Suffolk University producing documentary about Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones
Suffolk University students and alumni are getting an in-depth look into the life of New England Patriots captain Marcus Jones. A crew of roughly 40 people from the school are working on a documentary following Jones throughout this season.
"They got to meet my family and everyone that's in my inner circle. They've seen whenever I pick out some outfits for gameday," smiled Marcus Jones.
Professor Dan Weidknecht was approached by a Suffolk alum who works for the Patriots, who asked him to head up the documentary. Quickly, he began assembling his Suffolk crew.
"It was kind of like drafting a sports team because we have this long project over 18 weeks with the NFL season and postseason," said Weidknecht.
"He gave me the spiel, the light details, and was like 'Do you want in?' and I said 'Yes please,'" laughed Alejandro Garcia, a Suffolk alum who jumped on the opportunity to work on the documentary.
Marcus Jones input on project
But what Weidknecht and his crew didn't know is that Jones is majorly into film production.
"The first time I met Marcus was on a Zoom call, and he's walking around with an easy rig and a professional camera. Which is one of those big rigs that holds a camera, and I'm like, 'you're an NFL player, what are you doing with that?'" jokes Weidknecht.
"He knew about the camera, and what was going on as much as the rest of us, so it was cool to have him take an interest in what we are doing beyond this is just me and my story," said Garcia.
"He was intrigued with what editing software we used, and how we were framing shots," smiled Kostas Winslow, a Suffolk student on the project.
"It's been great seeing what's going on in my life, but I am also learning about how they go about things and how they edit," said Jones.
Behind the scenes with the Patriots
The crew was given incredible access to Jones. They were on the field, in the locker room, at his home, and with his family.
"What shocked me the most is the dedication you have to have. Marcus is incredibly dedicated to the Patriots team, to the games, everything," said Winslow.
"It's such a time investment, and he has a family, and he's got this project to worry about," added Garcia.
The hope is distribute the documentary at film festivals and through local sports stations and theaters. The production team hopes the Patriots continue their winning streak to the Super Bowl.