The Jets have themselves a new starting cornerback.

Joe Douglas turned his attention to New York’s secondary on Sunday, inking former Colts corner Pierre Desir to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million in guaranteed money. Indianapolis made the surprising decision to cut Desir one year into a three-year contract extension, but he did not last long on the open market as the Jets pounced to give Gregg Williams a ballhawk to work with.

So, what should Jets fans know about their newest free agent acquisition? Let’s get familiar with Desir and what he brings to the table.

A unique journey to the NFL

Desir’s journey to the NFL is different than almost any other player in the league. Not only did he have to scrap and claw to get noticed playing at a small school, but he had to overcome circumstances that put his football career in jeopardy dating all the way back to high school.

Desir was not an academic qualifier coming out of high school and was not eligible to play Division I football despite being All-State in Missouri. He took his talents to Division II Washburn University in 2012 but was forced to leave the school as the football program ran short on scholarship money.

Desir returned home with his now-wife, Morgan, and two daughters to benefit from the help of family. He enrolled at nearby Lindenwood University, but was forced to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. In order to pay tuition and support his family, Desir worked long hours as a day laborer, placing him further away from the football field than he ever could have imagined.

Fast forward to 2020 and Desir is an established starting NFL cornerback. That’s one heck of a journey for a player who had to put his football dreams on hold for a while.