CAMELLIA BOWL NOTEBOOK (Day 2): Bulls honor legacy Jackson; Gailey great coach and babysitter
Compiled by BARRY ALLEN
For the past seven seasons, the number ‘41’ has been worn by a different Buffalo player each game to honor the legacy of former Bull Solomon Jackson who passed away in 2016.
Jackson passed away unexpectedly following an offseason workout on Feb. 29, 2016. Jackson, respected and beloved by his teammates, played both linebacker and defensive end over his career. The slogan “ALL41” (all for one) is a prominent fixture throughout the athletic department.
Middle linebacker James Patterson was one of the recipients of the jersey this year and said his spirit is still alive on the team.
“It’s a great honor to represent Solomon Jackson and his family,” Patterson said. “He was a face of the program because of his work ethic, his character and how he went about things. He was always positive and guys gravitated to him. I didn’t know him personally but I had teammates who did and they talked of how impactful he was when his smile was in the room.
“I’m just so glad they’re still doing the ‘41’ jersey. It takes your game to the next level when you wear it. It’s like he’s with you when you’re wearing it. I’ve had some good games in it. My brother (running back Jaret Patterson) had 409 yards and eight touchdowns in his jersey so it’s like Solomon Jackson was with him when he did it.”
Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist will decide on Monday evening which player will wear the jersey in Tuesday’s bowl game.
“When I was an assistant at UB 10 years ago, I signed Soloman Jackson from Atlanta, Ga.,” Linguist said. “Solomon’s number was 41, so the mantra ‘ALL41’ was created, just to keep his memory alive.”
Chan Gailey the babysitter
On Monday, the Camellia Bowl will honor longtime NFL and former Troy State head coach Chan Gailey at the “Alabama Legends” luncheon, which will reunite Georgia Southern head coach Clay Helton with his former babysitter.
Helton’s father Kim was an offensive line coach at the University of Florida when Gailey was a quarterback for the Gators. In 1974, Gailey got his first coaching job as a graduate assistant for the Gators and worked alongside Kim Helton.
“Coach Gailey, obviously one of the great coaches in our profession, is also a family friend,” Clay Helton said. “Coach used to babysit me at one point in time. Coach has always been somebody I could call on. I’ve always followed him. When you have great people in your profession as well as great coaches, you always watch what they’re doing. There’s not one time I can’t pick up the phone and Coach Gailey won’t return and say, ‘Hey, what do you need Clay?’ He’s just been a good family friend.”
Tuesday’s game features transfer quarterbacks
The ninth Camellia Bowl will be the first to feature two teams with transfers as the starting quarterbacks.
Georgia Southern will start Kyle Vantrease, who threw for 4,755 yards and 25 touchdowns in five seasons at Buffalo before transferring to Georgia Southern this year, where he has thrown for 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2022.
Vantrease’s transfer meant Buffalo would have to find a new quarterback and the Bulls settled on former Rutgers quarterback Cole Snyder. The Lakewood, N.Y., native was looking for another school closer to home and the junior selected the Bulls. In 2022, Snyder made a rapid rise up the school’s single-season passing chart, completing 250 of 423 passes for 2,765 yards and 17 touchdowns. Those numbers rank fourth in completions, third in attempts and sixth in passing yards.