In 1976 when he was only twenty-two years-old and a senior at UT-Chattanooga, Turner Jackson was honored by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as the Co-Amateur Athlete of the Year. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Jackson had, by his final year at UT-C, become the reigning 158-pound NCAA Division II Wrestling Champion. He won the Southeast Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (SEIWA) title in both 1973 and 1975. Turner Jackson also won the Southern Open Championship in both 1974 and 1975. By winning the 158-pound NCAA title in 1975, he earned All-American recognition, as awarded to the top six finishers in each weight class. Jackson would repeat as All-American his senior year, and he completed his college career with a school-record 116 wrestling victories. His overall record of 116-15, including a streak of fifty-five straight wins, ranks third best in UT-C history.
