STEELERS Jackson brings fiery style to NFL

The Florida State star is moving to outside linebacker in Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Alonzo Jackson has a history of being confrontational with teammates, and the second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers says he'll carry that fiery style to the NFL, even as a rookie.
"I will if I have to," said Jackson, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound linebacking project. "I mean, I'm about winning. I'm going to bring a winning attitude, a hardworking attitude."
Jackson was the captain and top pass-rusher as a defensive end at Florida State last year. He'd been through championship seasons and sensed his senior season slipping away after a 34-24 loss to Notre Dame.
It was Florida State's second consecutive loss, third in four games and dropped the Seminoles record to 5-3. Jackson went off in the locker room.
"I was just trying to motivate my teammates," he said. "I was hurting and they all needed to understand that."
Jackson had to be escorted from the locker room, but the tongue-lashing had a positive effect. Florida State won its next three games and four of its last five in the regular season.
13 sacks last year
Jackson finished with 13 sacks to lead the team, drawing attention from the Steelers, who went into the recent draft looking for a pass-rusher.
"We feel he's really a special pass-rusher," said Steelers Coach Bill Cowher after drafting Jackson. "This guy's got the longest arms in the draft. His hands are huge. He's got some very natural rush ability."
At the first practice of this week's rookie orientation camp, Jackson stretched those 35 3/8-inch arms to intercept a Brian St. Pierre swing pass to a running back.
Jackson loped the 10 yards into the end zone for a touchdown, showing he may indeed have the aptitude to play a new position. Jackson is playing outside linebacker in the Steelers' 3-4 scheme.
"When you make a transition like that you have to focus from beginning to end and I'm trying to do that," said Jackson, who pumped his weight up to 263 for the combine, where he ran an unimpressive 4.9-second 40-yard dash.
"He was working out at 266 for people and I think he wasn't sure where he was going to be played," Cowher said. "We told him we wanted him to lose weight because he played last year at about 254, 255 and he came in this weekend at 255. I think he'll be a lot quicker, a lot better."
Jackson was born in Americus, Ga., the home of Georgia Tech Coach Chan Gailey, Atlanta Falcons Coach Dan Reeves and New England Patriots safety Victor Green.
Jackson was a first-team all-state selection before moving on to Florida State, where he played in every game his freshman season.
As a sophomore, Jackson started three games and had five sacks before moving into the starting lineup for good in 2001 and added five more sacks.
Even though he'd played for two national championships and won one, Jackson said his finest moment occurred before his senior season, when he was elected team captain by a landslide.
Graduated early for father
Jackson's greatest off-the-field accomplishment came last December, when he graduated in three-and-a-half years with a degree in sociology. Jackson rushed his studies so that his dying father, Eddie, could see him graduate.
"He said it was one of the best moments in his life and I'm glad I was able to give it to him," Jackson said. His father died three weeks before the NFL draft.
"All of this is dedicated to him. I couldn't have done it without him. He's my guiding light," he said.