Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson got choked up when thanking his family after being awarded the Dick Howser Trophy on Friday morning in Omaha, Nebraska.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it by myself,” Jackson said. “My father, who has been at every baseball game, has made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to do what I do; my stepmom Brandi... who has filled a big hole in my life; my sister Alex who is beautiful and a lot cooler than I am.”
He went on to thank the community at Georgia, from head coach Wes Johnson to teammate Kolby Branch, who helped Jackson tie his tie for the ceremony Friday morning.
The Dick Howser Trophy is given annually to the top college baseball player.
“Coach Johnson and the rest of the coaching staff have always been in my corner, always been there for me to do what I do,” Jackson said. “And to be a part of this team at Georgia has been incredible. The people, the teammates.”
One of the happiest moments of Jackson’s life, he said, was winning the super regional against Mississippi State and reliever Justin Byrd jumping into Jackson’s arms.
Jackson had hit a go-ahead two-run home run that put Georgia back in the driver’s seat, with Byrd closing it out in the 10th inning.
“Just extremely grateful,” Jackson said.
The trophy is named for Howser, a two-time All-American at Florida State, two-time MLB All-Star and manager who led the Kansas City Royals to a World Series title in 1985. He died of brain cancer in 1987.
Jackson, who won SEC Player of the Year, is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur baseball player in the country by USA Baseball and sponsored by the MLB Players Association.
Jackson, a junior from Sandy Springs, became the first catcher and one of only three players in Division l history to total at least 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. Heading into the College World Series, he is batting .396 with 31 home runs, 86 RBIs and 26 stolen bases, all team-best marks.
Jackson is fourth in the country in slugging percentage (.837) and OPS (1.328), third in home runs (31) and second in hits (97) and RBIs (86).
He has powered the Bulldogs to their first SEC regular-season title since 2008, first SEC Tournament title in program history and first College World Series appearance since 2008.
“When I talk about Daniel Jackson and I think about this trophy down here, he embodies those cornerstones,” Johnson said. “We have a thing sometimes, ‘It takes one guy with courage.’ And Daniel embodies that. You look at his leadership. He talks about his teammates, but phenomenal, phenomenal leader, and then obviously his character on and off the field speaks for itself. You will not find a better recipient of this award than Daniel Jackson and I could not be happier for him and his family.”
Georgia’s Charlie Condon won both the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award in 2024.
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