It will go down as the score that made it 70-7 for Arizona State over Arizona on Friday in the Pac-12 rivalry. The significance is far greater when it comes to FBS history.
Jackson He scored for the Sun Devils. In doing so, he became the first Chinese-born player to score a touchdown in FBS history.
😈 JACKSON HE FOR SIX 🔱
THE FIRST CHINESE BORN PLAYER TO SCORE A TOUCHDOWN IN FBS HISTORY.
🎥 https://t.co/ai5cgW0WIH pic.twitter.com/cAJoY90Jao
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) December 12, 2020
The 5-foot-9, 220-pound running back was born in Shaoguan, China.
A profile by AZfamily.com explained the redshirt junior’s name is He Peizhang. When he came to America, a teacher asked him what name he wanted to use, as it was a common practice for Chinese students to take an Americanized nickname to help fit in. After some thought, He—a Michael Jackson fan at the time—had an answer.
That is how He became Jackson He.
The complete and fascinating story can be read here.