MARVIN ROSS: PLAYER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

I got a chance to talk with Marvin Ross this week and ask him a few questions about himself and the team. The veteran spoke about his time in the league and a little about the game last week. 

Tune in tomorrow for the game to watch Marvin Ross and his teammates as they face the Jacksonville Sharks. 

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST. The game can be watched live with CTV Beam, at https://www.nationalarenaleague.com/home or on the NAL’s official Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSzSD8STXiEVPVtUDO9juhA. 

Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.ticketmaster.com/columbus-lions-columbus-georgia-06-19-2021/event/0E005AB5B4735F68.

Great job this weekend for the team and the defense especially. They really balled out, talk a little bit about how the defense was able to do that, was everything just clicking or were we just that much better than the Flight, or what has changed defensively for the Lions?

Ross: Well, you know, pretty much everybody is getting that camaraderie, together we starting to gel. Coach Reed had a good game plan and we just went out there and we started fast. And once we got a couple of stops, we just kept it rolling.

Awesome. So you went to school at Florida A&M, correct?

 Ross: Yes. 

Talk a little bit about your time there, what did you learn, and were there any players or coaches that really meant a lot to you there?

Ross: Yes. Well, pretty much I learned, you just got to compete every day. Out there in Tallahassee at FAMU, we had a lot of athletes out there and a lot of guys with a lot of talent. S we could just go out there and compete on and off the field. They just told me  practice hard and play harder pretty much. A couple coaches, my defensive back coach, Coach, Jimmie Tyson, he, he meant a lot to me. You know he taught me a lot and even as far as my off the field he listened to me, and gave me advice. Another coach was the wide receivers coach, Coach Steven Jerry, he also knows Coach Gibson.  Him and Coach Gibson are real good friends.  And in his time there with me he taught me a lot of things and he always looked out for me. So, those are two coaches that stuck out, plus our head coach was coach Joseph Taylor. He is a Hall of Fame coach now, he taught us a lot of things off the field that helped us become better men so I appreciate those coaches.

So you were in the Lions a while ago and have moved around a little bit since, but now you're back. So what's something you've learned from moving around so much and being on different teams and being in different leagues?

Ross: Well, you know, every team is different. So I got to see different philosophies and get coached by different guys. But with Columbus, you know, this was the first place I played, so it's always that that connection right there. Coach Gibson and Coach Reed were here the first time I was here so it was always gonna be that connection.

Yeah. So as a veteran on this team. In what way do you try to lead the younger guys or what is a piece of advice you try to give them?

Ross: Well, one thing I tell them if they ever had any questions I'd be able to you know give them answer that might be able to relate answers to them in a better way. Pretty much just telling them that just be ready, next man up. You never know when you're gonna need that 23rd guy on the roster. Sometimes it's tough coming in practicing, not thinking you're gonna play but then one thing happens and boom "we need you for the whole season or we need you for the playoff run". Just being ready to be that next guy mentality.

Great, what would you say is your biggest strength on the field. 

Ross: My biggest strength on the field, I would say is my IQ. There is a lot of things I can see on film or click through throughout the week, with practice. And when the game comes it might hit me right me at mid-play or pre play and cause me to be in a better position. So um just my IQ is something that I feel is my strength.

So you talked about your IQ would you say you got a lot of that from watching film or just your experience? 

Ross: Watching film. Yeah, watching film or you know the tips that Coach Reed or Coach Gibson gave me. You know how I saw stuff in film or anything like that, just all just that working together and taking home all those smaller techniques.

Yeah. So you'll hear a lot of veteran guys say the game really slowed down for them. When did you really notice the game starting to slow down for you?

Ross: The game started slowing down probably around 2017 I was in Jacksonville at the time but it was pretty much directly at the 2016 year in Cleveland, with the Gladiators, when I was the Rookie of the Year. But in 2017, that's when the game really did start slowing down.

Alright, what are you personally working on to improve on the field this year.

Ross: Personally what I'm working on, pretty much just making more plays, you never can make enough plays. If we can just keep getting the ball back to our offense and giving them more opportunities to score, on top of stopping the opposing teams' offense from  scoring. That's a recipe to win, so just want to be able to create as many turnovers as possible.

If you had to say your skills best match what famous football player?

Ross: I mean I could tell you who I watched, I don't know who I look like the most, but  probably a Deion Sanders, Rashean Mathis, or Damien Daniels,

So you just try to emulate yourself off of them then? 

Ross: Yeah, those guys.

 So what do you do off the field, or outside of  football what's important to you?

Ross: My family is important, my daughter. I train, Sports Train for kids. So those are pretty much the important things, family and training.

Awesome. So what challenges have you had to overcome to get to this point to play for the Lions?

Ross: Pretty much just perseverance, everything wasn't always peaches and cream. So, you know to keep going even when things wasn't going good, or when it wasn't looking good from my viewpoint. Just steady working hard and believing in myself and believing that things would turn around and and work for the better. So pretty much perseverance.

Yeah. alright. So, who is a teammate that you respect and why?

Ross: A teammate I respect them why?

 Yeah or a coach?

Ross: A coach or a teammate, okay. So I respect Damien Daniels and Roshawn Marshall. Those were two older guys. They were veteran players when I came into Columbus originally. And and they just helped as far as off the field they helped me with learning the game of arena, you know arena is different than outdoor ball. And instead of them being like "oh, we're in our older days we're not going to help the younger guys". They told me pretty much everything I needed to know. If I needed any help I can come to them or call them at anytime so I respected them for that because it's not like that everywhere. So yeah, that I respect that.

What is your prediction for the game this Saturday?

Ross: Prediction for the game this Saturday... My prediction is a W. Like I said, we're gonna go out there and give as much effort as we can. And try and come out with a W, that is the most important.

ABOUT THE COLUMBUS LIONS

The Columbus Lions are members of the National Arena League (NAL). Founded in 2007, the Columbus Lions are starting their 15th season in 2021. The Lions are a 3x league champion and 13 playoff appearances in their rich history. The Lions play their home games at Hughston Field in the Columbus Civic Center. Lions Season Ticket Memberships are on sale now call (706) 322-3336 or visit columbuslions.com. Follow the Lions on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lionsfootball/, twitter @columbuslions and instagram.com/Columbuslions.

ABOUT NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE

The National Arena League was founded in 2016 and hosted its inaugural season in 2017 as the premier league in arena football. The National Arena League will kick off its fifth season in 2021. For more information regarding expansion opportunities or partnerships, contact Commissioner Chris Siegfried at chris@nationalarenaleague.com For more information about the NAL visit www.nationalarenaleague.com, facebook.com/nationalarenaleauge, twitter.com/NALfootball, Instagram.com/nationalarenaleague.