Sports helped shape Jesse Jackson's career and inspired the ex-quarterback to fight for equal rights

The Rev. Jesse Jackson stood mesmerized on the baseline, intently watching the Chicago Bulls warm up before an NBA playoff game against the Indiana Pacers. Jackson, who died on Tuesday at age 84, was an athlete from a young age, and throughout his life he immersed himself in the world of sports — as a player, as a fan and as an advocate. “What is not a well-known fact is that Rev. Jackson, first of all, he was a football player,” said CK Hoffler, Jackson’s attorney for 38 years.

By CLIFF BRUNT