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Tampa Native Comes Home To Prepare For 2020 NFL Draft
 With the 2020 NFL Draft just four months away, Tampa native and Bethune- Cookman alumni, Marques Ford has come home to Tampa to train.
Marques closed out his career at Bethune-Cookman with 19.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss. In both 2018 and 2019, Marques was named MEAC First Team All Confer- ence Defense, bolstering his opportunity to make waves in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Marques grew up in Gibsonton, Florida, just ten miles south of Tampa. After an impressive career at East Bay High, Marques went from one single offer to nearly 50 options when he reached graduation.
MARQUES FORD
Marques Ford in action at Bethune-C00kman University.
strived to be a better person for his teammates, family and supporters.
As his final season came to a close in Daytona Beach, Marques had potentially the biggest decision of his foot- ball career to make. With representation and training being the building blocks for his future in the NFL, Mar- ques chose to go with proven NFL Agent, Chris Martin and On The Go (OTG) Sports Management while returning home to train in Tampa.
Throughout every step of the process, Marques has had the support of his par- ents, Katina Brown and Tony Brown, and High School Coach, Frank LaRosa. Without their con-
tinued support, Marques notes his journey would never have come so far.
With their guidance and support, along with that of Martin, Marques chose to return to Tampa to train at Cooper’s Sports Perform- ance, with a myriad of addi- tional NFL veterans. With his head down in training, Marques is preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft and a long career as a professional athlete.
Marques plans to leave it all on the table as his day in the spotlight comes and re- members the best advice he has ever been given is, “Never forget where you came from and know what is important to you.”
  Heading into his college career, Marques was a four- star prospect, something only few can boast. Amongst all the offers and opportunities, Marques ultimately ended up at Bethune-Cookman, bringing a strong and effec-
tive presence to the field. Taking the route that Marques chose, he had the opportunity to learn many valuable aspects of being a student-athlete. Along with becoming a better football player each year, Marques
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