TAMPA, Fla. - Marlon Mack was born to run.

“I started when I was little,” said Mack. “Me and my dad, he took me out to the football field when I was six years old and I started playing football.”

And once he started, he couldn’t be stopped. By Marlon’s senior year at Booker High School in Sarasota he was a four star recruit. But instead of going to a Power Five program, Marlon stayed home to play at USF.

In his first game as a Bull, Marlon rushed for 275 yards and 4 touchdowns.

“Some people show up when the spotlight comes and others shy away,” said former USF, and current FSU head coach Willie Taggart. “The spotlight came and he showed up and showed out. That was Awesome. Big time!”

Marlon would rush for over 1,000 yards in his freshman season. Earning him all-conference honors, including AAC Freshman of the Year.

That was just the beginning for the young Bull. Marlon rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his next two seasons. By the end of his junior year, Marlon set school and conference records for career rushing yards. With nothing left to prove in college, it was on to the NFL.

With the 143^rd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts made Marlon their future running back.

“He puts his foot in the ground and he is explosive,” said former NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock. “He is going to hit a lot of home runs.”

“One big adjustment for me is just soaking it all in. I am just loving this, man,” said Mack.  

 In two seasons, Marlon has over 1,200 career rushing yards. Last season, he helped the Colts become just the third team ever to start 1-5 and go to the playoffs.

“Starting 1-5, then going to the playoffs, I definitely want, and we definitely want, to hit that level of going to the Super Bowl,” said Mack. “So, that’s we are working on so we can get there.”

Marlon also hopes to inspire the next crop of Bay Area players who dream of putting on an NFL jersey just like him.

“To come back and show people that you can do it,” Mack said. “Just always good to come back and others be like ‘That guy came back, so I can do it too’ and you want to give people that chip on their shoulder.”