Meet Marcus F! Marcus is a former college football player with a great personal story. Get to know him a little better by reading his Coach Spotlight below!
Provide a brief summary of your participation playing and/or coaching your sport.
I started playing football really early when I was 7 years old. My dad covered sports as a journalist, so I was always around the professional level. I got a job as a ball boy for the Vikings when I was a kid by answering a phone call from the Vikings HC Dennis Green. He called my home looking for his friend, my dad who covered the Vikings closely. I asked Coach Green for an opportunity to have my dream job as ball boy, and the rest is history. I became employed by the Vikings at age 13 and learned the ropes from professional athletes, coaches, staff, management and top officials. I was a captain at the University of Marshall and had a high skill level.
Why did you decide to become a private coach?
I want to make the leaders of tomorrow. When I was a young, I was always the best athlete at camp. I never got tackled and was a leader on my teams. I want to show kids how to become leaders and get to a confidence level they didn’t know they could reach. I want to show athletes how to improve their abilities and make leaders out of them.
What do you enjoy most about coaching?
I love building a player’s confidence. I also like establishing new disciplines with an athlete. Practice is like an art. During a session, I teach players to open themselves up and become more assertive. I love seeing that.
Who is your favorite coach and why?
Dennis Green. I learned so much from him. He had a relationship with my father and is the reason I first got involved with football at the high level. There were also only a few minority coaches at the time, and it was great that he had the impact that he did. He gave me an opportunity when I was 12. Because of him, I had the opportunity to learn the game and really see professionals on and off the field. He was always upfront and honest, and he treated his players with respect.
What is your favorite moment in your athletic career?
I was 17 years old, and it was the night after my mom found out she went into cancer remission. I had a game the next day, and that night I stayed with her and prayed. She called me the prayer warrior in our family. I went out on the field that next day, and I dedicated the game to her. It was against one of the top teams at their house. Some of our key players were down with injuries, but I left it all out there. I had 30 carries for 210 yards, 17 tackles, 2 interceptions (1 for a TD return), and a safety on defense. We won the game by a couple of points. Not long after, my mother died. I ran a track meet in her honor after she was in coma for a couple days. She died that day. I was a runner like Forest Gump, and she would tell me that “life is like a box of chocolates.” I said a prayer for mom with my track team and put “FaithFocusFinish” on my arm. This was all during the same time and was a defining moment in my life.
What is your favorite sports related movie?
Remember the Titans or We Are Marshall. I was actually on campus when they were filming We Are Marshall.
What’s your mantra or favorite saying (in the context of sport and/ or life)?
Faith. Focus. Finish. Faith means trusting in God and yourself. Focus on who you are as a person and also focus in the game on your routes. You have to finish every day, no matter what it is. Create your path, and never give up.
What team do you root for most enthusiastically? (any sport)
The Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bulls, and Arizona Cardinals
Do you have any special talents or a surprising thing someone might not know about you?
Teaching kids how to read. My son is turning 5 and is reading at a sixth grade level. My grandfather, a developmental optometrist, taught me the importance of vision therapy. It develops the eyes through identifying strengths and weaknesses, evaluating balance, control, and natural instincts, and treating the weaknesses. Coach Marcus is booking football sessions now! Click here to check out his profile. 
