Rick Reiprish Interview Transcript
Saints director of college scouting talks after sixth round pick

posted April 24, 2005 - print me!
neworleansprofootball.com

Q: Was Jason Jefferson a guy that was targeted because maybe some of the other guys had fallen off the board?

A: "There were really no other players higher than this guy on the board; he was pretty highly rated by us. We had a lot of exposure to this guy, obviously coming from Wisconsin, with all the players they had up there. Our coaches liked this guy. He's really a big motor guy, a try-hard guy; he gives you a lot of effort. He's a big guy that's probably going to play around 310, 315 pounds, and he was sitting pretty good on our board."

Q: Is he strictly a run-stopper guy, is that his strength?

A: "He is a run-stopper, but I tell you what, he's going to remind you of a Rodney Leslie-type player. He's got a really good motor, and he's going to run all over the field pretty well. Basically, we'd like him to be a run-stopper guy on the inside."

Q: Was there a discussion about him earlier?

A: "A little bit. There was a little bit of discussion about him as far as people who were still available to us. Yeah, his name came up."

Q: So more to the point, you would have gone defense, or defensive tackle in the 5th round when you took the quarterback if he wasn't there?

A: "Yeah, he was pretty equal to the quarterback as far as our board was concerned. He merited some conversation, and we like what we see in the kid. He gives you more athletic ability I guess at that position instead of just being a big guy on the inside because he can run and chase the ball pretty well. He gives you a nice combination of athletic ability and effort."

Q: Wisconsin had heck of a defensive line this past season.

A: "They had a good group up there this season. They had some size guys, they had pass rushers, and they had quite a bit of talent up front. It was a good visit up there you got to look at a lot of good players. They did some nice things with them. When you watched them play, it was like watching pro defensive linemen. They do some loops and twists. They were exposed to a lot of things up there."

Q: Did he play on the inside?

A: "Yeah, most of the time he played inside, he and Hawthorne were the two defensive tackles."

Q: Did you ask him to come in at a certain weight in two weeks?

A: "Well, I think John Pease just talked to him and he didn't say exactly what he was. The last time we talked to him I think was at the combine and he was 306 pounds. He's been up to 310 during the season last year. If he plays 310, 315 he'll be fine. I don't think for guys like him it's hard to get his weight up there. It might be hard the other way around."

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