An unexpectedly loss in the divisional round of the playoffs last season abrupt- ly ended what could have been a great year the Baltimore Ravens. They fin- ished with a 14-2 record— the best in the NFL.
The sudden end left a bitter taste in cor- nerback Marlon Humphrey’s mouth. Humphrey hit the offseason with a vengeance in hopes of making it to the ultimate goal, winning the Super Bowl.
The Covid-19 pandemic kept the Ravens from having Organized Team Activities and minicamp. So the task of getting ready for the season fell on the players. Humphries has athletic blood- lines. His father Bobby was a running back for the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins while his sister Brittany is a sprinter for LSU. Marlon took advantage of his family situation during personal offseason workouts.
“It was really fun. I was back with all five of my brothers and sisters. We did a lot of family workouts, jungle gym, a lot of pushups, pull-ups. I tried to get as much different work as I could. My sis- ter runs track at LSU so I got on the track and did some track workouts. I did a little bit of everything and tried to do anything that could get me at my highest heart rate going,” Marlon said.
One thing that pushed Marlon to the limit was a rock pile found at Wade Sand and Gravel in Birmingham, Alabama. He said he ran on rock piles with his brothers, one of whom he joked wasn’t able to workout the next day.
“The offseason was a lot different. You had to get pretty creative,” Marlon added. Marlon’s fire was fueled even more by
an experience he had when he went to the Super Bowl to take part in a pregame activity.
“This past year, I got to go to the Super Bowl and do something on the field before the game,” Marlon said. “Walking around, watching the other teams warm up. The energy I felt down there in Miami kind of triggered my whole offseason into thinking the only thing I really want is a Super Bowl. That’s the mindset we are taking everyday in practice.”
Last season, Marlon said his goal was to be in “Bowls” referring to the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. He was named to the Pro Bowl after turning in a career high three interceptions while taking on the best wide receivers the NFL had to offer. Marlon excelled as a nickel cornerback in addition to his duties on the outside.
It was a big-time season for the third year corner. However, he fell short of one of his Bowl goals. This year, the only goal is to make it to the Super Bowl. That’s exactly what Marlon trained for with his five siblings during the offseason.