Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Jacobs Expected To Be Chosen In NFL Draft
04/21/2005 | 12:00:00 | Football
April 21, 2005
By Scott Mees
www.SIUSalukis.com
This weekend, more than 200 young men will have their childhood dreams come true when they are selected in the 70th Annual National Football League Draft.
Most players never make it that far, but former Saluki running back Brandon Jacobs will likely defy those odds on Saturday or Sunday.
The 6-foot-4, 264-pound athlete will also be one of the select few Division I-AA players chosen in the draft. Jerry Rice and Kurt Warner are two prominent names that come to mind when talking about I-AA players who achieved NFL success.
Jacobs transferred to Southern Illinois University from Auburn, and that move will factor a bit in where he is picked in the seven-round draft.
"Some coaches say it helped me because it showed I could go and dominate on the I-AA level, which showed that I was a good I-A player," Jacobs said. "Some coaches say it hurt me because the level (I-AA) is not as good."
The Saluki tailback dominated most of the season while splitting time with Arkee Whitlock at the position. Jacobs amassed 992 yards rushing and a whopping 6.6-yards per carry during the 2004 season with SIU.
Most football pundits have Jacobs going between the third and sixth rounds.NFL Draft Scout's website had Jacobs listed as the No. 8 running back in the draft after his spectacular showing at the East-West Shrine game in January and subsequent testing at the NFL Combine in February. Both of his former Auburn teammates, Ronnie Brown and Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, were in the top three on the same website.
"Everybody always asks me `why did I leave?' and those two guys are answering that question for me," Jacobs said. "They are two great backs and they are going to be drafted very, very high, and that's why I left."
NFL.com ranked Jacobs at No. 12 on its list. This is widely regarded as one of the best drafts for running backs in the last decade.
Last week, Jacobs visited the Philadelphia Eagles, who are looking at him at his natural position of running back. The Eagles don't have a strong backfield and have recently acquired about trading for an established pro.
"It went very well," Jacobs said. "They're really interested in me, and they've got a lot of picks in the draft. It would be a pretty good situation for me to go there."
The Eagles have 13 selections in this year's event. The Minnesota Vikings are "very" interested in acquiring his services as well, according to Jacobs.
At the NFL Combine, Jacobs ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash, but he improved upon that last month at McAndrew Stadium - in front of professional scouts - with times of 4.40 and 4.47.
Some teams are looking at Jacobs with thoughts of moving him to tight end - he has the perfect frame for that position.
"If someone knew how to use me in that position, I don't see anything wrong with it," Jacobs said. "There's only two teams that are looking at me for that, and it's Cincinnati and Jacksonville. I don't like it, but I guess I could make that adjustment to it."
Draft day will be spent in Huntsville, Ala., for Jacobs - where he is currently living - but he may not be able to sit and watch the entire event for two days in a row.
"I won't watch all of it," Jacobs said. "I'll put it on there every 10 or 15 minutes maybe."
Jacobs still speaks to SIU head coach Jerry Kill weekly and said he has fond memories of his SIU teammates in the 2004 season.
"I noticed at SIU that players were very close with each other, and I really liked that," Jacobs said. "At bigger schools, a lot of players are not very close."
No matter which team selects him this weekend, it should be a great day for Jacobs and a proud one for many Saluki football fans.
