiving lists, after passing him in career touchdown catches (Cusack recorded his 13th career touchdown reception against Hartwick on Oct. 13).
Through seven games this year, the senior captain leads the Cardinals with 40 receptions for 543 yards and four touchdown catches, and he also leads the team with 641 all-purpose yards.
In this year’s installment of the Courage Bowl, his versatility in his ability was on full display. He returned a punt for a touchdown and threw one, hitting Shawn Watson for 49 yards on a double pass at Brockport after taking a bubble screen from quarterback Ryan Whitney.
Cusack is no stranger to slinging the ball down the field, as he played quarterback running the triple option at Fonda-Fultonville High School, where he was named League MVP. "Not a very threatening quarterback," he said. "More of a runner."
Fonda and Fultonville are two towns split by the Mohawk River, about an hour west of Albany. Cusack grew up competing against the same kids in youth football before they all became high school teammates. "Smaller school, everybody knew everybody," he said.
At Fisher, being accustomed to having tight bonds within his teammates has paid dividends. His closest bond is with quarterback Ryan Whitney. The two arrived together and are now team captains.
"I look at him as a brother," Cusack said. "I've got full heart trust in him on the field." He believes the friendship shows up in his production. "It's definitely tougher for two strangers to go out there and be on the same page."
Listed at 175 pounds for three seasons, Cusack entered camp this summer at 200. "I just knew coming in this year I was going to be expected to do quite a bit physically and athletically," he said.
“I've always wanted to be the bigger person in my matchups and dominate the person across from me. If we're playing catch in the backyard, I'm going to try to win that rep," he said.
As a captain, he rarely needs to raise his voice because "everybody holds each other accountable," but he knows the younger players are watching. "I love it when younger guys come up to me and say they want to be like me. That's a great honor."
That approach carries into this week's game against Utica, as Fisher looks to bounce back from a loss at Cortland. Cusack had nine catches for 99 yards against the Pioneers as a sophomore, but don't expect him to reminisce on it.
When asked about that game, nothing came to mind. "Once a game's over, it's on to the next one," he said. "The most important game is the game we have the next week."
Family has been there for every one of those weeks. His parents attend every game, home or away, and his father is well known to address the tailgate crowd beforehand.
The No. 4 on his jersey honors his older sister, who wore it in high school and college. "They were always going to be proud of me. That's played the biggest role in why I still play football."
But when people look back on his career, he hopes they remember the person more than the player. After every game, win or lose, he makes a point to hug parents at the tailgate and thank them for coming.
"I tell everybody I love them when I'm walking away, and that's not just saying it," he said. "I really do love all those guys, and I would fight for them for anything."
