Sparta’s Jackson rolls over Rams in his NFL debut

Darius Jackson, the former Sparta running back taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of June’s NFL draft, made his pro debut against the Los Angles Rams Saturday.

Jackson carried the ball 13 times for 47 yards in the pre-season opener televised in prime time on ESPN.

The Rams won 28-24.

Jackson was selected by the Cowboys after scoring 16 TDs in his senior year at Eastern Michigan University. He drew notice during his pro day after being clocked at 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash. That was enough for Dallas to choose him 216th overall.

During the broadcast, ESPN analyst and former Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden sang Jackson's praises.

"Darius Jackson is a guy we're going to want to keep an eye on in the pre-season," Gruden stated. "He's got size and speed. This kid is a machine."

Jackson will continue his quest to make the Cowboys' roster as his team next faces off against the Miami Dolphins on Fri, August 19.

This story was originally published August 14, 2016 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Sparta’s Jackson rolls over Rams in his NFL debut."