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*Another Cheese Steak on the Menu - Hallmonitor_20 - 06-06-2020 The S22 Hall of Fame class is here and its a class of only one. That one being the great Marquise Brown! The Legendary Philadelphia running back becomes just the 2nd Liberty player in the Hall and joins on the teams 20th anniversary in the league. Brown was near unanimous earning 16 of 17 Hall of Fame votes and will be the only player giving a speech at the bust unveiling this offseason. Brown was drafted by Philly with the 3rd overall pick in the S9 draft and will become the first player to make it to the Hall from the S9 draft class. Brown would make his debut in s10 and go on to lead the league in rushing his rookie season with 1902 yards on 451 attempts and 7 touchdowns. His rushing yards and attempts that season would both set a league record that have yet to be touched in the 12 seasons since. Below are some of Browns greatest seasons in the City of Brotherly Love: S10: 451 attempts, 1902 yards, 7 TDs. 6 catches, 33 yards. S11: 365 attempts, 1571 yards, 15 TDs. 52 catches, 290 yards, 2 TDs. S12: 374 attempts, 1555 yards, 15 TDs. 30 catches, 237 yards, 4 TDs. S13: 318 attempts, 1510 yards, 15 TDs. 39 catches, 366 yards, 4 TDs. Browns final season with the Liberty would come in s17 as he was traded to Chicago at the end of the season, ending his 8 year career in Philly. Brown would finish with multiple accolades and team records such as: Franchise leader in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns. 2nd in total yards (behind cheese great Fox North). S10, S11, S12 and S13 are the four highest rushing yard seasons in franchise history. S11, S12 and S13 are the three highest rushing TD seasons in franchise history. S12 and S13 are the highest total touchdown seasons in franchise history (19), S11 is 2nd (17). Brown also raked in league awards that truly defined his career and the dominance he had over his era: 1x Ultimus Champion (S15) 7x Pro Bowler (S10, S11, S12, S13, S14, S15, S16) 1x MVP (S13) 4x RBotY (S12, S13, S14, S15) 1x OPotY (S13) 1x ORotY (S10) 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th Rushing Yards - Season T-6th Rushing TDs - Season 1st Rushing Yards - Career 3rd Rushing TDs - Career The City of Philly as well as the whole Liberty Organization would like to thank Marquise Brown for his amazing career with us and congratulate him on making the NSFL Hall of Fame and would also like to make him the 6th member inducted into the Philly Cheese Greats team Hall of Fame. Our own Suleiman Ramza @Blasoon sat down with Brown @YoungTB for an interview. S.R: I'm sitting here with recent hall of fame inductee, and legendary Philadelphia liberty running back, Marquise Brown. Marquise, hello, how are you doing? M.B: Doing great, happy to be here. S.R: So, Marquise, you came into the league in one of the bigger classes, and I'd like to touch on your dsfl career. Tell me, for your first draft, what was it like waiting for your name to be called out? M.B: It was pretty surreal. I had no clue which team I was going to go to so it was really tense. I fell to the ninth pick and San Antonio managed to pick me up, from there I was ecstatic. I had talked to them in pre-draft interviews and they seemed like a perfect destination for me. S.R: And the marshals ended up tying a franchise record with eleven wins. Tell me, how instrumental did you feel to that team's success? M.B: Well that team was special all around. There were a couple guys on that squad who turned out to be incredible players at the NSFL level. My guy Brock Weathers was on the team, Bucky Barnes also. Kevin Fitzpatrick under center. With all that talent, it was definitely hard to stand out, I’ll say that. Fitz was definitely the leader of that squad though. He kept pushing me to do better and keep improving. While his NSFL career might not have panned out, he was an excellent guy to have in the locker room. S.R: Now I know this won't be easy, haha, but please give me your thoughts on the Tijuana Ultimini matches. M.B: Yikes. It was tough man, both seasons we had teams that we thought could really compete, but we couldn’t get past Tijuana. I think our S8 Marshals are still one of the best DSFL teams of all time, it’s unfortunate we just couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. Falconi was killing it on that team, and if I recall, she torched us both times we faced Tijuana in the conference championships. Ricky Adams, my old FSU teammate, was a force to be reckoned with too. Overall, we never matched up well against those guys. S.R: I'm glad you brought up Falconi, because it leads nicely to my next point. What was it like to be drafted as the third overall pick? And subsequently what was it like to suddenly be teammates with a bunch of former adversaries? M.B: Haha, well, going into the NSFL draft I spoke to plenty of teams, some even in the back end of the first round. I kinda expected myself to go in the first couple of picks, but it was a toss up on what team was going to take me. I rooted for Arizona to draft me for multiple reasons. I was a huge Reg Mackworthy fan growing up, and I watched him dominate the league since I was young. Being able to follow in Mack’s footsteps in Arizona colors would have been a dream come true for me at the time. San Jose was also an interesting spot at the first overall spot. At the time, they had just lost Darren Smallwood and D.J. Riddick was their starting back. I was thinking to myself that I could easily take over his spot and become the rushing attack San Jose lost with Smallwood. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be drafted by Philly at all. When they took me, I was shocked. I spoke with them regarding the possibility of coming there, but with a guy like Carter Bush taking snaps as starting RB, I doubt they would spend the third pick they got from Colorado on me. Little did I know that San Jose would end up passing on me, Arizona would take my boy Bucky Barnes, and I’d be heading to Philly. With Bush switching over to WR, the starting spot was all mine to take over when they called me up from the DSFL in S10. While there were plenty of former adversaries on that team, it was nice to have a guy like BW, a former Marshal, with me in the locker room. We were both new to this and we were excited about our careers. S.R: Now with Philly, I'd like to ask, what was the most difficult challenge that you found when adapting your play from the Developmental League to the National League? M.B: Well, heh, it's funny because a lot of the challenges I faced in that first season didn't have much to do with how I was playing. In fact, I felt stronger, faster, I felt like I could do it all. The challenges came from inside the locker room and facing the media. I was the man coming in. I was the third pick of a stacked draft going to a team that needed it. Everyone looked at me to be the leader of this team as a rookie. It was hard to take on that responsibility at such a young age, to be the guy everyone could look to for inspiration. And for me to be on a team that would end up going 0-14, it was even harder. Losing that many games really sucks. While it was good for our future, it sucked having to be the laughingstock of the league. While it's true I shined and broke the single-season rushing yardage record, I was really looking forward to next season, where we'd get some new guys in and hopefully improve. S.R: How do you think that season affected your mindset? Obviously you were on a Philly team that hadn't been to the playoffs since their Ultimus win in season seven, do you think your first season in the majors led to any profound changes to your approach to the league? M.B: I think that season taught me that I needed to be the player to put Philly back on the NSFL map. I wanted to rise to the challenge and become the player that everyone would think of when talking about the team. Philly needed a star, and I was going to be that guy. I had a lot of love for the city and for the team, all the fans believed in us despite our poor performance in S10. They all believed we could improve and become a force to be reckoned with again in the seasons to come. Of course, this led to me talking a lot and repping my team and city. I had a big mouth in those days, still do, but back then I was a big talker. I think I had to, though. Nobody was going to listen to that Philly team, nobody was going to pay them any mind. But with me doing well, everyone saw potential in that team. I'd like to think this helped get us some FAs at the time. S.R: And the next season, you managed a 7-7 record, rushing for over a thousand yards and fifteen touchdowns. How much work did you put into that, and how did it feel to have such a stellar season? M.B: I'd like to think that I was a big factor for that team, but we couldn't have done that well without our new draftees. Falconi came in and was an immediate improvement at the quarterback position, our defense improved, and we had some great new receivers like Jordan Von Matt, and the squad was looking better and younger overall. We all were putting work in at practice, I was steadily improving, and I was just feeling better. Going from an 0-14 to 7-7 is like going from a Honda to a Rolls Royce, I think everyone who was on the S10 team was super happy with our performance and were ready to improve further. S.R: So it must have been incredible next season when you were able to get to the playoffs for the first time in five years. M.B: Oh for sure. It was the culmination of all the hard work needed to get there. We were a young and hungry team looking to make some waves in the playoffs. Only problem is, the Baltimore Hawks were a mix of experienced veterans and star rookies in the middle of a dynasty run. I mean, you had guys like Childish Gambino, Owen Taylor, Vincent Valentine, Errol Maddox in his first season... multiple hall of famers on that squad. S.R: Oh yeah. And the Baltimore Philly rivalry is arguably one of the most notorious in the league, in no small part thanks to your actions as a member of the liberty. How would you describe the rivalry for fans at home who are too young to have lived through it? M.B: Man, the good ol' days! For the younger fans, imagine the current Arizona/San Jose beef but turned up to 100. I think my buddy Roenick @Leafer said it best; "To have a heated rivalry, you need people who just will not give a fuck about morality on others. And that is exactly what these two teams had". Like I said, I had a big mouth back in the day. Of course, it got me into some trouble on the field sometimes, but I talked a lot. During this time, Baltimore was kicking our ass out of the playoffs each time we got in. Even in the regular season they'd beat us up. They were for sure our biggest rivals. We kinda rode the underdog mentality against these guys and played them hard whenever we faced them. But, for me especially, this rivalry came out of a place of respect. Baltimore had some real talented guys, all-time players like Taylor and Blocksdale that I looked up to in some cases. It's the old saying, you gotta beat the best to be the best. S.R: Any moment in particular that you feel really encompasses the rivalry from when you were in Philly? M.B: The 2027 season opener at Baltimore. We were down 23-13 going into the fourth. I had run in a touchdown to up it to 23-20, but Alex Frost kicks in a FG to put the Hawks up 26-20. So, we get the ball with around 4 minutes left, and it's a long ass drive. We get to about FG range and it's fourth and one, 20 seconds remaining with zero timeouts. The play was drawn up so I swing around to the left side of the field and book it to the end zone while the receivers play short. So, I run the play and I'm downfield, one guy on me, next thing you know, Falc lobs it to me and I'm just looking to make a play here. I jump up and snag it, realize I'm still in bounds, and run into the end zone for the game winning touchdown. The entire crowd was in shock, we had just put Baltimore and the entire league on notice. The same guys who knocked us out of the playoffs last season just got upset on the first game of the season. By far my favorite moment in Philly. S.R: Haha, that's an incredible story. But if course, we know that your role in the Philly/Baltimore rivalry is the most storied part of that whole saga. Why don't you tell me about free agency. M.B: Well, in S13 I was just coming off of a MVP season, I had won RBOY along with OPOY, and we had gotten knocked out of the playoffs again by Colorado. That entire season, I thought it was our year. This was the year we were going to get to the Ultimus and win that thing. Losing sucked. I wanted to win. There were disagreements about the direction the team was going on my end and on the end of the front office at the time, and while I was going to suit back up in Philly again in S14, something in my mind wanted to opt out and see what other options were out there. I wanted more than anything to win a ring in Philly. That was the goal of my career. But... part of me wanted to just see if there was another team out there that could provide me a better chance at a ring. So, I let the front office know my intentions of opting out. I also let them know that I would come back if there weren't any other feasible offers. At this point, I didn't know where I was going to play. I wanted to see if I could go to Orange County as I always respected their incredible dynasty, another part of me wanted to try for Arizona. But one day, I get a call from my man Andre Bly Jr., who had played with me in Philly back in S12. He was another free agent at the time. He says that he's got offers from Baltimore on the table, and he was wondering if I wanted to be a part of something special that they had going on there. Now, Baltimore had just gotten off a 4-12 season. But they were re-tooling, adding in a new coach and GM pair, and getting a bunch of key players out of free agency. I knew that I would be able to get the starting spot in an uncontested position at RB. When I looked at that roster, they were a real talented team. If some holes were filled, we were looking at a potential Ultimus winner with that squad. So, I let Bly know that I'd be interested in going there with him. Baltimore gives me a call, we discuss some numbers, they tell me that they've got some other guys lined up with contracts like Arbin Asipi, and next thing you know, I'm signing the dotted line to play in Baltimore, my biggest rivals. I'd be filling in the shoes of Taylor, one of the best RBs to ever do it, the guy that had records I wanted to end up breaking in my career. Of course, this came with backlash from fans and rightfully so. Do I regret leaving Philly? Part of me does, absolutely. But I don't think I can be too mad considering I did pretty well in Baltimore. S.R: How would you describe the backlash you received? Not just from Philly, but from the league? As we know, rarely do big moves happen in free agency. M.B: Well, that free agency was absolutely bonkers. Not only I, but Ben Horne, Arbin Asipi, and Andre Bly all made their way to Baltimore to be a part of that squad. I think due to the craziness of it all, the shit I got for leaving Baltimore was kinda masked in that FA period. But I still got questioned. People made fun of the move, the same team that I had chirped throughout my entire career was my new home. But I think I let down Philly the most. I was drafted to Philly with the goal of winning there and leaving them was rightfully disappointing. But, at the end of the day, I needed to think about my career, my legacy. I'm a risk-taker, and I took a chance leaving Philly. S.R: And hey it did pay off. I can see you are wearing your Ultimus Bowl XV ring right now. Tell me about winning that. M.B: It was a journey man. At the start of S14, I was confident we'd win it all. I mean, that team was stacked. We had one of, if not the best offenses in the league by a pretty comfortable margin, and our defense was fantastic too. We ended up going 11-3 and had a pretty amazing season statistically. Easily one of the best teams of all time in the NSFL in my opinion. I had 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns, most rushing touchdowns I've ever gotten in my career. Lo and behold, Philly makes it to the conference championship and we're facing them at Baltimore. I was definitely confident that we'd win, but not too confident. Philly still had a potent offense without me. Falc had an amazing year, so did Von Matt. It would all come down to our defense holding it down for us and getting stops. Week 14 when we faced them, we beat them 52-17. I was feeling good about this matchup for sure. But, after some heroics by Falc and a 28-17 comeback, we lose the game after a FG by Kulture Fulture. I remember watching that kick with my own eyes, praying that it'd miss or we get a block. If we took it into OT, we'd have a chance. But when I saw the ball go through, I couldn't help but lower my head in disappointment. I said good luck to the entire team and I was rooting for them to go out and beat San Jose, the team Philly would face in the Ultimus. I can't say I wasn't sad though. Sad that all the hard work we put in during the regular season, all those fantastic wins, were all for naught. They called it the Marquise Brown curse. Fans made memes talking about how I was the reason Philly had bad luck in the playoffs. It hurt, but it definitely wouldn't be the last we'd hear of this Baltimore team though. Even if some guys retired after the end of the year, we still had a fighting chance at getting a ring. Gambino was still at the top of his game, same with me. I was in the middle of my prime and ready to go out there and put up another great season. We did, going 12-2 and dominating the league with the best record. I think that was also the best record the Hawks have ever put up, correct me if I'm wrong. I never lost motivation from the loss by Philly, but I never forgot about it either, especially when we ended up facing them again in the conference finals at home. I wasn't going to let another disappointment happen, not on our turf. So, we put on a show, I ended up with 100 yards and 2 touchdowns, Gambino threw another 3, and we balled out the same way we should have the previous season, beating the Liberty 34-13. This win had me over the moon, my first playoff win after 3 seasons straight of playoff losses. But going into the Ultimus, we were facing a worthy opponent. The San Jose Sabercats, with an 11-3 record on the season, had one of the best defenses in the league. The best offense in the league, led by MVP Bino, vs a formidable defense including the likes of S9 player and future Hall of Famer Kolby Deringer. I had plenty of history playing against Deringer dating back to the DSFL, and he was a hell of a player, especially in his prime. I think we all knew that this would be a tough matchup. But something about this team, it was special to be a part of. We were all hungry to win a ring. Our entire offensive corps knew that we'd have to ball out against this incredible defense. And we did exactly that. 49-0, our defense completely shut them out, and our offense had a hell of a game. Bino threw 5 touchdowns and 421 yards, and I'm still in awe. Holding up that trophy felt amazing, to say the least. All of those seasons of hard work finally paid off when I got my hands on that trophy. I was overcome with joy. I don't think anything will top what I felt at that moment, well, except for the birth of my son, Korbin of course. S.R: With regards to the shut out, did it sweeten the win with it being such adominant one? M.B: Definitely. It showed we played our hearts out on both sides of the ball. Storybook ending to an incredible season. S.R: And let's touch on your son for a bit. He's coming into the dsfl draft soon. How would you feel if he ended up in either Baltimore or Philly? M.B: Well he's a talented kid, ya know? I just want to see him in a good system, wherever he goes. I don't want him to waste years on a team he isn't doing well on. Ultimately, it's his decision on what he wants for his career. As for him going to either of those teams, I think it'd be pretty cool. I'll definitely be repping his jersey wherever he goes. S.R: You would ultimately return to Philadelphia. What did it mean to you to return to the team that drafted you? M.B: Well, when my contract was up in Baltimore, I knew in my heart I wanted to go back to Philly for multiple reasons. Back then, they had drafted Dorfus Jimbo in the first round I believe. Him and the entire coaching staff were raring for him to get the starting spot and for him to be utilized heavier which I fully respected because he's a great dude. Secondly, I really just wanted to go back to Philly and try my hand at getting them a ring. During that FA period at the end of S16, I had met with Arizona and they put together a pretty convincing offer, and their GM, SwagSloth, was always super friendly to me. But I was getting old and my game was starting to slow down. I wanted to put all my energy and effort into winning a ring for the Liberty. S.R: Now of course, you ended your career in Chicago. What can you tell me about the trade that sent you there, and your thought process as it was going on? M.B: So, in saying this, it might confuse a lot of people since I ended up requesting a trade from Philly. Well, there were a couple of reasons why things kinda went wrong for both sides. When I was signing my contract, Philly never gave me a MO, which I thought was just courtesy, you know? I didn't realize this until the GMs approached me on the possibility of trading me since I had a pretty large contract at the time. It was at this point I realized two things. One, at the end of the day, I'm not going to help this team regardless of how I was playing, and it made sense as to why they were looking to trade me for picks. They wanted to revitalize the team and begin a rebuild process. Second, I had no place in this organization in the future unless if it was in a coaching position. I was an older RB approaching the end of my career getting paid a good amount of money. M.B: At first, I protested getting traded. I didn't want to go out like this, legends don't get dumped off for picks. I felt disrespected. But as time went on in Philly, I knew it was my time to leave. So, I requested a trade out of Liberty in the offseason and was shipped to Chicago. The trade was me for Sam Torenson and a fifth. I'd say that Philly did pretty well in that trade though. S.R: I'm glad you brought up Torenson. How do you view him and the other Philly backs that have run since your departure? M.B: Torenson's a real good player, and I'm glad he was the one to take over the RB position. The night the trade went through, I texted him and let him know how he's going to a great franchise, super classy guy. At his pace, he's going to be an all-time great and I've definitely been rooting for him throughout his career. S.R: That's great. I think we can wrap things up now, I've got one more question, but I'd like to open the floor to you to see if there's anything you want to get out to the league as you retire? M.B: Well, I just want to thank the Liberty organization for this incredible honor. I'm so glad to have been able to play in Philly and leave a legacy there. S.R: That's a great message. Tell me, how does it feel to be the first person fromyour draft class to be inducted into the hall of fame? M.B: Well, it probably tells me that I retired pretty early, heh. But in all seriousness, it means a lot, and I definitely won't be the last. S.R: Thanks so much for your time. Congrats again on the hall of fame nod. M.B: I appreciate it. Thank you! Hallmonitor_20 5%, YoungTB 60%, Blasoon 35% *Another Cheese Steak on the Menu - YoungTB - 06-06-2020 So thankful to have played in Philly during my career, it's an honor! *Another Cheese Steak on the Menu - Memento Mori - 06-07-2020 Love it *Another Cheese Steak on the Menu - HalfEatenOnionBagel - 06-07-2020 That's my guy, congrats again!