John Jackson, who was the running backs coach for tailbacks Marcus Allen and Charles White during their Heisman Trophy-winning seasons at USC, died on Thursday (Feb. 16) in Torrance, Calif., of complications following intestinal surgery. He was 81.
Information on a service for Jackson is pending.
Jackson was the Trojan running backs coach for 6 seasons (1976-81) under head coach John Robinson, and he also served as the offensive coordinator. White won the Heisman in 1979 and finished as the NCAA's second-leading career rusher with 6,245 yards, while Allen won it in 1981 when he became the first collegiate player to run for 2,000 yards in a season.