December 5th, 2015, Grand Valley State faced off against defending champs, CSU-Pueblo, in the quarterfinal game of the playoffs. Coming off of a great season and knocking out their rival Ferris State a week prior, GVSU set the tone pretty early against the Thunderwolves. For senior running back Kirk Spencer, this was the day that not only his love for the game would be tested, but also his faith.

Passion. That's what this sport was to me. It was my love and the main focus and honestly a good reason for attending college, to begin with. It provided opportunities to visit places I probably would have never visited and introduced me to people who have made everlasting imprints on my life. I envisioned so much for myself as an athlete that I paid more attention to what I wanted from the track than what I wanted from Ashley. I thought this was who I was.

Everyone's path to collegiate track and field is different. Some are able to earn a scholarship right out of high school, while others take an alternative route and decide to go to a junior college for a year or two, then later transfer. Like others, Kenneth Jackson chose that route. Starting out at Riverside City College and now attending Texas A&M University - Kingsville, Jackson is ready to show and prove that he can compete with the best in the sport.