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A few quick slants on William Jackson

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Here are a few things to know about the newest Bengal, University of Houston cornerback William Jackson III.

-After landing in Cincinnati Friday afternoon with agent Kennard McGuire, the hunger hit the traveling. His first Cincy stop before going to Paul Brown Stadium for a news conference was a Burger King.

-William Jackson Jr., his father, is a big influence in his life and put the hammer down on his academics. The elder Jackson runs an air conditioning business in the Houston area.

-Will Jackson is also close to his grandmother, Judy Johnson. They share horses as a passion and have been known to go trail-riding together.

"My grandmother got me doing that when I was young. It got kind of stuck with me," said Jackson as he walked through the Bengals locker room for the first time. "My uncle has 10 horses, so we just go over there and ride.

"She tried to take me off when I was little and I cried. I've been doing it ever since."

-"Good number," said secondary coach Kevin Coyle as Jackson held up his No. 22 jersey at his news conference.

He remembers that Johnathan Joseph wore it when he was selected with that No. 24 pick in 2006.

-He says he's a film junkie and has made notes on the play of Pro Bowl corners Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson.

-Jackson, a junior college product, admitted Friday he's come a long way.

"Are you crazy?" said Jackson when asked what he'd say if someone told him a few years ago he'd be a first-round pick. "It's usually big-school guys."

-Jackson says he's looking forward to getting under the wing of Bengals cornerback Adam Jones.

"He's been in the league a long time and I'm looking for him to mentor me," Jackson said.

-Jackson, born in Houston, went to Wheatley High School in the Fifth Ward. He made no bones Thursday night about his rise from what he calls "a tough background," economically. Houston head coach Tom

Herman says he's very loyal to his family. Evidence came in the first round, when he opted to host a party for family and friends at a Houston hotel rather than take part in the draft festivities in Chicago.

-There is always a Cincinnati connection, right? Herman, the former Ohio State offensive coordinator, was born in Cincinnati and moved away at a young age but still has relatives on the West Side and a grandmother in Delhi. He raves about Jackson as a guy.

"Becoming a first-round NFL player hasn't changed him in the least," Herman said Friday afternoon. "He's humble. We meet almost every day. A this point of the season, he's been in here working out and he comes in to watch film, too."

-Herman prepared for Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a bowl game. He was the first corner taken Thursday at No. 5 by the Jags. Herman coached against Ohio State's Eli Apple in practice and Apple was the second corner taken by the Giants at No. 10. Herman says Jackson is "a combination of both guys."

"He's probably not quite as fluid in the hips as Eli. Eli is really, really fluid," Herman said. "But he's got the length of both of them and the size. I think he's got Jalen's kind of physicality. Jalen is a monster at the line of scrimmage. I think he's a mix of those guys. Yeah, I'd say that's pretty good."

 

With the 24th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Bengals select William Jackson from Houston

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