For many Axemen fans that have been following the team over the past few years, it was a pleasant surprise to see Joshua Jackson’s return to the roster this season. He first played for the Axemen in 2008 and is recognized for his speed and resilience, bouncing back quickly after every tackle. An Orlando native for most of his life, Jackson attended the University of North Florida where he found his passion for rugby playing for the Deadbirds (UNF Rugby Club) throughout his college career. He played with the Axemen in the 2008 season until graduating from college.  “After a few years away and transitions in work and life I was once again afforded the opportunity to make the commitment and play. I really wanted to play again this season because I had a great time playing before, I wanted the opportunity to play again with some of my old teammates from college, I want to win a national championship and I enjoy the challenge rugby gives me physically, mentally and emotionally.”  The opportunity came just in time for newlyweds Joshua and Erika Jackson, as they are expecting their first child in December. One of Jackson’s most memorable moments with the Axemen was his first try scored. “It was off of a kick by Spinner when he played, the ball was kicked on the 5th and final down and landed perfectly between the defensive line and the fullback waiting for the ball. I sprinted down the field and the ball bounced over the fullbacks head and I jumped up and grabbed it and ran in for a score. I was so excited I almost forgot to touch the ball down for the score so before running out of the back of the try zone I fell and slid on my side to touch the ball and received for my troubles a huge strawberry on my hip and I thought to myself I need to keep composure because this hurts!” Jackson is looking forward to winning a national championship and building memories with the team. “I enjoy the camaraderie of playing rugby and it only gets better when the stakes are high. We owe it to our fans and ourselves to give it our all and bring home the hardware.”