Brennan Marion
From NCAA College Football Information & Resource
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Brennan Marion (born August 25, 1987) plays wide receiver for the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the NCAA college football tournament. Marion broke out in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision scene in 2007 as a transfer from De Anza Junior College and immediately delivered an impactful season for the Golden Hurricane with his NCAA record of 31.9 yards per catch to go with his 39 receptions for 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns. Along with record-breaking quarterback Paul Smith and a handful of other capable playmakers, Marion provided a stable onslaught on offense that resulted in a Conference USA West Division Championship and a GMAC Bowl victory against Bowling Green.
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[edit] Personal Life
A native of the Pittsburgh area, Brennan described his childhood as a "rough" one, growing up in a single parent home and constantly moving from place to place which practically compromised his early education. He began playing football as early as six years old when he scored five touchdowns in his first game. The versatile athlete also excelled in basketball as he played AAU hoops up until the 10th grade.
Like most collegiate football players, Brennan aspires to be in the National Football League after his playing years in Tulsa are done. But if his NFL dreams won't come into fruition, he wants to someday impart his knowledge of the sport by coaching or be a social worker.
[edit] High School
Marion attended Greensburg-Salem High School, located about 10 minutes away from Pittsburgh, where he was a four-year prep letterwinner in football, basketball and track. Under head coach George Kermer, Marion became a starter both on offense (wide receiver) and defense (cornerback) during his senior season and was selected into the all-conference team and the Fab 22 honorable mention team after producing 23 receptions for 400 yards and four TDs with four pick-offs.
Marion actually received various offers and letters from neighboring colleges when he was in 11th grade. But his excellence in the football field did not have a mirror effect in the four corners of his classroom which made him ineligible to attend Division I football schools.
[edit] Junior College
[edit] Foothill College
After receiving only a partial scholarship from Temple and failing to get a good score in the SAT, Marion was forced to head out of his home state to seek for community college football programs which was either nonexistent or was still in its infancy at Pittsburgh. Chuck Thompson, his best friend and an Akron defensive back who moved over to the San Francisco area during their high school senior years, invited Marion to join him in the nearby Foothill College try-outs. Both made it to the team with Marion being utilized more as a tight end or an H-back in the run-oriented Foothill team. Nevertheless, Marion had a successful year and more importantly, the school provided him with an apartment to live in.
[edit] DeAnza Junior College
Both Marion and Thompson weren't happy after a season at Foothill. For his part, Marion felt he needed a change in scenery when his uncle passed away. Both decided to move to DeAnza which was about 10 minutes away. Unfortunately, the school did not offer a free shelter and the teammates decided to stay at a studio apartment. Unlike at Foothill however when he was lined up as a blocker, coach Dan Atencio gave him the chance to shine at DeAnza as a wideout and he quickly took advantage by producing 10 touchdowns and over 700 yards receiving in six games. His performance early in the season caught the eyes of several Division I-A schools, including Oregon State, Pittsburgh and Maryland. He went on to register a state-leading 1,196 receiving yards and 60 receptions with 16 touchdowns which was second in the state. He also earned All-America honorable mention, all-state, and all-conference accolades in addition to the Team MVP award in 2006.
But his production and recognitions were unfortunately not good enough to receive any offers whatsoever from universities. To add up to their woes, the duo could no longer afford to pay for their rent. And so during their sophomore year, both Marion and Thompson decided to crash into the DeAnza gym. Just to describe how tough their life were, Marion had to scounge for his meals usually fast-food burgers and had to work doubly hard with his academics which may have scared away some of the successful programs.
Then DeAnza offensive coordinator Darrell Williams, now with the San Jose City College, found out about the players situation and was noble enough to let Marion and Thompson stay at his 4,000-square foot home where he, his wife, his mother, and four kids were residing. Marion was determined to make good of the trust and kindness that Williams showed, even getting a conditional scholarship offer (the only offer he got) from Tulsa which he can only receive once he graduates at DeAnza. During the spring of 2007, Marion would survive a heavy class load and eventually graduate with a degree in associate of arts. Both sides kept their words and soon after, Marion signed the papers to join the Golden Hurricane for the 2007 season.
[edit] College
[edit] Tulsa (2007)
Marion made his debut in Tulsa's Old Gold, Royal Blue, and Crimson jersey on the road against Louisiana-Monroe, but was quite unproductive with only 1 carry for a 1 yard gain. He rebounded with a huge game against Brigham Young the following week after racking up 171 receiving yards on only 3 receptions with 1 TD as the Golden Hurricane defeated the Cougars, 55-47. In his third game of the season, Marion appeared in 15 plays against Oklahoma and caught a 48-yard touchdown reception as Tulsa bowed down to the Sooners, 21-62. He caught a season high 2 TD catches to go along his 99 receiving yards on 3 receptions against UAB, then registered five more 100-yard games in a loss to UTEP (136 yards on 4 catches), in a win over Marshall (114 yards on 2 receptions), in a win over Tulane (102 yards on 3 catches), in a victory over Army (110 yards on 2 catches), and in a win @ Rice (season-high 244 yards and 7 receptions). He also scored on eight of the 13 games he played, including 2 scores against the Blazers, the Cougars, and the Owls.
The first-year receiver ended his 2007 campaign with 39 receptions, 1,244 receiving yards, and an exceptional 31.9 yards per reception average. Marion also showcased his potential as a "deep threat" with 25 of his catches coming from 25 yards out and beyond.
[edit] Highlights
| Brennan Marion caught 2 touchdown passes as Tulsa edged out Rice, 48-43. |
[edit] Career Stats
| Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
| Year | Rec | RecYds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | RshYds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lst |
| 2007 | 39 | 1244 | 31.9 | 75 | 11 | 2 | -8 | -4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
[edit] Achievements
[edit] 2007
- C-USA All-Conference Second Team (Coaches & Media)
- C-USA Newcomer of the Year (Coaches & Media)
- CollegeFootballNews.com's #5 WR in the C-USA
- Phil Steele All-CUSA First Team
[edit] References
- Brennan Marion ESPN.com Profile
- Brennan Marion Tulsa Profile
- Dream Season for Brennan Marion
- Marion finds a home at Tulsa
- Player of The Week: Brennan Marion
- Story of survival
