NFL Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson decided to come to Abbeville Tuesday afternoon to try to clear the air on why he did not attend the 62nd Annual Cattle Festival last week.

Bottom line, miss communication between the two parties.

Jackson arrived at Ray Chevrolet at 2:30 p.m. and began signing autograph footballs and pictures.

Then the question was asked: “What happened with the Cattle Festival?”

“I did not give anyone my word that I would be at the Cattle Festival,” said Jackson. “I do not know where that came from.”

Jackson said he first learned of the Cattle Festival the day before he was scheduled to ride in the parade. Jackson said someone from Abbeville told him that he spoke to Jackson at the MidCity Conference in New Orleans earlier in the year.

That person was Cattle Festival President Francis Plaisance and Plaisance then introduced himself to Jackson at the conference. Plaisance also met a representative from the SweeDee Solid Waste Disposal Company, who he thought was instrumental in getting Jackson to the conference.

Jackson said he did not remember talking to Plaisance about attending the festival because he said he speaks to a lot of people.

Jackson said someone from the Cattle Festival should have contacted Jackson directly because he makes his own schedule and not any agency.

Roddie Matherne works for the SweeDee Company, which is a garbage business and not in the promotional business. Matherne is good friends with Jackson and met Plaisance that night at the conference. Matherne said Plaisance did ask Jackson to attend the Cattle Festival and he remembers Jackson saying yes. But, that was months ago, and Matherne said he bets Jackson did not write his commitment down and booked something else.

“I think he just got mixed up on the dates,” Matherne said. “He does all of his bookings himself.”

Jackson almost did not come to Abbeville to clear up the confusion but he learned a group of around 100 children were at A.A. Comeaux Park that Saturday morning waiting for Jackson who was in Mississippi signing autographs at a Walgreens.

Jackson did say he will return to Abbeville on Nov. 10 and he plans to visit three elementary schools in the parish, and then from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. will be at Walgreens in Abbeville to sign autographs.

“It is about the kids,” said Jackson.