Baller Alert Exclusive: “Grown-ish,” Star Trevor Jackson Says The Show Taught Him More About The Mental Health Issue Surrounding Black Football Players

Grown-ish star Trevor Jackson says the series opened his eyes more to the mental health challenges affecting Black football players and how his character on the show made him realize he’d never want a real job.

The NAACP Image Awards is one of the havens for Black excellence. While there, Baller Alert caught up with Jackson, 23, who plays “Aaron” on the hit Freeform series. When discussing Aaron’s journey throughout the show, Jackson said his character definitely represents the “struggle” but also what it means to be resilient. “I think he definitely represents the struggle bus, but then getting off the struggle bus, too. Ya know, he doesn’t stay on there. He gets through it, he learns a new thing and yeah,” Jackson said.

Jackson also revealed that his character has made him realize that he would never have a “real job.” “I would never have a real job, ever. That’s what I learned. That stuff? No, nope, not for me. Can’t do it, I can’t wear a suit every day. This is very rare, you’re getting the rarest version of me right now, “Jackson said, pointing to the pink, corduroy suit he was wearing. “I’ma be in sweatpants and Crocs.”⠀⠀⠀

Like Black-Ish, Grown-ish, highlights several issues and topics in the Black community. In fact, one of the episodes focused on the mental health issues, specifically surrounding Black athletes, a conversation Jackson says he learned more about.

“Something that I learned more about was the whole athletic part of it. Athletes being Black and how much they’re willing to invest in the sports aspect, but when it comes to the health and the mind they don’t really give an F, ya know? So me doing that, that was like an emotional episode for me because I was like, ‘Damn this sh*t is crazy,’” Jackson said. “Ya know, but that’s why I’m glad to be a part of the show like that. Sometimes when you don’t know what to say, sometimes the show does it for me. So, I’m thankful for it, too. Yeah, just opening my eyes.”