By Ernie Clark

Growing up in Taunton, Mass., Eric DeCosta '93 would spend one weekend each April consumed by the annual National Football League draft. Now the NFL draft consumes a lot more of his life.

As an area scout for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, DeCosta now spends NFL draft weekend, in April, in the team's "war room," analyzing trade proposals. "On a straight draft-day trade proposal, my job is to equate the value of what we would give with what we would get," said DeCosta from his home in downtown Baltimore.

DeCosta and his former Mules' teammate Mark Jackson '95 arrived at Colby two years apart, and neither planned to pursue a career in pro football. Both broke into coaching while graduate students at Trinity College (Conn.), and now they both work in the NFL.

Jackson spent two summers as an intern with the New England Patriots while a student at Colby. Now the former Colby defensive back is an assistant special teams coach with the Patriots. "I've got a great job for someone my age," said the Mansfield, Mass., native. "I didn't think about it a lot growing up, but this is what I want to do."

DeCosta and Jackson played on strong Colby teams during the early 1990s. DeCosta was part of one of the top defensive units in NESCAC. Jackson, a cornerback, helped the 1994 team finish with seven consecutive victories.

DeCosta began coaching while earning a master's in English at Trinity and spent a third year there as an assistant coach. "When I first went to grad school, my focus was on getting another degree," said DeCosta, who majored in classics-English at Colby. "But as I got more immersed in football, I knew I wanted to go more in that direction."

When his graduate fellowship ended, DeCosta knew a perfect replacement–Jackson. "Fortunately Eric and I crossed paths," said Jackson, who spent spent two years on the Trinity staff while earning his master's in public policy. As his interest in coaching grew, he revived his Patriots connections. He interviewed in the spring of 1997 with then-Patriots coach Pete Carroll. Jackson landed a job in football operations, with responsibilities involving team travel, security and day-to-day operations. "But more and more I got pulled into the football side, and I became more of a coach's assistant," he said.

His small-college background didn't hurt when he interviewed for a job as assistant special teams coach with new Patriots' coach Bill Belichick. "He was a NESCAC guy, too, having gone to Wesleyan," Jackson said.

At the same time DeCosta was writing papers during his second year at Trinity, he also was writing to NFL executives in search of a job at a pre-season camp. He sent out about 100 letters. DeCosta received just one positive response. "Charlie Casserly, [Washington Redskins] general manager at the time, wrote back to me," DeCosta said. "He had gone to Springfield College."

After the Redskins' summer camp DeCosta returned to Trinity. That spring he got a call from Scott Cohen of the Redskins. "He asked me if I wanted to work in the NFL. I said, 'Are you kidding?'"

The offer was for a position with the Ravens, who were relocating to Baltimore from Cleveland. DeCosta interviewed with the Ravens' general manager, NFL Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome, and was hired. DeCosta quickly was promoted to the team's scouting staff. "I kept getting increased responsibility; it was a great opportunity for a guy in his first job." "

DeCosta became the team's area scout for the Midwest in 1997. He's now responsible for developing scouting reports on prospects at approximately 60 schools in conferences, including the Big 10 and Big 12. "On a typical week, I leave Baltimore on Monday and will check out three or four schools during the week," he said. "I watch tape in the morning, then watch practice, then talk to the strength coach and the position coach to get background on the player. I'll write a report, and then it's on to the next school. I try to work it to end up Friday night in a major college town in order to watch a game Saturday."

Jackson's and DeCosta's lives aren't totally devoted to football. Jackson recently was married and DeCosta is engaged. But both former Mules are intent on climbing the NFL career ladder in the next few years. In the meantime, they continue to learn the basics of their different sides of the business. "You need to know it cold, so you can make those tough decisions," Jackson said. "It takes time."