He has excelled as a player at the college level, then as a professional.

He has also excelled as a coach at the college level, so it's only fitting that Penn State wide receivers coach Kenny Jackson is taking the next step.

Jackson was named wide receivers coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday after eight years at Penn State. It is his latest role in what has been a long and productive football career. He replaces Bob Bratkowski, who vacated the position to become offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals.

As a wide receiver for Penn State from 1980-83, Jackson set 27 Nittany Lion records while playing an instrumental role for the 1982 national championship team. He was a first-team All-American in 1982 and 1983, the first Lion receiver to win such honors.

Jackson was a first-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1984 NFL draft. He played professionally for eight years with Philadelphia and the Houston Oilers before retiring in 1992. A year later he was back on the Beaver Stadium sidelines as Penn State's receivers coach, the position he held until yesterday.

While at Penn State, Jackson used his experience and knowledge of the game to help mold former Lions receivers such as Joe Jurevicius and Bobby Engram, who won the 1994 Biletnikoff Award for the nation's top collegiate receiver, into NFL players.

"He had a lot to do with the development of both of those guys," said Penn State offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Fran Ganter. "Kenny was a hands-on coach, and very vocal.

"He was also a great field coach — a lot of guys are quiet and seem to disappear once they get out there, but he was very animated," he said. "Everybody on the field knew he was out there."

Jackson has also had a great deal to do with the development of current Penn State receivers, at times helping to convert both tailbacks and defensive backs into wideouts.

"Basically I learned everything about being a receiver from him," junior wide receiver Eddie Drummond said. "I was a running back when I came in here. Everything I've learned as far as technical aspects and mental aspects of the game, I learned from him."

Former Lion Kenny Watson also switched from tailback to receiver during his Penn State career, and credited Jackson with helping him make the transition easier.

"He knew I wanted to be a tailback, but he tried to help me be the best wide receiver I could be," Watson said. "He's very knowledgeable about football and it shows in his players. You can see it in Eddie, and (Penn State sophomore) Bryant (Johnson) is going to be good."

Ganter recruited Jackson as a player, and remembers when Jackson decided to come back to the Lions as a coach.

"I can remember the day he called me," Ganter said. "At the time, he was in Houston raising greyhounds. He had watched us play a bad game against Stanford on TV and said, 'You guys need me.' And at the time, we had an opening."

Ganter's fondest memories of Jackson were as a player with unmatched intensity, although he was quick to add that Jackson was no different as a coach.

"I can still picture him on the sidelines in a big game," he said. "When the chips were down, he was always right there.

"He was the same way as a coach," Ganter added with a chuckle. "But he couldn't do anything about it then."

Although coaches and players say Jackson will be missed, they are glad he has been given the opportunity to continue his coaching career in the NFL.

"I'm definitely happy for him. It's not often you get a chance to go to the next level," Drummond said. "It's a great opportunity for him and a great opportunity for us to get the chance to learn from a new coach."