PULLMAN, Wash. — There's no two ways about it.
Amy Jackson, mother of WSU edge Brennan Jackson, loves football.
"I’ve got it trademarked. It’s mine. Nobody can have it," Amy said of her internet username. "Momma Football on Twitter, Instagram, they’re all Momma Football, and it’s my email."
There may be only one thing she loves more than football, and that’s her son.
"I would say that Brennan and I are best friends. First and foremost, I am beyond proud of this kid. He's my pride and joy, for sure. Although his little brother and sister will probably be a little jealous of that," said Amy with a laugh. "But he just never ceases to amaze me. He's just grown into an amazing young man. I love him to death."
"Don’t cry on me," retorted Brennan as emotion flashed in his mom's eyes before she busted into laughter. "I think everyone that meets me knows that I'm a mama's boy. Not saying my dad isn't great, but I mean, come on, you know, who are we doing the interview with?"
There’s no crying in football may have been something Amy uttered on the sideline during Pop Warner to Brennan.
While her husband walked around the track with two kids in a stroller, Momma Football was born.
"I was the team mom, but I insisted on being on the sideline," said Amy. "When the boys came off, and they had their little talk with the coach, I would make sure I had my talk afterwards with him and his buddies. Either pushing them back up or drilling it in a little bit more."
"Our coach would come up and talk about the last series, and then he’d leave, and my mom would come up, and you'd see everyone just lock in for what my mom's going to say," said Brennan.
Eventually though Amy’s days on the field ended as Brennan grew up, but she refused to let that be the end of her helping him out in the game.
At 13 years old, Amy got Brennan his first gym membership.
It's blossomed into their most treasured activity.
"He's like, 'Drop your bags. Let's go,'" said Amy of how quickly they go to the gym whenever she goes to Pullman. "He had my pre workout ready, like, 'Come on, drink it, let's go.' And we were here. Literally probably 30 minutes within landing, this was the first thing we did."
"She knows what my actual limit is more than I do myself. There's times where I'll be like six reps in I'm like, 'Okay, I'm gonna rack it,' and she's like, 'No, you're not racking it, like, you've got two more, I know you have two more,'" said Brennan.
It’s obvious Amy has been by Brennan’s side every step of the way that she possibly could, pushing Brennan when he needed it and comforting him as well.
They are simply not here without one another.
"As much as this journey has been mine, I feel like part of it is ours. It's our journey because she's the main reason why I do this and why I love football," said Brennan. "It was just not only way a for me to have fun and be my own person but also just to connect as a relationship between me and her."
That relationship, by the way, goes beyond both Amy and Brennan.
A few weeks ago while she was in town, her and Brennan went out to dinner with former WSU wide receiver Calvin Jackson Jr. On the way back he was on the phone and told the person on the other end that he had just finished up eating with his second mon.
"There's so many guys on this team that I look at as my own kids. I would do anything for them. They know that. They can call me," said Amy. "Having my relationship with him the way it is, it just pours over to whoever he's close with. I just want that same relationship, and I want those kids to know that they've got another mom, no matter what."
Brennan’s best friend is pretty remarkable, and that isn’t lost on him.
"Even being 21 years old, my favorite time is spending time with my mom," said Brennan. "As old as I get, I never want that relationship or dynamic to change. People may say, 'Oh, it's lame to hang out with your mom.' That's just not true. If you had the relationship that my mom had, I think it'd be a completely different story."