Former LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson’s teammates said Jackson was more than just a force to be feared on the Tigers’ defensive line.Jackson, who stands 6-foot-4 and 296 pounds, is called a selfless leader who always wants the best for those around him.Junior safety Chad Jones said while Jackson doesn’t have the most vocal personality, when he talked, the team was all ears.”When he spoke, everybody listened because we have that much respect for him,” Jones said. “When you come in here and see a big guy like him, you might be overpowered, but he’ll come up to you and be easy, talk to you and help you out, so he’s an overall leader. Especially on the field, he’s always in people’s faces — not talking down to them but positive reinforcement.”Fellow former LSU defensive end Kirston Pittman was Jackson’s roommate the past two years. Pittman said it was comforting that he and Jackson assumed a dual leadership role to younger players.”Every Friday night, we’d sit in the hotel room and talk football and help each other relax,” Pittman said. “It’s a real tense atmosphere in Death Valley every Saturday night and going on the road to play SEC opponents. It was great playing with a guy like [Jackson] knowing that all the pressure wasn’t on me. He was over there doing his job, and if I did my job, we’d give opponents a lot of trouble.”NFL draft analyst Mike Detillier said Jackson will continue to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines in the NFL. Detillier predicts Jackson will be the No. 12 overall pick to the Denver Broncos — the highest Tiger taken.”Denver is rebuilding their defense, and they need some size up front,” Detillier said. “[Jackson’s] greatest value is versatility — he can play a 4-3 base defensive end, he can play a 3-4 defensive end, and on third downs, if you ran a four-man front, he could play defensive tackle. This is the right draft for him.”Detillier said another possible candidate to select Jackson would be the Green Bay Packers at No. 9 overall. He said one of the Packers’ needs is a defensive end “with some size,” and LSU has a tradition of delivering high-powered defensive linemen in past drafts, including Glenn Dorsey, Marquise Hill, Marcus Spears and Anthony “Booger” McFarland.”One thing the scouts like is LSU is a school that has produced a lot of defensive linemen in the NFL recently,” Detillier said. “You go back fishing where you catch fish.” Detillier said Jackson’s length and run support are two assets teams will like the most about him.”He’s always going to be a solid pass rusher, but never a great pass rusher,” Detillier said. “Where he brings great strength is in run defense, and he’s a good athlete with long arms … he disrupts the view of a quarterback.”Detillier said Jackson made the correct decision by not forgoing his senior season and entering the draft last year because he would have been “at best a second-round pick.”Jackson said he has visited Denver, but he still has no idea where he will fall.”The Saints were my favorite team growing up, but I don’t mind whatever team I end up at,” Jackson said. “[Denver] is a great place — a lot different than Baton Rouge, but a lot of guys on the team are real friendly. I felt at home there, but it’s still unknown where I’ll end up come Saturday.”Jackson said he does know one thing: the first thing he will do in the NFL is buy something nice for his mother, Denise Bovie.”She’s been a big influence. Looking back at everything my mom ever did, she’s always been a hard worker,” Jackson said. “She worked two or three jobs and never complained. She always told me whatever is God’s call, you have to fulfill that to the best of your ability.”Bovie said she had a very close relationship with her son throughout his LSU career, and she said his mentor role on the team translates to his life at home.”Tyson is a very humble child when he’s at home — obedient, Christian and he loves being around mom, brother and grandma,” Bovie said. “He’s always gone to church; stayed out of trouble at home … I wasn’t just a mother; I was a sister, a father, everything to him.”Jackson’s older brother Marlon said his brother would be an overall great pick for any NFL team.”There’s nobody in the draft like him, and he brings a lot to the table,” Marlon Jackson said. “He has no off-the-field problems, and he is a student of the game. My gut feeling tells me somewhere in the top 10. He’ll play in the league a long time.”—-Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected]