The New York Jets picked up troubled tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins on waivers Monday, and he has a new mentor in the locker room.
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall said he has been talking with and trying to help Seferian-Jenkins even before he joined the team, and was thrilled to hear that the Jets had claimed him after his release by Tampa Bay.
“We’ve been talking for a while. He’s a great talent,” Marshall said Tuesday, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “When I heard [Monday] we claimed him, I was like, ‘This is God-sent.’ If he needs me, I’m there. I’ve already connected him with the right people in the city if he needs them.
“Guys need second chances,” Marshall added. “When you make a mistake, it doesn’t mean you are a bad person. You need people to believe in you, and sometimes a fresh start is a good start.”
Marshall has had his own brushes with the law, including a DUI himself. He was later diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and he wants to ensure that Seferian-Jenkins gets whatever help he might need.
“I would say this: We don’t know if those are his issues,” Marshall said. “I had a DUI before. And you live and you learn. There are a lot of people that make terrible decisions, but it doesn’t make them terrible people.”
Seferian-Jenkins’s DUI arrest was the last straw for the Buccaneers, but the Jets are willing to take a risk. Perhaps Marshall will be a steadying influence on the young tight end.
