Columbus Crew's Aziel Jackson brings passion for soccer and art
Aziel Jackson has made a habit of incorporating a creative touch into everything he does, whether it be playing soccer for the Crew or designing clothes for his fashion brand.
Hailing from New York City, Jackson grew up surrounded by artistry, with strong roots to music from his father Ali Jackson Jr., who is a famous jazz drummer. Jackson took to his father's musical talent, learning how to play the piano, guitar and drums while also finding other ways to express other artistic abilities through visual art and his fashion brand, First Move by AZ.
Despite being immersed in art and music, there was another passion Jackson formed at a young age - playing soccer.
Jackson started playing at age 3, when his older brother's under-8 team needed an extra player for a game. From the minute his mother threw him into the game, Jackson discovered a love for the sport.
"I think I’m just a very creative person, and soccer is just a way for me to express that," Jackson said. "My idol was Ronaldinho. Growing up, I remember watching his YouTube videos. Still do. When I was like 5 years old, going to sleep watching it, my parents would have to take the iPad from me because I was just so stuck on Ronaldinho."
Sticking with soccer as he got older, Jackson wanted to become his "own version" of the world-renowned Brazilian star whose creative ability with the ball earned him the nickname "O Bruxo" (meaning "The Wizard" in Portuguese).
Jackson joined the New York Red Bulls academy at 13 years old before moving to France with his family three years later, becoming the first American to sign a deal with Ligue 1's Toulouse FC academy.
When Jackson returned to the United States in 2019, he started training in Seattle with the Sounders. In 2021, he signed his first professional deal, a homegrown player contract with Minnesota United. After two seasons with Minnesota that included being loaned to USL's North Carolina FC, Jackson was traded to St. Louis City ahead of the 2023 season.
Being on the move often in his young career, Jackson made it a prority to continue dedicating time to his creative side.
"Football is one of those sports where things can change so fast, good and bad, and you always have to stay neutral," Jackson said. "As a footballer, you need to find what keeps you down to earth or, even when you’re high or you’re low, how you can still stay neutral. And I think my brand and the things I’m interested in that I do outside of the field helps me stay neutral.”
Nearly halfway through the 2024 season, after spending over a year with St. Louis, Jackson was the subject of another trade, this time to the Crew for $650,000 in general allocation money.
But this move was different for Jackson. In the short time since officially signing with the club on June 18, the 22-year-old feels he's found a new, possibly permanent home in Columbus.
The Crew and coach Wilfried Nancy have had their eyes on Jackson during his time with St. Louis, which helped the club know where to slot in the new addition. Starting training in mid-June, Jackson has stepped away from his typical midfield position, practicing with Columbus' attacking core as a forward.
Off the field, Jackson has settled down in Columbus, accomplishing a longtime personal goal of purchasing his own home filled with art he designed himself. And it's through art that Jackson's discovered a connection to the city.
"Going to High Street and seeing all the art studios," Jackson said. "I didn’t realize how many there were, and just buys into what my interests are outside of soccer. There’s a lot of things that I’m really interested in within the city. ... When I went down High Street, everyone had their own specific thing they’re passionate about."
How Aziel Jackson intends to 'check all the boxes, A through Z'
Jackson had a lot of different nicknames he could choose as his go-to growing up, but it was "AZ" that stuck. Knowing that his first name was unique in itself, there is another added layer to this nickname.
"AZ, I feel like it goes from A to Z," Jackson said. "I want to be a person that can fill in and be someone that can check all the boxes, A through Z.”
That statement rings true for Jackson on the field. When describing the types of skill he is bringing to the Crew, Jackson highlighted his basic abilities to beat defenders off the dribble, to connect with teammates on the pass and find opportunities to score.
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Taking those skills and presenting them in a creative way is where Jackson feels he can stand out and is why he has always been drawn to the Crew's playing style under Nancy. Now Jackson is getting the opportunity to play in a "creative and free flowing" system, but it will take time for him to become adjusted.
"To be creative, you need a structure," Nancy said. "And he doesn’t have the structure yet about what we do. So, he’s going to have to go back to what we do in terms of basic stuff, and then after that his own creativity will emerge regarding what we want to do."
Patience is a trait Jackson has picked up throughout his years in the league and is something he understands so well that he considered that trait when creating the logo for his fashion brand.
First Move by AZ, at its core, is an outlet for Jackson to showcase the intersection of art and sport in his life and how both have impacted him. Using a pawn as the brand's logo, Jackson feels his fashion brand is a true representation of his soccer career.
"The pawn can only move forward, and it can’t go backward," Jackson said. "During my career, it’s been only going forward because there’s been a lot of hard times where I couldn’t look back. And the powerful thing about the pawn is when you get to the end, it helps you shape your own career. It shapes your own journey, shapes your own wins."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Aziel Jackson brings creativity to Columbus Crew roster
