Marshall Starks - #25 - DB - Illinois - Profile

Marshall Starks just sort of wandered into the Jets' lineup. He showed up at one of the public tryouts the club holds periodically and was signed as a free agent to a contract for last season. Within a few weeks, he was in the AFL record book, having returned an unsuccessful Houston field goal attempt 97 yards for a touchdown at the Polo Grounds. He served as a member of the kickoff return squad last year and lugged back 19 kickoffs for 336 yards, an average of 17.7 per return. Marshall took over as a starting member of the defensive backfield midway through the 1963 season and has held the job at left cornerbacker since. The 25-year-old Starks was selected as the outstanding back on the squad for II!inois in 1958.