AAU Parents & Teens Talk with host Chevonna Johnson/Corey Jackson

Corey Jackson grew up in Cassatt, SC (with a population of 3,000) where he lived with his parents and four siblings in a singlewide mobile home. Although the Jacksons didn’t have much, Corey had extremely big and ambitious goals. At the age of five, he decided that he wanted to be a pro athlete and play in the NBA. Corey attended North Central High School where he became a basketball star. After a great high school basketball career, he expected to be recruited and receive multiple scholarship offers. However, to his surprise, he didn’t receive one offer. 

 
Shortly after graduation, Corey took a seven dollar an hour job at Walmart. Fed up with his situation, Corey quit his job one year later and purchased a one-way ticket to Ranger, TX with his mind set on attending Ranger College, where he neither applied nor was accepted.

Professional Football Career:  In 2003, Corey joined the Cleveland Browns as a defensive end and played two and a half seasons with the Browns. In 2004, Corey earned defensive player of the year in NFL Europe while playing for the Frankfurt Galaxy. In the Fall of 2005, Corey signed a two-year deal with the Denver Broncos. After several nagging injuries, Corey officially retired in 2008.   Life After Football: Corey is an entrepreneur at heart. While playing in the NFL, Corey, along with a partner, started a real estate company that he and his partner dissolved after several years. As well, Corey began speaking professionally while playing in the NFL. In 2016, he published his first book Think Different. Be Different. Live Different. and he started a technology company called Qwerkz. In February of 2017, Qwerkz produced an application that connects professional athletes, brands and fans. In the Summer of 2017, Corey is releasing his documentary called From Walmart to The NFL: The Corey Jackson Story.