After hurt and heartbreak, Jackson Payne thrives in return to baseball at Kirkwood

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jackson Payne exudes strength and maturity when he talks about the challenges he has encountered and conquered.

He is direct and unafraid to discuss his path of hurt and heartbreak that includes injuries that derailed his University of Iowa career, the deaths of a close friend and his grandfather weeks apart and the uncertainty before he called Kirkwood Coach Todd Rima for another shot at college baseball.

“After those events happened to me, I really got closer to my faith,” Payne said. “I think that’s a big part of my life now. I am always grateful that I can step on the field and able to compete.

“Before every game that I pitch, I always take my time to pray and think about my people and my savior. It also motivates me to compete again and go through that routine.”

Payne has claimed a win through personal loss and redemption from a sport he loves. He has emerged from adversity to become the Eagles’ top starting pitcher in his return to the diamond. Payne will take the mound for No. 1 seed Kirkwood at the Region 11 tournament in Fort Dodge this weekend.

“I think it shows the power of sports,” Rima said. “It’s more than just a game. It’s what you can learn from it. When you get knocked down, you get back up.

“He’s a person who wants success so bad. He wants to things the right way. He wants to be the guy that people can count on. He got knocked down but he keeps getting back up.”

‘It was frequent grinds of therapy’

Payne was a first-team all-state pitcher at Waukee. Rima recruited him out of high school, but Payne picked the Hawkeyes. His college career started well in 2021, pitching 9 1/3 innings in five appearances and striking out 11. He even threw two shutout innings with two strikeouts in his debut against No. 18 Michigan.

Payne suffered a partial tear to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in a series against Purdue, forcing a premature end to his season. The situation worsened as he expected Tommy John surgery. Payne tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) when he joined a teammate for a shootaround and pickup basketball game in the same week he injured his elbow.

Payne had to undergo ACL surgery, heal and get off crutches before he could travel to St. Louis for the well-known elbow procedure.

“I was looking like a mummy for a little bit,” Payne said. “It was frequent grinds of therapy. Leg on Monday, arm Tuesday, leg Wednesday. Five days a week for about a good nine or 10 months. It was definitely a grind.

“It was physically tough and mentally tough, too.”

‘I think he told me to go back and play’

Payne missed the 2022 spring season while recovering from surgery. Rehab didn’t go as planned and he didn’t feel comfortable, so he left the Iowa program. He spent his third year just as a student.

“I didn’t know what to do with my life, so I decided to feel what the real world was like and stepped away from ball,” Payne said. “I went to school at Iowa for my junior year. I was fine, living by myself. School was fine.

“I just didn’t have a lot of motivation. I love to compete and be a part of a team. A couple tragic events happened.”

The first was the sudden death of his longtime friend Reese Cooper, who suffered injuries from an accident in October 2022. Payne and Cooper met in elementary school and remained friends through college. Cooper was someone he could hang with and talk to about anything. They played sports together, including baseball.

Payne was with Cooper just 40 minutes before he died. He didn’t find out until he was notified by Cooper’s mother the next day. The news was devastating.

“That really changed my perspective on life,” Payne said. “Really everything, like how you treat people. It put things into perspective. Life is short. You have to live every day to the fullest. … I think he told me to go back and play.”

Still reeling from the death of his friend, Payne’s grandfather, Dick Johnson, died. Johnson served as a high school and college official. He attended many of his grandson’s activities.

“He was really supportive and came to all my sporting events,” Payne said. “That’s a core memory that I think about when I think of my gramps.”

The losses were hard to process. He questioned about what the future held after that fall so he took a break from school in the spring of 2023.

“I was really in a tough spot,” Payne said. “That’s why I took a little gap semester. Really wanted to figure out what I wanted to do.”

Summer approached and a decision needed to be made. He didn’t want to regret not using his last two years of eligibility and staying close to home was a positive. Payne recalls the sunny July day he interrupted Rima’s vacation with a call. Rima said the best part was how open Payne was from the start.

“He said this is who I am, this is where I was, this is where I am today and I want to be a part of your program,” Rima said. “He sold me instantly. Then, from there, all he’s done is live up to exactly what he said he was going to be and then some.

“It was a great phone call. I’ll never forget it. I was at my dad’s house in Florida, visiting him. I got the call and I’m glad I took it.”

Payne praised his family and friends. Their support was needed to overcome the tragedy in his life. They have processed the events together and he wouldn’t be in this spot without them.

“I can’t say enough good things about my family,” Payne said. “They’ve been through things in their own lives. They know how to deal with it. They made sure I was OK. They made sure everything was going to be all right.

“I can’t thank them enough. They’re my motivation. They’re kind of why I do everything.”

A leader on the mound and in the dugout

Rima said Payne has capitalized on the opportunity at Kirkwood. He arrived in better shape than Rima expected in the fall. Payne worked harder in the offseason and Rima knew he had something special when spring started.

“He was in position he needed to be ready to go,” Rima said. “It was fun to watch the development from his first day on campus in the fall to where he was at opening day and where he’s at right now.”

Payne is 6-2 with a 2.39 earned-run average, striking out 50 in 49 innings pitched. He has a respectable 1.18 walks/hits per innings pitched (WHIP), hitting upper 80s and lower 90s on the radar gun and throwing a slider and changeup for strikes on any count.

Payne is consistent. He walked just seven batters during Iowa Community College Athletic Conference play and threw complete games in four of five starts.

“He’s extremely mature on the mound,” Rima said. “He just competes. He throws a ton of strikes.

“He just wants the ball. He wants to compete. He is very durable. He does that because he’s in awesome shape and he works at it.”

The redshirt sophomore is 22 years old. He is older than many of his teammates and he doesn’t shy away from sharing his experience with teammates. Rima said the Eagles respect Payne and lean on his leadership. The team wouldn’t be the same without him. Payne embraces that role.

“I love it when they ask questions,” Payne said. “Not only does it make them better but it makes the team better. They are fun and keep me young in a way.”

Payne has a daily reminder inside his left forearm just inches above his glove hand. It is a cross backed by angel’s wings with the initials R.C. that serves as a halo, honoring his late friend. Payne draws inspiration from the memory of someone who had a profound effect on him and guided him back to the mound.

“I know it’s there. I see it every day,” Payne said. “The reason why I got it is to tell myself why I went back to play. Who am I playing for? He was just a really good kid, a good person. He had a really great heart. Whenever I look at that, I want to be the best version.

“I’m locked in during the game. I don’t look at it much (then). Before I go to the mound, I’ll touch it when I pray. I know he’s there watching me.”

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