COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Former South Carolina and current Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive player Jamacia Jackson has died after he was found unconscious in his girlfriend's home in Sumter. He was 26. <br />
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Jackson's girlfriend couldn't wake him up Monday and he was pronounced dead at the hospital, said his stepmother Cleo Jackson. <br />
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A cause of death was not immediately known and the Sumter County coroner's office didn't return a phone call from The Associated Press. <br />
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``He took life seriously but he was also kind of a prankster,'' father James Jackson told the AP. ``He liked to crack jokes on folks. He was always laughing, always smiling.'' <br />
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Jamacia Jackson joined the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a linebacker in January and is the second Hamilton player to die in just over two years. Offensive lineman Travis Claridge died in February 2006, after being found unconscious in his Las Vegas home. The 27-year-old's death later was ruled accidental. <br />
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``Jamacia was a beloved player, teammate and friend,'' Ticats coach Charlie Taaffe said in a statement. ``He will be truly missed by our entire team.'' <br />
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Jackson had been living with his family in South Carolina and training at his alma mater, Sumter High School, before returning to Canada for the upcoming season. Cleo Jackson said her stepson had been in good health and had lifted weights on Saturday. <br />
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``We teased him all the time, 'You'd better stay in shape,''' she said, with a laugh. ``No one you can talk to can say anything bad about him.'' <br />
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Jamacia Jackson played safety and on special teams for South Carolina from 2001-04. He had 159 tackles and two quarterback sacks in 43 games and was named the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the week after forcing a fumble, returning an interception 98 yards for a touchdown and getting nine tackles in the 2004 season opener against Vanderbilt. <br />
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Jackson signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2005 an as undrafted free agent but was released during training camp. The New York Giants signed Jackson in 2006, sending him to NFL Europe. Jackson next joined the Montreal Alouettes on the CFL team's practice roster before signing on with Hamilton. <br />
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Cleo Jackson said her stepson's fun-loving spirit would be missed. <br />
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``He's a little monster, drinks all the Kool-Aid, eats all the snacks,'' she said. ``He brought joy to every house and every place he went. He was loved by everybody.''
