Jim Marsalis was a defensive back that hailed from Pascagoula, Miss. After playing high school football at Carver High School he attended Tennessee State University, majoring in Physical Education. At TSU he was so dangerous in the secondary that only once did a quarterback throw a touchdown pass against him in his four year career. While at TSU, Jim had several mentors, that undoubtedly influenced his football career both collegiately and professional… Coach “Big John” Merritt, Coach Alvin Coleman, Sr. and Coach Joe Gilliam, Sr., along with high school Coach Aaron Jones. In 1968, Marsalis earned All-American honors from The Sporting News and Times Magazine. He also participated in the 1968 Blue-Gray All-Star Classic, intercepting a record three passes in the game.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Marsalis as the top draft choice in 1969. He is widely known as a defensive innovator that would consistently push, grab and pop the receiver to disrupt his motion, creating the “bump and run” – which would become a standard defensive tactic among corners and safeties everywhere for years. The bump – and – run would become so successful that it would eventually be outlawed.
During his rookie campaign, Marsalis helped the Chiefs to the Super Bowl, intercepting two passes against the N.Y. Jets in the divisional playoff game and one against the Raiders in the AFL Championship. Kansas City would later rout the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, to capture the Super Bowl IV Championship. His sensational rookie season concluded with selection to the AFL All-Star team and being named the AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by Pro Football Weekly and the NFL Players Association.
Marsalis would go on to play six more seasons for the Chiefs, recording 14 interceptions during his tenure. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1970 and 1971. He also played two seasons for the New Orleans Saints in 1977 and 1978.
After his NFL career, Marsalis worked in banking as a loan officer in Pascagoula for many years. He moved to Georgia; where he was the secondary coach at Middle Georgia College in Warner Robins, Ga. and from there in 2006 her relocated to Germantown. While his wife, Sylvia, has her own State Farm Insurance Agency in Memphis, Jim — now retired, jokingly contends that his only job now is being “her yard man”. Both are active in community affairs. Jim has been the guest speaker for the Rotary Club of Memphis, The Oprah Winfrey Girls & Boys Club of Kosciusko, Southwind High School students, and other events.
