Coulter uses background to help in football

The backup defensive end had several challenges growing up.

By Nick Forrester

Published Oct. 30, 2008

Being the "man of the house" at 8 years old, dealing with Hurricane Katrina and having a mother who had a drug usage problem are only some of the obstacles junior defensive end Brian Coulter said he faced.

When Coulter was 8, his biological mother was battling drug usage and lost custody of him and his younger brother and sister.

"At the time, you just think that that's how life is supposed to be," Coulter said. "It was hard, but really didn't bother me."

Coulter was sent to Baton Rouge, La., to live with a foster family. He later met Mitch and Rose Jackson, a couple who took him in as their own.

The Jacksons would go and watch their nephew, who was Coulter's teammate, play high school football.

"He was the running back and I was the defensive end," Coulter said. "They heard about my situation, and came up to me and told me that if I needed something to give them a call and I did, and since then, we've become real close. They really took on the role just out of the kindness of their heart."

In a letter to the Jacksons that Coulter wrote this past week, Coulter said, "When I came to Baton Rouge in 2001, I had nothing. I was on my own, and I only had a dream to play high school football, not to graduate or even go to college. Moving in with you all was the best thing that ever happened to me, knowing that I wasn't placed there by the state or by money, but just out of someone seeing something out of me that I didn't know was there."

The Jacksons are still playing a major role in Coulter's life.

"When Brian was playing in Austin, Texas, he sacked (Texas quarterback Colt McCoy) and raised his hand in the air and I knew that was for me," Rose Jackson said. "He let us know that he did this for us. It was like a dream."

Despite his family problems, Coulter has been able to put it aside when it's time for football.

"It just gives us chills to see him on TV," Mitch Jackson said. "I know he's the man for the job because if he gets some playing time, he's going to make the job happen. He's always played like he's a man amongst boys."

Last week against Colorado, Coulter replaced injured defensive end Tommy Chavis. In the game, Coulter had five tackles, three of them for a loss, including one sack.

"I thought it was a great effort and that was certainly encouraging when you lose a two-year starter and have someone come in and play that well," coach Gary Pinkel said.

Coulter said his hard times help him out with playing football today.

"Back then, it was family problems, now it's dealing with sports," he said. "But the pressure and that feeling of I have to show up and be ready everyday is still there."