Jim Marsalis
{{Short description|American football player (born 1945)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Jim Marsalis
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| number = 40
| position = Cornerback
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|10|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Pascagoula, Mississippi, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 194
| high_school =
| college = Tennessee A&I
| draftyear = 1969
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 23
| pastteams =
- Kansas City Chiefs (1969–{{NFL Year|1975}})
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1977}})
| highlights =
- Super Bowl champion (IV)
- AFL champion (1969)
- PFW AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1969)
- First-team All-Pro (1970)
- 2× Pro Bowl (1969, 1970)
- Second-team All-American (1968)
- First-team Little All-American (1968)
| statlabel1 = Interceptions
| statvalue1 = 15
| statlabel2 = Interception yards
| statvalue2 = 116
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 6
| statlabel4 = Sacks
| statvalue4 = 1
| pfr = M/MarsJi01
}}
James Marsalis (born October 10, 1945) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for nine seasons in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL).
Early life
Marsalis was born on October 10, 1945, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.{{Cite web |title=TSHF Announces The 2012 Class of Inductees « Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame |url=https://tshf.net/uncategorized/tshf-announces-the-2012-class-of-inductees/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |language=en-US}} He attended Carver High School, where he played football.
College career
Marsalis played college football at Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State University) from 1965 to 1968, under coach "Big John" Merritt,{{Cite web |title=Inductees {{!}} Black College Football Hall Of Fame |url=https://www.blackcollegefootballhof.org/players |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=www.blackcollegefootballhof.org}} before playing professionally from 1969 through 1977.{{Cite web |title=Jim Marsalis Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MarsJi01.htm |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He was dominant enough as a cornerback to have only one touchdown thrown against him in four seasons of college football.
In 1968, Marsalis was named an All-American by both The Sporting News and Time Magazine. He vaulted into the conscience of professional scouts at the 1968 Blue-Gray All-Star Classic by intercepting a record three passes in the game.{{cite web | url=https://tshf.net/halloffame/marsalis-jim/ | title=Marsalis, Jim « Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame }} He was Senior of the Year at Tennessee.
Professional career
Marsalis was selected in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs (23rd overall).{{Cite web |title=1969 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1969/draft.htm |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} An immediate starter at cornerback, Marsalis helped the Chiefs defeat the defending league champion New York Jets in the first game of the 1969 AFL playoffs, with two interceptions off the Jets' Joe Namath. After the Chiefs won the final AFL Championship Game a week later in Oakland against the Raiders 16–6, where Marsalis had another interception, he started in the Super Bowl IV, the Fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The Chiefs, defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the last World Championship game played between the AFL and NFL champions.{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl IV - Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs - January 11th, 1970 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197001110kan.htm |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
A two-time Pro Bowler with the Chiefs (1970 and 1971), Marsalis was selected by Pro Football Weekly and the NFL Players Association as the 1969 AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.{{Cite web |last=Green |first=PJ |date=2023-06-12 |title=Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks inducted into Black College Football HOF |url=https://fox4kc.com/sports/chiefs/kansas-city-chiefs-cornerbacks-inducted-into-black-college-football-hof/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV {{!}} News, Weather, Sports |language=en-US}} He was also selected All Pro in 1970. A physical player, Marsalis' style of play as a defensive back was often associated with the physical "bump and run" tactics that would eventually be outlawed by the NFL.
After playing for the Chiefs through the 1976 season, Marsalis would play his last two professional seasons with the New Orleans Saints, retiring after the 1978 season. For his efforts at the college and professional level, Marsalis was selected to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.{{cite web | url=https://tshf.net/halloffame/marsalis-jim/ | title=Marsalis, Jim « Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame }}
Later life
In 2023, Marshalis was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Marsalis would later work in banking as a loan officer. He briefly served as a defensive secondary coach at Middle Georgia.
References
{{reflist}}
{{1969 NFL Draft}}
{{Kansas City Chiefs first round draft picks}}
{{Chiefs1969DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl IV}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsalis, Jim}}
Category:Players of American football from Pascagoula, Mississippi
Category:American football cornerbacks
Category:Tennessee State Tigers football players
Category:Kansas City Chiefs players
Category:American Football League All-Star players
Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:American Football League players
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