Pre-Season Q&A With All NAL DB Marvin Ross
By: Alex Husting
This week I got a chance to talk with Marvin Ross, a defensive back who returned to Columbus this offseason about how playing football has changed during a pandemic and some of his expectations and goals for the upcoming 2021 season.
So I know you've been around a number of different professional football leagues since you graduated from Florida A&M and you’ve always been on the move so how’s it been with everything being on pause because of COVID-19 this past year?
A. Well, it's been different, having that off year, not being able to play ball for a whole year. I haven't done that, well at least football since, probably middle school. So, it's a little different, but just, pretty much just staying in shape and keeping your feet well righted, it's pretty much the same thing, just a year off, to kind of shave the rust off once we get into camp.
You've been around a number of different football leagues, including the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL), Arena League and Canadian Football League, so have any of those leagues been your favorite?
A. The PIFL was a fun league just for the simple fact, it was my first time playing professional ball. So I kind of got my feet wet, going against professionals, and not just collegiate athletes, and some guys that I may have seen on TV when I was younger, or whatnot. So with that being said I’ll probably say the Canadian league might have been more fun with the simple fact I've never been to Canada before. And just experiencing the whole professional level up there in Canada. They love football, just like we love it out here. So probably the Canadian league.
You started early in your career with the Columbus Lions right?
A. Yes, 2014 was my first year here.
So how does it feel to be back in Columbus nearly 7 years later?
A. It was great, especially to have Coach Gibson and Coach Reed, they both coached from when I was there. And one of the guys who played with me was Brandon Thomas, he's one of the coaches as well. So it's definitely going to be a really fun year. And I'm happy to be back in the jungle and being able to play in the Civic Center and playing in front of the Columbus Lions fans. So, I'm very excited and ready, ready for the year to start.
Was it that familiarity with former coaches that drew you back to Columbus this season? Or what was your main reason for coming back to Columbus?
A. Yes, the familiarity with Coach Gibson. We talked on the phone for like an hour and just reminisced on some things. We won a championship in 2015, and since then they've been close to winning but just haven't been able to make players and the right time to win a championship again. So we're just trying to bring back the title to Columbus.
What are you looking forward to most this upcoming season?
A. In this upcoming season, pretty much what I just say winning the championship, but also just having fun we go out and have fun and do our assignments right we should be able to come back with what everyone is picturing and that they will be able to hold up at the end of the year, which is the championship trophy. So that's what has me most excited. We have a good team from what I see so far, I know we have great coaches, and pretty much just ready to get it, get it rolling.
And outside of the championship, do you have any particular individual goals for this upcoming season?
A. Individual goals? Yeah. All-Arena, defensive MVP, lead the league in turnovers as far as fumbles, and forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries and interceptions. That's the way we're going to win the game is by getting those stops. So however they come whether there's an interception or forced fumble, fumble recovery, kind of want to be at the top of the chart of getting the ball back to our offense.
With training camp on the horizon on the Lions kicking off the regular season on June 4th Marvin Ross is looking forward to getting back on the field in the Civic Center and back to playing football once again.
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.