Sports With Walter Moore

Catching Up With.....Matthew “ShowBiz” Jackson
 
 

This writer caught up with Matthew “Show- Biz” Jackson recently.

Matthew spent 20 years as a member of the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, from 1987 to 2007. Since his retirement, he has done some motivational speaking as well as youth basketball camps.

In 2012, the wear and tear of those trick shots began to take a toll on his body. “I was coming from the store and felt a sharp pain in my neck after crossing a speed bump. I was in pain for two weeks. After seeing a doctor, I had emergency surgery. I also had surgery for a herniated disc. I will regain about 85 percent of my strength but not 100 percent,” he said.

As a member of the Globetrotters, Matthew earned the nickname of “Show Biz”, because of his style of play and ability to keep the crowd entertained.

Matthew says that during his time with the Globetrotters he got a chance to see the world and one of his favorite places was Berlin.

“I have visited more than 100 different countries. In Berlin, Germany, I had the chance to go behind the Berlin Wall.” He added that he also enjoyed meeting the Pope and seeing the changing of the guard while in England.

When asked how does a college football player end up playing for the Harlem Globetrotters, Matthew explained that he took advantage of the opportunity after getting out of the military.

“I played football for three years at Savannah State and then I left and joined the Air Force. While serving my

 
 
duty, I played on the Air Force basketball team. After I got out of the service, I saw Tyrone Brown, a former high school teammate, who told me about the Globetrotters looking for some players.”

At the time, Russell Ellington, was the head coach of the Globetrotters. Before that, Ellington served as the head men’s basketball coach at Beach High and Savannah State.

Matthew made the Globetrotters roster and spent the next 20 years as an ambassador.

White at Savannah State, Matthew played wide receiver and quarterback for head coach Frank Ellis. He said one of his best memories as a Tiger was breaking into the starting lineup as a freshman.

“I started at wide receiver as a freshman. The other starting receiver was Darryl Mathis, who also was my college roommate.”

Before enrolling at Savannah State, Matthew played football and basketball at Beach. “I played football for coach Frank Middleton and coach James German and basketball for coach Ronald Booker.”

Different colleges came knocking at his door but in the end, he chose to stay home to play for the Tigers.

“I had other offers but my grandmother was ill and I didn’t want to be too far from her.” He went on to add “I was raised by my grandparents, Paul and Leila Jackson and grew up on the west-side of town on Barnard and 45th Street.”

Today, Matthew has been married for 18 years and he and his wife have six children between them with three boys and three girls. Two of his sons reside in Savannah.

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