Marcella Toriki, one of the NSFL’s rising stars, has made an early impression on the league. Though there were doubts about her ability to compete at the professional level given her size and relative inexperience with the sport, she has shown that she makes up for it all in sheer force of will. Coming off of an impressive 2689 all-purpose yard season with the Norfolk Seawolves, Toriki was eager to hit the ground running in her new home of San Jose.
During her rookie season with the Sabercats, she managed to pump out a decent stat line: 218 att, 889 yds, 4 TD rushing and well as 8 rec, 47 yds, 1 TD on receiving.
Toriki has been working with the San Jose coaching staff to build off of the momentum she’s found in recent weeks, but it seems like it may not be enough. Toriki has been seen moving furniture out of her San Jose apartment in the lead up to the play-offs.
We caught up with San Jose’s bright young star to get to the bottom of things. We stopped her for a quick word outside a cafe just blocks away from the stadium that saw three of her five season touchdowns.
“I think everyone’s been waiting for me to say something. I’ve been quieter this season than last, and I know that makes people nervous.” Marcella laughs. “I’m on my own here in San Jose since my brothers are on the east coast and my dad is across the pacific, and it’s sort of turned me into a hermit. I miss my family quite a bit, and I’ve been putting in the hours to try to be at my best as a running back.”
Toriki, ever the harshest of her critics, has apologized for her “slow start”. “I put up a third of my total yard output in the first half of the season. My first truly great game was in Week 12. It just wasn’t what I had hoped to put forward. You want more from a first-round pick, ya know?”
When questioned about the moving van parked outside her apartment, she sighs.
“It was an honor for me to be drafted by San Jose and to play my heart out for them this season. I know I had a slow start, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with the Sabercats. That being said, I want to know that I’m with the team that is going to be the best possible fit for me. I want to be in a place where I can continue to grow as a player, and with a team that I know has my best interest at heart. . . And that’s why I’ll be exercising my option and entering Free Agency after the Ultimus. I’m going to be taking the time to weigh my options, and make a decision about where I’ll call home for the next few seasons.”
[Friends, please take care to avoid breaking tampering rules. Marcella Toriki is under contract with San Jose until the official open of Free Agency. Marcella looks forward to discussions with interested teams once Free Agency opens in the off-season. ]
During her rookie season with the Sabercats, she managed to pump out a decent stat line: 218 att, 889 yds, 4 TD rushing and well as 8 rec, 47 yds, 1 TD on receiving.
Toriki has been working with the San Jose coaching staff to build off of the momentum she’s found in recent weeks, but it seems like it may not be enough. Toriki has been seen moving furniture out of her San Jose apartment in the lead up to the play-offs.
We caught up with San Jose’s bright young star to get to the bottom of things. We stopped her for a quick word outside a cafe just blocks away from the stadium that saw three of her five season touchdowns.
“I think everyone’s been waiting for me to say something. I’ve been quieter this season than last, and I know that makes people nervous.” Marcella laughs. “I’m on my own here in San Jose since my brothers are on the east coast and my dad is across the pacific, and it’s sort of turned me into a hermit. I miss my family quite a bit, and I’ve been putting in the hours to try to be at my best as a running back.”
Toriki, ever the harshest of her critics, has apologized for her “slow start”. “I put up a third of my total yard output in the first half of the season. My first truly great game was in Week 12. It just wasn’t what I had hoped to put forward. You want more from a first-round pick, ya know?”
When questioned about the moving van parked outside her apartment, she sighs.
“It was an honor for me to be drafted by San Jose and to play my heart out for them this season. I know I had a slow start, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with the Sabercats. That being said, I want to know that I’m with the team that is going to be the best possible fit for me. I want to be in a place where I can continue to grow as a player, and with a team that I know has my best interest at heart. . . And that’s why I’ll be exercising my option and entering Free Agency after the Ultimus. I’m going to be taking the time to weigh my options, and make a decision about where I’ll call home for the next few seasons.”
[Friends, please take care to avoid breaking tampering rules. Marcella Toriki is under contract with San Jose until the official open of Free Agency. Marcella looks forward to discussions with interested teams once Free Agency opens in the off-season. ]