Hey everyone, and thanks for tuning in. Today we're going to be talking to DSFL draft prospect, Marcus Jones. Marcus is a linebacker from UC Berkeley who's hoping to be able to make a big splash in the league over the course of the next decade. Represented by the Drizzy agency which has previously had some success in representing multiple Pro Bowl level talents, Marcus has his sights firmly set on being the first of the agency's clients to earn multiple championships and a spot in the Hall of Fame. Marcus, thanks for joining us today; first of all, how are you?
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MJ: "I'm doing good man, I'm doing great in fact. Played my first game in the DSFL yesterday which was a lot of fun, I'm grateful to get the chance to play some of these waiver games and get to know the league a bit before I'm drafted. It sucks that we lost the game but it was fun to play and it can only help when the time comes for me to start a full season."
I wanted to touch on that a little bit if that's okay. You were picked up on waivers by the Bondi Beach Buccaneers in the DSFL to close out the season. Now first of all, I know your agent has some history with the team with the last player he represented being on the team and him still being affiliated with the team to this day. How did it make you feel to be picked up by a team that I'm assuming you had some knowledge of already, and what are your views to going back to the team as a potential draft pick if that event happened?
MJ: "Yeah my agent knows a lot of the guys on the Buccaneers really well so it was cool to have him be able to introduce me to a lot of people there. It definitely helped with getting settled in for the games I was going to play quicker. The draft thing is a bit of a difficult issue for me man, but I'm going to try and speak on it a little bit. Me and my agent have been talking, and I talk with Jamie (Nkiah) who was the last guy my agent represented, and we all agree that a big thing for me is going out there and making my own legacy. A big part of that for me is being able to go to a team where my agent doesn't have history and where I can make a name for myself and get to know a load of new people. I will always have love for the Buccaneers like I said, it's been real fun to play some games with them this season and get to know some people but I think I would really like to be able to play for a new environment and write my own story without being in anyone's shadow.
That's an interesting response. If your preference is to go to a team that isn't the Buccaneers, are there any other potential destinations that you can see yourself being a good fit as part of?
MJ: "I think I have a lot to offer any team that decides they want to bring me into their team. I've got the work ethic to be the best player I can be, I think I've shown in my career so far that I'm committed to winning and elevating my team and I'm hungry to show what I can do. I don't have any ego in terms of what round I think I should be drafted in or anything like that, the biggest thing for me is getting to play for a team I can vibe with. I'll give them everything I can from then on to help us be the best and achieve all the results we can".
Thanks Marcus, that seems reasonable to me. I want to talk a little bit more about what you think your player brings to the table. Your game in college was primarily a pass rushing outside linebacker, but I'm told you're open to playing inside too. Tell me a little bit about the way you play and if you have any preference for how you hope the team that drafts you is going to use you?
MJ: "Yeah for sure, I'm proabably known mostly as a pass rushing type guy but I know that I can ball out wherever I'm used. I like stopping the run and playing in coverage too, so however teams want to use me I'm happy to try as hard as I can to excel there. I don't want to limit myself with demands of how I play or anything like that, it's the kinda thing I'm actually really looking forward to be able to talk to teams in the draft about. I think the whole scouting process that's going to happen should let me know a little bit more about what I can expect when the time comes, so we'll see what happens there".
Lastly Marcus, I just wanted to ask quickly about the expectations your agent has set for you. He's represented two players who've had success in the league previously in Cordell Joshua and Jamie Nkiah, with both being Pro Bowl calibre players at their peak but neither really had the type of career to make it into the Hall of Fame. Your agent told us that he wants you to be his first client who wins multiple rings and makes it into the Hall of Fame; how do these goals sit with you and are they in line with your own expectations for your career?
MJ: "Man, it's tough to say as a guy who hasn't even been drafted to the DSFL that you can be a guy who's going to go to the Hall of Fame. I think it's the kinda thing I want to think about long term for sure, I'm confident in my ability and what I can do and I want to be a guy who changes the game for his team on defense. I'm shooting for multiple rings for sure, I want to stake my claim as the guy on defense who can be a difference maker every time. I think now for me, the biggest thing is doing the right thing day by day, working hard and always improving. Those goals can happen but it's not going to be an overnight thing, so all I can focus on now is the work I'm putting in and what I need to do to be closer to my goals tomorrow than I am today".
Marcus, thank you so much for your time. It's been a lot of fun talking to you and I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out for you in the DSFL draft in a few weeks time.
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