Cal Football: Five Years Later, A Reunion for Pals Sam Jackson V and Payton Thorne

They became close during their 2018 high school season and now meet again when Cal hosts Auburn.

Sam Jackson V arrived at Naperville Central High School in suburban Chicago as a transfer in the summer before his sophomore season. Payton Thorne was established as the star quarterback, two years older, so Jackson happily shifted to wide receiver while also serving as Thorne’s understudy.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Jackson wound up going to TCU out of high school two years after Thorne enrolled at Michigan State.

Fast forward to this past offseason and Jackson moved on to Cal while Thorne transferred to Auburn, whom the Bears face Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

Sam Jackson V

“I had that game marked as soon as he transferred,” Jackson said. “I think it’s going to be pretty exciting for those back home who saw us play high school together.”

Mike Stine, who coached both players at Naperville Central, will be in the crowd when the Bears and Tigers kick off at 7:30 p.m.

The two players remain close more than five years after meeting.

“For me to be able to play against one of my best friends, who I came from high school with, honestly is pretty crazy to me,” Jackson said. “The relationship we have is kind of special just because he’s been one of those guys who’s always been there for me, someone I can call. I’m sure he feels the same way about me.”

"I can’t wait to see him," Thorne said told the Montgomery Advertiser. "That's one of my absolute best friends. We’ll be friends for the rest of our lives.”

That friendship was cemented on late Friday nights through the 2018 high school season.

“After every single game I would go spend the night at his house, every Friday night, and we would talk ball all night,” Jackson said.

“Every night after the game, he came over to my place and stayed the night and we’d hang out. Just really got to know each other well,” Thorne echoed.

Jackson became Thorne’s favorite receiver that season, with the future Cal quarterback catching 50 passes for 874 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“I had a pretty decent year,” Jackson said.

"He should’ve been an all-state receiver," Thorne said. "They gypped him.”

Stine, the coach at Naperville Central, said the two meshed easily.

"Their personalities are different," he said. "Payton is more business-like, where Sam is a little more bubbly and outgoing. The two of them worked well together. They were like brothers. It was like big brother, little brother."

Stine believes Jackson benefitted from playing receiver for that one season, simply because he was too good to sit on the bench. Jackson was the team’s starting quarterback as a junior in 2019 before his senior season was scrubbed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"If something happened to Payton, we felt extremely comfortable with Sam out there," Stine said.

It was Jackson who was injured last week at North Texas. He suffered what appeared to be a left arm or shoulder injury early in the second quarter and Cal coach Justin Wilcox has declined to confirm Jackson’s status for Saturday night.

But Jackson resumed practicing on Tuesday, and a day later told reporters, “I expect to play.”

Payton Thorne

Thorne looks forward to it . . . with some reservations.

"He’s an electric player,” Thorne said. “It’s going to be fun to play against him.”

Jackson knows Auburn will have a scouting report on him, specifying in particular his athletic ability and escapability.

“They’ll probably be prepared for it,” Jackson said. “But with my ability, you can know what I’m going to do and it’s still going to be hard to stop, I believe.”

Thorne reportedly tried reaching out to Jackson this week, leaving him a text message that drew no response from his pal.

“It’s game week,” Jackson explained. “We’re best friends but . . . I don’t think there should be any communication between me and you, bro.

“There’ll definitely be love after the game. There’s love, regardless. But once it gets to that point, it’s game time. It’s on, bro.”

Cover photo of Sam Jackson V by Al Sermeno, KLC fotos

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo