Revenge Of The Birds Interview With Cardinals CB A.J. Jefferson

A.J. Jefferson played his college ball at Fresno State where he was a stand out on special teams returning the football and also as a starter on defense at cornerback. He is a fast and tall(6-1) corner that won't give up on a play and was rarely caught out of position in college. He was projected to land in the mid rounds of the draft after a successful combine, but wound up going undrafted. The Cardinals were first to give A.J. a shot in the NFL. He was kind enough to take some time out of his day to talk to me last week before the Cardinals began training camp.

Andrew: First, can you tell me how you felt when the team did sign you?

AJ: Honestly, I was anxious just to get things done. I was kind of upset at not getting drafted, and coming in as a free agent, it was kind of a surprise. I was anxious to get there and get everything started. I was excited.

Andrew: Some analysts, including myself, believed you would be drafted as high as the fourth round. Were you a little surprised you went undrafted?

AJ: I was a little surprised. But you know things happen for a reason, so if I got drafted or not I figured I'd get picked up. All I know is my foot's in the door and Arizona was the team to give it to me. 

Andrew: Does that motivate you more?

AJ: It does. It does. It makes me better.

Andrew: What have you seen and what have you liked from the Cardinals so far? Have you had to cover Larry Fitzgerald at all in OTAs?

AJ: I haven't had a chance to cover him in OTAs. As far as that opportunity, when I do, hopefully I will be able to a little more in training camp. We'll just see what everyone can do once we get an opportunity to line up across from each other. I just like being in there and the chemistry with everybody is nice. It fits real good.

Andrew: Has there been a noticable increase in the speed and the talent going from college to the NFL that you have seen so far?

AJ: Not a whole lot yet. I don't know if we've been going full speed or not. We've been going through the walk throughs, learning everything. It's been a learning process, trying to teach all the rookies everything.  I'm sure the speed will get fast when we start doing stuff in training camp. It hasn't been too much faster for me. I'm trying to slow my game down for myself. It hasn't been too much faster. Not yet. 

Andrew: For some fans that aren't aware of your abilities, can you tell them what you bring to the team and what they should expect to see out of you?

AJ: You want to know about me? As far as I go. I'm tall for a corner. I'm taller. I'm a kick returner, and I do pretty well with that. I'm versatile. I can play on special teams. I can do everything. I'm more of a man press corner. That's my qualities that I bring. I'm just a taller corner that has all the tools you need to play corner.

Andrew: Are there any particular players that you've molded your game after or anyone you look up to?

AJ: Not so much. I look up to players like Charles Woodson and Deion Sanders. Old school type guys. Right now I'm trying to make a name for myself. I'm not really trying to mold myself after anybody. I'm trying to play to all my strengths and make my weaknesses better. Some people have different weaknesses and some people have different strengths. I'm just trying to mold my game for my strengths and put me in my own company. Make myself better. I really don't mold myself from anybody. I'm just trying to be the best me. 

Andrew: You experienced success returning the football in college. Will you be attempting to compete for a punt or kick returner position for the Cardinals this year?

AJ: Yeah. There's opportunities at kick return. Once we get opportunities to start doing that, I know coach will want me to go back there and see what I can do. Once he gives me the opportunity to go back there and show what I can do I'd be happy to go back there and do it for him.  We haven't really done anything like that. Once we get into special teams and all that, I think It looks pretty good for me. I'd like to show what I can do whether it's punt return, kick off return, whatever it is. I'm trying and trying. 

Andrew: What other cornerbacks have impressed you so far and who do you think right now is the favorite to win the starting job along side Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie?

AJ: Just going off of what I've seen and what's been going on with the team, it really is up the in air. They have Michael Adams, they have Greg Toler, and they have a lot of guys that have put time in on the field. There's a lot of people that they trust out there. They are giving everyone an opportunity to play for a position after DRC. Everybody has got talent and everybody's trying to find a spot right now. I don't know who it's going to be. I can't even really say.

Andrew: What is something non-football related that we may not know about you? Like other sports you play, hobbies, video games.

AJ: Yeah I got a hobby. I train dogs in my past time. I got a couple dogs, I got a new puppy out here. I train them from my apartment. That's one of my hobbies that I've been doing lately. I'm kind of a dog lover. Animals are my passion -- besides football.

Andrew: What have you been working on so far this offseason to get better?

AJ: Just my eyes and my foot alignments. That's one of the things I kind of struggled with first coming in. Realizing how different the hash marks are. Both sides of the field are kind of the same size. Just working on my eyes, my zone and everything because man[coverage] is white and black, and zone[coverage] is where it gets tricky. So just working on my eyes and zone and everything. I'm trying to be down with that so I can be real crisp and clean coming out of everything.

Andrew: Finally, what are your thoughts heading into camp and is there anything in particular you are looking forward to?

AJ: I'm just looking forward to going out there to Flagstaff. I hear a lot of good things about it. I'm looking forward to going up there. It's going to make me. As far as any teams I'm looking forward to playing, I don't know if there are any I'm looking forward too. I'm just more excited to getting into the preseason because I know it's going to be all rookies in there, and finally getting a chance to play a team and show what I can do. All preseason. Just getting in there. 

A.J. Jefferson and the Arizona Cardinals are currently in their fourth day of training camp in Flagstaff, AZ. I just want to thank A.J. again for taking the time to sit down and talk to Revenge of the Birds.