S Andre Cisco: ‘It’s a Special DB Group’
Safety Andre Cisco, a Long Island native, is back close to home after signing with the Jets in free agency after four seasons with Jacksonville (and a collegiate career with Syracuse). He’s quickly made an impression with his coaches and teammates.
“Smart, smart, leader,” DC Steve Wilks said. “We know his ability, his physicality, his toughness. You can see it a little bit when he was at Jacksonville … he was a little overweight, he dropped that. He’s moving faster. But the leadership and coming in and being that vocal guy on the backend, that’s what I love.”
Cisco is listed at 6-0, 210, but he said he’s lost 8 or 9 pounds from last season.
“Man, I’ve played at a lot of different weights throughout the years, so I feel like I’m in a really good spot, considering my job having to take down running backs, cover receivers, time to time, go head to head with tight ends and also play in the middle field,” he said. “So, I have a dynamic job and [it] requires a specific weight and mindset to continue to execute. So, I like where I’m at.”
With the Jaguars, Cisco notched 60-plus tackles in each of the past three seasons and has never missed more than 2 games in a season over his 4 years in the NFL. He’s now with a group of DBs that includes Sauce Gardner, Michael Carter II, Brandon Stephens, Tony Adams and Isaiah Oliver among others.
“It’s a special DB group,” he said. “I’ll tell you just the energy we’re bringing, it’s not forced, it’s not talked about, it’s not pre-planned. It’s just natural. Guys are just rallying around each other. We’re excited to see each other make plays.” He added: “A great group of guys.”