Auburn defensive line prospect Marlon Davidson learned in the seventh grade that he would never be a quitter.
A dominant, disruptive defender who plays for things much bigger than himself, Davidson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about the tragedy of losing his mother, how she made him the player he is today, and why he’s ready to wreck the NFL.
JM: You made 51 career starts at Auburn, and put up some big numbers along the way. You posted 29.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks, which places 8th all-time in Auburn history. How do you reflect on the last four years?
MD: I have to give all the glory to God. He put me in a position to make plays. He’s the reason I came to Auburn in the first place. I was blessed to play at a high level. I feel like I did everything I could for Auburn. I gave them my all. I appreciate the opportunity that the coaching staff gave me.
JM: After your impressive career, you accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl. Did you feel like you had something to prove out there?
MD: Yeah, I most definitely did. I didn’t have a lot of people that really believed that I could play football at a high level. I’ve always flown under the radar. I went out there to solidify myself as one of the best. I truly believe in my mind that I’m one of the best defensive players in this draft class. It’s all about how I approach the game. My every day life revolves around football. It’s always on my mind. Football is my passion, football is my life. It’s everything to me. There wouldn’t be a Marlon Davidson without football. Who knows what the heck I would be doing right now.
I went down to the Senior Bowl and competed against some great talent. I’m very thankful to the Senior Bowl for giving me the opportunity. I was thrilled to receive an invite. I wanted to show people that I could be versatile and play all over the defensive line. I can play defensive end, I can play defensive tackle. I can line up over the center, guard and tackle. It doesn’t matter to me. I was productive no matter where I lined up. You can play me anywhere and the production will remain consistent.
JM: You lined up everywhere throughout your time at Auburn. You rushed off the edge a bunch. Some people think you’re a better fit inside at the next level. Where do you think you’ll play in the NFL?
MD: I see myself playing as a big defensive end on the strong side. I’m a Calais Campbell type of guy. I love the way he plays the game. I see a lot of similarities between us. I’m a big guy, but I move well for my size. I can play the five or six technique as well. I can do that with ease. I can play at 290-295 and go out there and work an offensive linemen. I can play at any weight you want me to play at. It doesn’t matter.
JM: What can you tell me about the chemistry that you had with Derrick Brown?
MD: We loved playing together. Being at Auburn with him and practicing alongside him, we were actually roommates as well. We have a different type of bond. A lot of people don’t realize how close Derrick and I are. We’re family men at the end of the day. We both worked extremely hard. You put two hard workers together in the same room, you’re gonna be rewarded with the results that Derrick and I produced on the field.
We always put our best foot forward and gave it everything we had. That’s why we both played at such a high level. We had the energy and will to dominate on every snap. We really enjoyed playing together this past season. You saw a whole lot of #5 and #3 on the highlights. There was no #3 without #5 and vice versa.
JM: I bet the two of you really pushed each other in practice, right?
MD: Oh, yeah. The competition level between us at practice was ridiculous. We were always competing with one another. We always tried to outwork and outperform one another during the one-on-one drills. We did everything we could to get an edge on each other (laughs). We were always talking. Hey, I was better than you were out there today. I did this or that. We always wanted something to hold over the other guy’s head (laughs). We were willing to do anything for that.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
MD: It was a great experience. Having the opportunity to be at the combine and to show the world who I really am as a person was a blessing in it’s own right. It was a chance for me to really showcase my character and my passion for this game. I love the game of football. I appreciated every moment I experienced out there. I enjoyed speaking with all of the coaches and general managers. It was important to me and it was important to my family. It gave me an opportunity to tell people my story. I have a backstory with my mom and everything. I was just blessed to be there.
JM: Your story is both inspiring and heartbreaking. Are you comfortable sharing that with us?
MD: I would be happy to tell you my story. I quit playing football in the seventh grade. I said that was it. I’m done with this. I’m not gonna do this anymore. I walked right off the field. I walked all the way home. We moved out of the country part of town and we were staying in town now. I walked all the way home from practice. My mom used to meet me at practice. I walked home and she was still home at that particular time. She was getting dressed and ready to come meet me at practice like she always did.
Something told me that once I got home, my mother was still gonna be there. As soon as I saw her, I knew I was in big trouble. We had this motto in our household growing up: “No quitting.” There was no quitting allowed in our house. I quit that day. I quit everything to do with football.
Boy, let me tell you how my mom whooped my tail up and down that house (laughs). She tore me up, man. She told me that we never quit what we start. When you start something, you finish it. She told me that the family name means more than that. We’re not gonna associate our family name with quitting. We aren’t quitters. We’re winners, no matter what.
That’s what I pride myself off today. I learned my lesson that day. I’m not a quitter. She made me walk back to practice and I had to apologize to my coaches and to my teammates. That was pretty embarrassing for a seventh grader (laughs). It taught me a good lesson though. I owed them an apology. I did it with grace.
I promised her from that day forward that I would be the person that she wanted me to be. I promised her that one day, she would never have to work for anything ever again. I promised her that she’d never have to beg for anything ever again. She had to work for everything her whole life. She didn’t have an easy life but she did everything in her power to make our life easy. I promised her that she would be right there with me. She would always be right beside me and she would be there when I get drafted. I told her that I would buy her a house right next to mine. I wanted her to be right next to me.
She’s no longer with us. She passed away in 2015. To not have her with me today, it’s heartbreaking, man. I wish she could be here for all of this.
JM: I can’t imagine. I’m sure she’s incredibly proud of the man you’ve become. You’ve held up your end of the bargain.
MD: I’m sure she is. All of this is a dedication to her. All of this, everything I’m going through is a result of her hard work and the way she raised me. This is a result of all of her whoopings, swinging that belt on me when I wasn’t acting right (laughs). She molded me into the person I am today.
JM: I bet you didn’t dare to quit anything ever again.
MD: No sir, not at all (laughs). I learned my lesson that day. That’s what motivated me to come back to Auburn in 2019. I wanted to play one more year at Auburn. I had to finish what I started. I always said I would be at Auburn for three or four years. Four was better than three. I know she’s happy about that.
JM: I really appreciate you sharing that story with us. It’s both motivating and moving. On the football side of things, what’s the overall impression you think you left at the combine?
MD: I feel like I left an impression that I’m a special kid. I’m one of those rare breeds. I’m a special football player as well. I’m somebody that no team should want to pass on drafting. I feel like a lot of teams got a feel for me and my character. They can see that I’m a tenacious, passionate kid. I love everything about the game of football. I promote football and good habits in everything that I do. I can talk ball all day long. I’m telling you that I love it. You wanna talk about wide receivers and safeties? Let’s do it. I’m just that type of guy.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
MD: Somebody asked me how I tie my shoes (laughs). I thought that was pretty funny. We were right in the middle of talking football, and he asked me how I tie my shoes. I didn’t even know what to say. I said that I just go down and tie them (laughs). I don’t know how else to put it. He was just messing with me. He just wanted to see what type of answer I was gonna give him.
JM: Were you able to get any private visits or workouts in before COVID-19 shut everything down?
MD: I made it out to Chicago. I went on a private top-30 visit with the Chicago Bears. That visit went down right before everybody started getting pulled off the road.
JM: I’m assuming you’ve moved all of your meetings to the phones since then?
MD: Yup, we’re doing a whole lot over the phone right now. Everything we’re doing is all about the telephones (laughs). I’ve had quite a few calls. Everything is going smoothly right now. A lot of teams are telling me that they like me. They see me as somebody that can play both inside and outside.
JM: Who are some of the teams that you’ve met with via FaceTime and what not?
MD: I’ve met with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
JM: Do you have a preference between playing in the passing game and running game?
MD: Shoot, it doesn’t matter to me. What down is it? If it’s a run play, I’m coming hard after the run. If it’s a passing play, I’m doing everything I can to sack the quarterback and impact the pocket. I can get after the quarterback in multiple ways. That’s just who I am.
JM: Speaking of the way that you get after the quarterback, what can you tell me about your pass rush arsenal?
MD: My favorite move is the stab-trap. I love being able to punch a man and then trap his arm. I want people to feel the strength. That’s what I love about that move. I also love showing people that I can bend, move and turn. I’m a big guy don’t you dare tell me that I can’t move.
JM: What did your coaches ask of you in Auburn’s defensive scheme?
MD: They asked me to be an athlete, at the end of the day. They just wanted me to play strong and make plays in the backfield. I always played within the system. I’m always gonna be a system guy. I played well within that system. We ran a 4-2-5 at Auburn. That was our base package.
JM: Who are some of the best offensive linemen that you’ve ever gone up against?
MD: Andrew Thomas and Alex Leatherwood come to mind. I went up against Jedrick Wills, Jr. a couple of times. I actually think the most impressive tackle I squared off with was Penei Sewell from Oregon. He’s very impressive. I predict that he’ll be a top five pick in his draft.
JM: You had so many great teammates throughout your time at Auburn. If you were going into battle tomorrow and could bring just one with you, who would you bring and why?
MD: I would bring Daniel Thomas with me. He’s such a great guy. He’s a family man. That’s a ball-hawk right there. He’s a great, traditional safety. You can put him in the box or play him in single-high. He’s a football player, period. The thing that stands out the most to me is that he’s a great person. He has great character. Nobody has a bad thing to say about Daniel Thomas. He’s just one of those guys. He’s a very rare person.
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize and beat up on an offensive linemen?
MD: I love going both inside and outside. I’m gonna show you power first, and then I’m gonna show you speed next. A lot of people think I’m too big to have speed. I can move. I promise you that. I throw the power at them first. I’m gonna hit you with a little speed too. I just alternate between the two. You don’t know what’s coming next. That’s how I get you off balance. I’m versatile and you have no idea what I’m gonna throw at you.
JM: I’ve really appreciated your time today, Marlon. This conversation has been both informative and touching. I’ve really enjoyed picking your mind as a football player, and I appreciate you for sharing that difficult story with me. When a team uses a draft pick on Marlon Davidson, what kind of guy are they getting?
MD: Thank you for allowing me to tell my story. They’re getting a great football player. I’m a smart player at the end of the day. They’re getting a man of God. I’m always trying to be the best man that I can be. You never have to worry about me. Marlon Davidson is always gonna do the right thing. I’m one of those guys that you’re gonna want on your team.
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