I saw an interesting article on StLouisRams.com from their senior writer Nick Waggoner on the signing of cornerback Brian Jackson. Little did Jackson know that a short conversation a couple of years ago would help land him on the Rams roster.
As Waggoner tells the story, Jackson was a teammate of Sam Bradford at Oklahoma. When General Manager Billy Devaney and Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo went to watch Bradford work out on campus, they met Jackson. “I remember him vividly at the Oklahoma workout in Sam’s year,” Spagnuolo said. “It’s funny how this thing goes round and round.” Spagnuolo and Devaney were having lunch with Bradford when they said a short hello to Jackson.
After spending time with the Giants, Jackson will now try to help out a Rams’ secondary decimated by injuries. “He was a play maker in college. I know he’s been a safety, corner, kind of like what Ron Bartell did early in his career. Kind of out of that mold. He’s got a long way to go certainly he’s got to learn our scheme and our system but we like some things he does.”
Another cornerback the Rams will be relying on is veteran Al Harris, the former Green Bay Packer star who will most likely get a start this weekend. The Rams have lost three of their top four corners to season ending injuries.