2024 Northwest Herald Football Player of the Year: Burlington Central’s Jackson Alcorn

Burlington Central senior quarterback Jackson Alcorn helped author a historic season for his football team and made history of his own in the process.

His personal history-making night came in Week 7, when the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder threw for a school-record 469 yards and six touchdowns and added a rushing TD in a 52-21 win over defending Fox Valley Conference champion Prairie Ridge.

The performance was just one of many stellar ones he turned in during his third varsity season.

For the season, Alcorn threw for 2,246 yards and 22 TDs and only one interception (in a second-round playoff loss to eventual Class 6A runner-up Geneva), while also rushing for 307 yards and four TDs. Burlington Central made the playoffs for the first time in 10 years and won a postseason game for the first time in 18 years.

Recently committed to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Alcorn is the 2024 Northwest Herald Football Player of the Year, as voted on by the sports staff with input from area coaches. He also was named Offensive Player of the Year in the FVC.

Alcorn answered several questions from sports writer Joe Aguilar.

What was the best moment of the season?

Alcorn: My favorite moment was getting that sixth win (31-6 over Hampshire in Week 8), knowing that we were going to the playoffs and just accomplishing our goal that we had in the beginning of the season. We were all smiling and we were all happy. That was a great night.

Which NFL quarterback do you try to model your game after?

Alcorn: I’ve always seen highlights of Brett Favre, and I’ve always wanted to play like him. That’s one of the reasons why I wear No. 4. But modern-day quarterbacks, I like watching C.J. Stroud a lot, just the way he plays the game and how he holds himself.

How far can you throw a football?

Alcorn: I would say 60 [yards]. It’s all right. It’s a work in progress.

When did you start playing quarterback?

Alcorn: I didn’t start playing quarterback until seventh grade [at Prairie Knolls Middle School]. Before then I was playing running back, linebacker and defensive tackle. I played everything but quarterback until seventh grade.

What other sports do you play?

Alcorn: I played baseball up until my sophomore year of high school. And then I ran track and I played basketball for a while. I stopped playing those just to focus on football because that was the one sport I truly loved the most and thought I had a good shot at playing at the next level.

What were the deciding factors in your choice to verbally commit to UW-Platteville?

Alcorn: My original plan was to wait for a while, but then I decided I just want to commit at this moment. [Head] coach [Ryan] Munz and just the whole staff are incredible people. They’re fun to talk to, and they were very honest with me through the whole process of recruiting me. I’ve been watching them for these past couple of years since I’ve been talking to them, and they’re on the right track. They won the WIAC [Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference] this year, and I think it’s only going to get better.

What do you want to study in college?

Alcorn: I’m going to study sports management. I want to be in the front office of an organization or something like that. But my main goal after college is to be a coach.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Alcorn: Music-wise, I’m all over the place. I’m a country guy, and I [also] like listening to AC/DC and Metallica.

Why do you play football?

Alcorn: I play football because it’s the one sport where you can grow as a player and you also can grow as as man. Football’s helped me a lot just with everything we incorporate – coach “Yos” [Brian Iossi], coach “Sco” [Nick Scoliere], our Monday meetings. Playing football shows you adversity, and it teaches you lessons you learn over time, but you won’t find out right away. Then you can relate it to life.

Where do you get your athleticism from?

Alcorn: I would say I get my athleticism from my father [Garry]. He played nose tackle and guard when he was in high school. He’s from Huron, Ohio. He played basketball, too. I didn’t get the size that he had [5-10, 250], but I definitely get the athletic ability from him.