This interview was actually conducted mid-season but due to some contractual issues, we weren't allowed to air it until now. I can't go into details too much except to say that a studio disputed the legality of the contract I signed with a different studio. This is what I get for hiring a lawyer from Brooklyn. Anyway, the Smit is BACK! As a token of my apologies, here is my original interview with Philadelphia Liberty star runner Marquise Brown. A confident young man and as you'll see, a very deep thinker as well. Enjoy.
Smit: So right away, Marquise. How does it feel to quiet the rest of those 0-14 naysayers?
Brown: Well, I gotta say it feels pretty good. I fully understand what we had to do last season and the process we had to go through to get to this point, but it does kinda get to you when you look at your overall W/L record, I think every competitor would be embarrassed too. But either way, going into the season nobody thought we were going to do as well as we are right now, and it feels pretty good to shock the league. I knew right from the jump that this team is something special, and I’m so glad to see it all come to fruition.
Smit: You didn't just watch it come to fruition my man. No, no, no. You played a big part. 118 yards, 2 touchdowns, 6 catches. You were out there leading the way like a CHAMPION. Walk me through what that second touchdown felt like when you hit the endzone and you're up three touchdowns that soon into the 2nd quarter.
Brown: Hahaha, thank you. I think we all played our hearts out on both the offensive and defensive side for sure though. But yeah, right from the beginning when Lucari made that huge pick at the goal line, we were on a roll. We had all the momentum on our side and we kept running with it. Next thing we know we’re up 3 touchdowns by around the middle of the second quarter. I was excited, but that didn’t keep me from focusing and playing like we were losing instead of winning. We weren’t complacent, we knew the caliber of team we were facing and we weren’t going to slow the brakes, and I think that’s pretty evident based on how we played throughout the second half.
Smit: A lesser man....by which I meant Clayman...would use this to make some sort of tenuous allegory to your namesake Patriots in the American Revolution fighting against an infinitely more powerful foe. I'm better than that. Yet it needs to be said. The Hawks have been to two straight Ultimus games. They've got guys like Trey Willie coming off his controversial Wide Receiver of the Year Award and automatic Hall of Famer and close personal friend Avon Blocksdale riding out his last year til retirement. They plucked the quarterback from what most consider their most dangerous adversary in the offseason. Everything has been and is going the Hawks' way. There's an argument to be made that they simply aren't as hungry as you. Do YOU make that argument?
Brown: Y’know, I was thinking about making an American Revolution joke, but I’m not THAT clever. You saw my Wonderlic scores after all. Either way, I’ll say it. The Hawks are a hell of a team. I mean you’ve got 4 major talents on an offense that seems to be buzzing. Applehort can throw it anywhere and it seems like his guys will catch it. And to top it all off, they got Owen Taylor lurking in the backfield to grab those easy goal line carries. Even looking at the defensive side, you see nothing but talent. But they’re soft, straight up. They don’t want it like we want it. No team in the league does. No team in the entire league is as hungry and as motivated as this squad right here. Everywhere you look in our locker room, you see motivated guys that are looking to make a difference for this team. On the offensive side, we got a hell of a rookie QB who’s looking to make a name for herself. A crazy talented receiving corps filled with young guys like JVM and Hasselhoff that are already proving their worth, all lead by the fantastic Carter Bush. And then in the backfield, me, Hondo, and O’Sullivan make up a hell of a squad. On the defensive side you got the No Fly Zone with Bly, Lucari, Garnett, Cobalt, some talented linebackers like KJ and Robertson, and a hell of a defensive line rounded out by Brock and Kamaka. Did I mention how many rookies we have too? Hell, 3/4 of the NFZ are rookies! Being so young, I definitely think it contributes to where our team is at, how our locker room acts, and how we play. We all have chips on our shoulders, something to prove... and we’ve been putting the league on notice because of it. But we’re focused on making the playoffs, winning one game at a time, and making the Ultimus first and foremost.
He says it all with the air of someone who understands humility at a bone deep level depsite still being self confident enough to know how good he is. Traits I recognize instantly due to my own inner truth, of course.
Smit: Do you think you can actually accomplish that this season?
Brown: I think we can, but it’d take a lot. Realistically we’ll be fighting for the second seed with Colorado and Yellowknife, so we need to pull out crucial wins against them. After that, we’re likely facing Baltimore in the NSFC championship. And then, we have to face the best team from the ASFC, the Second Line. I think we’ll have to fight hard against NOLA, but Baltimore doesn’t scare me if we make it to the playoffs. Like I said, right now it’s all about winning one game at a time and doing our jobs to win. It’s not going to be easy and we’re major underdogs. But I think we can be yet another underdog story from Philadelphia, referring to Rocky Balboa, obviously.
Smit: People are going to say it's impossible. Hawks' officials are already dismissing your win as a fluke and claiming they're going to crush you in week 13. Supposed experts are saying you're full of it. That you won't overcome the Wraiths, let alone the Yeti. People are going to say that you personally are just looking for attention. What's your favorite pizza topping?
Brown: Hmm... I’m more of a cheesesteak guy myself.
Smit: Well that makes sense. So let's discuss living in Philadelphia a little bit. They're notoriously hard nosed fans who do NOT hold back. Have you had any experiences?
Brown: Haha, well I grew up in a small town in Florida called Pahokee. That town is one of the poorest in the state, and the only way you can make it out of there is with football. Those people love their high school football. It’s a lifestyle. As a boy, you grow up wanting to be a Pahokee Blue Devil. Those guys don’t hold back on you either. They’ll rip you to shreds if you mess up on the field. I have, and I had to go through some taunting for the next week at school and in town. But that’s all because they love their high school sports, and they want to see their guys do good. Same thing here in Philly. This city is incredibly passionate about their sports, that includes the media. After week 1 of this season against the Second Line, I was getting chewed out by fans because I had let Maximus get more yards than me. Mind you that I had a decent game with 29 carries, 106 yards and 1 touchdown. Obviously I could have done a hell of a lot better but that’s besides the point. I was getting an onslaught of hate, mainly from the media, about how I’m not a good leader for this team, this team needs a new RB, etc. The very next day on the way to practice, I turned on the radio to hear Chaz and AJ in the morning talking about how they need to trade me for picks for Christ’s sake. Week 4 against Arizona comes up and I rush for around 136 yards and a TD, and I hear those same guys calling me the best RB in the league.
Brown giggles a bit to himself, clearly brushing off the inconsistency like a pro.
Brown: So yeah, the media in this city can be a bunch of hard asses, even the fans here can too. But they’re all looking out for me and they want me to succeed, even as much as I want myself and the team to succeed. It’s fun being in such a passionate sports city for sure.
Smit: Sounds about right for Philly. Just as long as you're smart enough to do one thing. Never go into New Jersey. You have to question the sanity of anyone who willingly goes there.
Brown: Yeah I can think of a couple of cities like that...
Smit: I wanna move your attention to the running back situation in the NSFL. It seemed to go pretty dry for a while but there's been a tremendous resurgence of this new generation of runners featuring guys like yourself, Jerrod Canton, Antonio Sumner and several more coming up from the DSFL. How does that look form your perspective being right in the middle of it?
Brown: It's awesome to be a part of this resurgence of running backs we're seeing in the NSFL. For a while it really only used to be Smallwood, Taylor, and Mack. But now, there's so much young RB talent in the league with different types of playing styles and it's fun to see it all take shape.
Smit: Do you think any of them can take your crown?
Brown: Come on now man. We're talking about the league's single season rushing record holder. These young guys are good, but I'm on a different level. I feel like I've already proven that multiple times.
Smit: You're only as good as what you're doing right now though. And critics have said you get by on volume rather than quality of play. What do you say to them?
Brown: Well given the situation we’ve been in for a bit, coming into rookie year I had to be a leader from the get-go, an alpha dog almost. This team lacked an offensive presence and identity. So I came in and was immediately given 25-30 rushes a game, sometimes more. But I don’t see how someone can look at those attempts and say “yeah he’s just volume based”. Our identity last year was ground and pound rushing, we had an aging Logan Noble on our team (love ya bud), and I had to come in and give this offense some direction. Do you know how many times teams would put 8-9 men in the box just to stop me? I saw complete anti-run defenses for a lot of my rookie season and I was still able to get 1900 yards. So I’ll just continue to keep proving the critics wrong and silence the doubters.
Smit: Outstanding. Truly a pleasure to have you here. Thank you.
Brown went on to lead the league in rushing yards again with 1,571. This gives him the 1st and 3rd
most rushing yards in a single season in NSFL history. Any questions about whether or not he is the standard bearer of the new age of running backs should be laid to rest.
[split between myself and @YoungTB]
Smit: So right away, Marquise. How does it feel to quiet the rest of those 0-14 naysayers?
Brown: Well, I gotta say it feels pretty good. I fully understand what we had to do last season and the process we had to go through to get to this point, but it does kinda get to you when you look at your overall W/L record, I think every competitor would be embarrassed too. But either way, going into the season nobody thought we were going to do as well as we are right now, and it feels pretty good to shock the league. I knew right from the jump that this team is something special, and I’m so glad to see it all come to fruition.
Smit: You didn't just watch it come to fruition my man. No, no, no. You played a big part. 118 yards, 2 touchdowns, 6 catches. You were out there leading the way like a CHAMPION. Walk me through what that second touchdown felt like when you hit the endzone and you're up three touchdowns that soon into the 2nd quarter.
Brown: Hahaha, thank you. I think we all played our hearts out on both the offensive and defensive side for sure though. But yeah, right from the beginning when Lucari made that huge pick at the goal line, we were on a roll. We had all the momentum on our side and we kept running with it. Next thing we know we’re up 3 touchdowns by around the middle of the second quarter. I was excited, but that didn’t keep me from focusing and playing like we were losing instead of winning. We weren’t complacent, we knew the caliber of team we were facing and we weren’t going to slow the brakes, and I think that’s pretty evident based on how we played throughout the second half.
Smit: A lesser man....by which I meant Clayman...would use this to make some sort of tenuous allegory to your namesake Patriots in the American Revolution fighting against an infinitely more powerful foe. I'm better than that. Yet it needs to be said. The Hawks have been to two straight Ultimus games. They've got guys like Trey Willie coming off his controversial Wide Receiver of the Year Award and automatic Hall of Famer and close personal friend Avon Blocksdale riding out his last year til retirement. They plucked the quarterback from what most consider their most dangerous adversary in the offseason. Everything has been and is going the Hawks' way. There's an argument to be made that they simply aren't as hungry as you. Do YOU make that argument?
Brown: Y’know, I was thinking about making an American Revolution joke, but I’m not THAT clever. You saw my Wonderlic scores after all. Either way, I’ll say it. The Hawks are a hell of a team. I mean you’ve got 4 major talents on an offense that seems to be buzzing. Applehort can throw it anywhere and it seems like his guys will catch it. And to top it all off, they got Owen Taylor lurking in the backfield to grab those easy goal line carries. Even looking at the defensive side, you see nothing but talent. But they’re soft, straight up. They don’t want it like we want it. No team in the league does. No team in the entire league is as hungry and as motivated as this squad right here. Everywhere you look in our locker room, you see motivated guys that are looking to make a difference for this team. On the offensive side, we got a hell of a rookie QB who’s looking to make a name for herself. A crazy talented receiving corps filled with young guys like JVM and Hasselhoff that are already proving their worth, all lead by the fantastic Carter Bush. And then in the backfield, me, Hondo, and O’Sullivan make up a hell of a squad. On the defensive side you got the No Fly Zone with Bly, Lucari, Garnett, Cobalt, some talented linebackers like KJ and Robertson, and a hell of a defensive line rounded out by Brock and Kamaka. Did I mention how many rookies we have too? Hell, 3/4 of the NFZ are rookies! Being so young, I definitely think it contributes to where our team is at, how our locker room acts, and how we play. We all have chips on our shoulders, something to prove... and we’ve been putting the league on notice because of it. But we’re focused on making the playoffs, winning one game at a time, and making the Ultimus first and foremost.
He says it all with the air of someone who understands humility at a bone deep level depsite still being self confident enough to know how good he is. Traits I recognize instantly due to my own inner truth, of course.
Smit: Do you think you can actually accomplish that this season?
Brown: I think we can, but it’d take a lot. Realistically we’ll be fighting for the second seed with Colorado and Yellowknife, so we need to pull out crucial wins against them. After that, we’re likely facing Baltimore in the NSFC championship. And then, we have to face the best team from the ASFC, the Second Line. I think we’ll have to fight hard against NOLA, but Baltimore doesn’t scare me if we make it to the playoffs. Like I said, right now it’s all about winning one game at a time and doing our jobs to win. It’s not going to be easy and we’re major underdogs. But I think we can be yet another underdog story from Philadelphia, referring to Rocky Balboa, obviously.
Smit: People are going to say it's impossible. Hawks' officials are already dismissing your win as a fluke and claiming they're going to crush you in week 13. Supposed experts are saying you're full of it. That you won't overcome the Wraiths, let alone the Yeti. People are going to say that you personally are just looking for attention. What's your favorite pizza topping?
Brown: Hmm... I’m more of a cheesesteak guy myself.
Smit: Well that makes sense. So let's discuss living in Philadelphia a little bit. They're notoriously hard nosed fans who do NOT hold back. Have you had any experiences?
Brown: Haha, well I grew up in a small town in Florida called Pahokee. That town is one of the poorest in the state, and the only way you can make it out of there is with football. Those people love their high school football. It’s a lifestyle. As a boy, you grow up wanting to be a Pahokee Blue Devil. Those guys don’t hold back on you either. They’ll rip you to shreds if you mess up on the field. I have, and I had to go through some taunting for the next week at school and in town. But that’s all because they love their high school sports, and they want to see their guys do good. Same thing here in Philly. This city is incredibly passionate about their sports, that includes the media. After week 1 of this season against the Second Line, I was getting chewed out by fans because I had let Maximus get more yards than me. Mind you that I had a decent game with 29 carries, 106 yards and 1 touchdown. Obviously I could have done a hell of a lot better but that’s besides the point. I was getting an onslaught of hate, mainly from the media, about how I’m not a good leader for this team, this team needs a new RB, etc. The very next day on the way to practice, I turned on the radio to hear Chaz and AJ in the morning talking about how they need to trade me for picks for Christ’s sake. Week 4 against Arizona comes up and I rush for around 136 yards and a TD, and I hear those same guys calling me the best RB in the league.
Brown giggles a bit to himself, clearly brushing off the inconsistency like a pro.
Brown: So yeah, the media in this city can be a bunch of hard asses, even the fans here can too. But they’re all looking out for me and they want me to succeed, even as much as I want myself and the team to succeed. It’s fun being in such a passionate sports city for sure.
Smit: Sounds about right for Philly. Just as long as you're smart enough to do one thing. Never go into New Jersey. You have to question the sanity of anyone who willingly goes there.
Brown: Yeah I can think of a couple of cities like that...
Smit: I wanna move your attention to the running back situation in the NSFL. It seemed to go pretty dry for a while but there's been a tremendous resurgence of this new generation of runners featuring guys like yourself, Jerrod Canton, Antonio Sumner and several more coming up from the DSFL. How does that look form your perspective being right in the middle of it?
Brown: It's awesome to be a part of this resurgence of running backs we're seeing in the NSFL. For a while it really only used to be Smallwood, Taylor, and Mack. But now, there's so much young RB talent in the league with different types of playing styles and it's fun to see it all take shape.
Smit: Do you think any of them can take your crown?
Brown: Come on now man. We're talking about the league's single season rushing record holder. These young guys are good, but I'm on a different level. I feel like I've already proven that multiple times.
Smit: You're only as good as what you're doing right now though. And critics have said you get by on volume rather than quality of play. What do you say to them?
Brown: Well given the situation we’ve been in for a bit, coming into rookie year I had to be a leader from the get-go, an alpha dog almost. This team lacked an offensive presence and identity. So I came in and was immediately given 25-30 rushes a game, sometimes more. But I don’t see how someone can look at those attempts and say “yeah he’s just volume based”. Our identity last year was ground and pound rushing, we had an aging Logan Noble on our team (love ya bud), and I had to come in and give this offense some direction. Do you know how many times teams would put 8-9 men in the box just to stop me? I saw complete anti-run defenses for a lot of my rookie season and I was still able to get 1900 yards. So I’ll just continue to keep proving the critics wrong and silence the doubters.
Smit: Outstanding. Truly a pleasure to have you here. Thank you.
Brown went on to lead the league in rushing yards again with 1,571. This gives him the 1st and 3rd
most rushing yards in a single season in NSFL history. Any questions about whether or not he is the standard bearer of the new age of running backs should be laid to rest.
[split between myself and @YoungTB]