Cal's Sirmon Will Be All Business Against Former UW Teammates

Jackson Sirmon played four seasons for the University of Washington football team, two as a starting inside linebacker. On Saturday night in Berkeley, he'll turn it around and spend three hours going up against his former teammates.

It will be a typical hard-nosed moment for the California defensive leader, hardly sentimental, just football.

"There's no friendliness during the game," Sirmon told the Cal Sports Report, which is part of the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network. "It'll definitely be interesting. I don't think I've played in a game where I'll be able to recognize so many people on the other side of the ball."

While in Seattle, he used to dismiss the notion of playing for his father Peter Sirmon, the Bears defensive coordinator, as something that simply wasn't meant to be before he decided why not?

The UW coaching change from Jimmy Lake to Kalen DeBoer, his second in Montlake after originally playing for Chris Petersen, freed him up from any obligation he might have felt to finish as a Husky.

Sirmon remains a very solid player. He wears No. 8 now rather than his Husky jersey of 43. He enters the game as Cal's leading tackler by a wide margin, with his 52 tackles 20 more than his nearest teammate. He intercepted a pass at Colorado last weekend, the second of his college career. Earlier, he had a career-best 15 tackles at Notre Dame.

Jackson Sirmon came up with his second career interception at Colorado last weekend. His other one came when the UW played Stanford last season.

Jackson Sirmon switched numbers, from 43 to 8, when he transferred from Washington to California this season.

Good wherever he goes, Jackson Sirmon leads the Bears in tackles with 52 this season after topping the Huskies a year ago with 92.

Jackson Sirmon made a comfortable transition to Cal by becoming the Bears' leading tackler with 52, which is 20 more than his nearest teammate.

Jackson Sirmon made his Cal debut in a 34-13 victory over UC Davis in Berkeley, a game in which he played for his father for the first time. Peter Sirmon is the Bears defensive coordinator.

Jackson Sirmon started two seasons at linebacker for the UW and led the Huskies in tackles last season with 92. His performance led to him being selection All-Pac-12 honorable mention.

Jackson Sirmon was one of just two UW defenders who started every game, a distinction only cornerback Kyler Gordon, now in the NFL, could share.

He remains close friends with Husky linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, who's recovering from knee surgery and hasn't played without Sirmon alongside him. Yet Sirmon won't speak to him or any former teammates this week, preferring to keep it all business.

Sirmon's decision to leave, after leading the UW in tackles with 92 and receiving All-Pac-12 honorable-mention accolades, happened almost immediately following the UW coaching change, helped along by his graduation from the school.

By playing for his father, a former NFL linebacker and a Husky linebackers coach for Steve Sarkisian nearly a decade ago, the younger Sirmon has been reunited with his father in a way that will always be memorable.

"It's been great," he said. "I think I've learned a lot about the position of linebacker. I think he's a great guy to learn from and defense overall. It's been really neat to be able to come in here and see him all the time."

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