Vertus High School is not what you would call a football powerhouse.
The Warriors have won a total of four games over the past three seasons.
But there is excitement around newly hired head coach Moe Jackson, who arrives at the Rochester charter school after leading the Aquinas “Little Irish” to a Section V AA championship. His brief run at Aquinas was focused on returning the celebrated program to glory.
At Vertus, it’s about more than winning.
“This is deeper than football,” said Levi Bennett, Vertus principal. “This is about being there for guys who don’t have men like us to be there for them.”
Bennett said when he heard of Jackson’s split from Aquinas, he knew it was an opportunity to get a man of “integrity and character” in front of young Black men.
“Somebody of his caliber is usually reserved for the privileged, but we have a lot of underprivileged boys here, and they deserve every bit of it just as much as privileged guys do,” Bennett said.
Jackson’s split from Aquinas made headlines.
He alleges racial bias was a factor, culminating in the school telling him he could quit his head coaching job or be fired. Aquinas declined to comment on the allegation, calling the decision to part ways with Jackson a confidential “human resources matter.” In a statement, school leadership wished Jackson well in his new role.
Jackson said he was intent on continuing to coach in the city. He's a former wide receiver for John Marshall High School, which the city school district closed in 2013.
“I knew it was going to happen sooner or later,” Jackson said.
After high school Jackson went on to play football at Syracuse University and spent some time professionally with the Buffalo Bills. He also owns and operates The MJ Speed and Skills School in Rochester, where he provides off-season training to younger athletes.
“I'm more excited for them to have this opportunity than for me,” Jackson said about his new players. “This is what I do. It's what I know. For them to be a part of this, it's going to change a lot of their lives.”
When Jackson entered the gymnasium to greet his team for the first time, he was met with a roar of applause from the young players and staff.
“He came to the school well respected already, so it brought a different type of energy when he walked in,” said Yariel Medina, a junior at Vertus in his second year on the team. “We’re going to have more structure for sure.”
The coaching staff view Jackson as a necessity.
“We’re still fairly young, so we’re just trying to get to a point where we can compete on a higher level,” said assistant head coach Maurice Rice.
Rice made the initial phone call to recruit Jackson.
“Our kids are big on trust, friendships and relationships, and once they realize that he's there for them, they'll come along,” Rice said.
Trust, detail, discipline and listening are the pillars of successful football that Jackson outlined during the team’s first meet-up. He said this season is about creating stand-up men on and off the football field, and that he wants to help "little Black boys get to that different level in life"
“If we leave y’all with the tools to be successful out there (in the world), and we’re also successful on the field, then I’ve done my job,” Jackson told his players.
