Tulsa Academic Standards

[Stallion]

Not for judgment but for information. Just how do you pass your classes without getting the course textbooks? Hope he takes advantage of his opportunity. A former President of our university once called these kind of kids Mongolian Idiots-but you look at the types of obstacles a kid like this you really wonder is this exploitation or is it giving a kid a chance that could change his life. Pretty extreme example I will admit.



Story of survival

By Eric Bailey
World Sports Writer
9/28/2007


Tulsa's Brennan Marion is majoring in sociology and wants to save the world.

The junior wide receiver may prove to do good work because he's a survivor.

Last year, Marion was a homeless college student in California and often slept in the De Anza College football locker room or press box. Water was drunk by the gallon to drown hunger pains that chased him to sleep nightly.

A native of the Pittsburgh area, Marion went to a different middle school and high school each year because of an unstable family life. He doesn't like discussing that in detail.

Marion's dreams should have been slaughtered. Instead, he's caught touchdown passes for TU on national television this season. He's on full scholarship, which includes tuition and -- more importantly -- room and board.

Plus, he's learned how to smile again.

"I've been through everything," Marion said. "I don't think anything can break me."

Marion's football career began when he was 6 years old, scoring five touchdowns in his first game. Basketball was also important to him, and he played AAU hoops until the 10th grade.

His athletic ability was his ticket out of Pittsburgh.

Marion did much better against cornerbacks than classrooms in high school, and he had to attend junior college because he didn't qualify academically for Division I football schools.

His best friend, Chuck Thompson, who moved to the San Francisco area while both were high school seniors, invited him to try out for nearby Foothill College. Both made the team, had successful first seasons and an apartment to live in.

Change came after one season. Neither was happy at Foothill, so they transferred to De Anza, which was about 10 minutes away.

Gone was housing that was provided. The pair tried paying $1,300 a month for a studio apartment in a rough neighborhood but couldn't make ends meet.

So, in their sophomore season, they began living in the De Anza locker room.

"What were we going to do, go back to Pittsburgh?" said Thompson, now a junior defensive back at Akron. "There was nothing for us there, especially without a college education. We couldn't go back and do something like sell drugs."

Marion had no money coming from home. Just scrounging enough for a fast- food hamburger was a triumph.

Marion said after practices, he'd prop open the locker room door so he could return to sleep. If a janitor locked the door, he would spend the night in the stadium's press box.

Schoolwork absorbed his mornings -- he went to class without books because he couldn't afford them -- and football was his life during afternoons.

In an All-American season, Marion led California junior colleges with 60 receptions, 1,196 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore.

During the successful season, many schools weren't interested in Marion. They were scared off because of his academic situation.

He may not have become eligible for a Division I program if not for De Anza offensive coordinator Darrell Williams.

The coach learned about Marion and Thompson and invited them to live with him that spring. Williams' 4,000-square foot home already housed his wife, mother and four children, but he found room for the Pennsylvania pair.

Meals were made and laundry done for them. All Williams asked in return was concentration on academics.

With renewed spirit, Marion busted through a heavy class load last spring and graduated with his associate of arts degree.

"Most people in my family didn't think I'd make it in college because of my rough childhood," Marion said. "Then I got my A.A. degree and I felt great about that."

"Brennan's story is inspirational to a lot of kids, just given what he's persevered through," said Williams, now the running backs coach at San Jose City College. "Brennan had to keep working at it. At his first school, they allowed him to take four or five (physical education) courses and it damaged him.

"If he took the necessary classes, he wouldn't have had academic problems and some of the bigger Division I schools may have snapped him up."

Tulsa's new coaching staff discovered him that spring and gave him an ultimatum. While many schools took a wait-and-see attitude toward recruiting him, TU told Marion if he graduated De Anza that there would be a scholarship waiting. The Golden Hurricane was the only program to make that offer.

Marion graduated, and many big schools began chasing him. But he kept his word to Tulsa.

Marion, the Hurricane's fastest receiver, has displayed his talent. He has four receptions for 219 yards, which equals an eye-popping 54.8 yards per catch average.

Marion's ability as a deep threat is "something we haven't had since (current Baltimore Raven) Romby Bryant," TU quarterback Paul Smith said. "He has straight speed. He just finds a way to run by people."

Marion's progress is coming along. He played a season-high 15 plays against Oklahoma and hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass. Coaches want him to concentrate on blocking and feel more comfortable with crossing patterns.

Life is finally fun both on and off the football field for him.

"In California, I never smiled in practice. I was angry all the time and always wondered when it was going to end," Marion said. "I'd do well in football, but after the game was over, I was right back in the locker room.

"Now I feel like God has stopped the rain."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Terry Webster]

great story. Thanks for finding it. That will preach!

[mrydel]

Marion, the Hurricane's fastest receiver, has displayed his talent. He has four receptions for 219 yards, which equals an eye-popping 54.8 yards per catch average.

Anyone else wondering what he might do against our secondary?

[mustangbill67]

Nothing in that article that says the kid is not capable of doing college level academics, only that due to his unsettled family life he never got the opportunity to establish an academic record. Looks like Tulsa found a diamond in the rough. Good for them and even better for the kid. Tulsa is a good private school and I doubt it would take anyone who did not have a chance to succeed. I wonder how many kids like this are out there.

[Stallion]

It says he wasn't a qualifier out of high school-which means he has to graduate from Junior College in spring or summer to get into school. Do you see any non-qualifiers who SMU signed who graduated in the spring or summer from JUCO on the SMU roster? Elizee signed with Minnesota during the December JUCO signing period-different academic standard. Another example is the Jake Johnson behemoth Offensive Lineman who signed with Texas Tech late.