The funeral for former UB defensive end Solomon Jackson will be held on Saturday at the Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia – roughly 20 minutes from his hometown of Stone Mountain.
There will also be a viewing of his body on Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gregory B. Levett and Sons Funeral Home in Decatur, Georgia, according to a representative of Jackson's high school, Tucker High School.
Jackson’s family is expected to attend the viewing from 7-8 p.m.
Jackson died on Feb. 29 – one week after suffering from what the university has called a medical emergency during a non-contact conditioning practice off campus.
The Tucker High School community first commemorated Jackson’s life last Thursday at the high school gymnasium for a candlelight prayer vigil in his honor.
The UB community has done multiple tributes to Jackson in the past two weeks, beginning with a closed prayer service for the UB football team at The Well Buffalo church on Feb. 25.
Three days after Jackson's death, UB athletics held a memorial service at The Well, which gave Jackson’s UB football teammates and coaches an opportunity to pay their respects.
On Tuesday, the Department of Art paid tribute to Jackson with a memorial at the Center for the Arts to give fellow students a chance to discuss their memories with Jackson. Jackson was a studio art major.
The university is not allowed to release any information regarding his cause of death, citing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.
Jackson’s family has yet to speak to the public.
Jordan Grossman is the co-senior sports editor and can be reached at jordan.grossman@ubspectrum.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jordanmgrossman.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
