So when local radio station KNSI-FM needed a color commentator for a high school ice hockey tournament, Jackson — a forward on the St. Cloud State men’s ice hockey team — said yes. “It was my first gig — winter break, freshman year,” Jackson recalls. “I did well, and they had me back for a couple of games.”
From there, more broadcast opportunities came his way: high school play-by-play, commentary for the Huskies baseball broadcasts, camera work, directing and behind-the-scenes work for the student television station, UTVS-HD. This year, he was assigned play-by-play for the St. Cloud State women’s ice hockey team.
And because he can’t help with production when he is on the ice, he interviews teammates on nongame days for his latest project — “Off the Ice With Robby Jackson.”
What opportunity is next for Jackson? He is working to be ready for whatever that might be. “I’ve done a couple of job shadows. I take lots of notes,” he says. “I’m just trying to soak up as much as I can.”