PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN (General Comments)Saturday, April 23, 2005
"As you know we drafted Marlin Jackson, cornerback, University of Michigan. We felt really good about Marlin right from the get go. He was our first choice of the nine players that we had on our board. There were five left on the board. That was good management by Dom Anile and the scouting staff to get the board set up. I said to the guys inside in the draft room that having a clean board was good news and bad news. The good news is it (the board) talks to you clearly and accurately. The bad news is it kills your stomach as you watch people go off of it. Our first round was all but wiped out when we made out choice. We're glad to get Marlin. He's 6-1, 195 and runs a 4.5 forty. He's played 45 games with the (Michigan) Wolverines. We spoke to Lloyd Carr, to whom we have a great deal of respect for. He mentioned that Marlin had worked everyday in practice against Braylon Edwards and relished at the competition that provided. He played that way during the Big Ten season. It's no secret that he had some difficulty with the law a couple of years ago. It involved him being at a fraternity house. He was charged and plead guilty to a misdemeanor and did some community service. Lloyd (Carr) explained all of the issues as well as doing our own background check and we're satisfied that that's behind him. It was an issue that was out of character for him. He can be characterized as a very tough physical corner. He tackles well and has good ball skills. He can run and can also play safety. He was our first choice. He was a two-way go at either position. He's played in the toughest of competition and some of the best receivers in the country that have gone on and to play well in the NFL. He played under the most pressure there is—The Big Ten and the big house of Michigan, so this should be a big step, but not a daunting one for him."
