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An underrated recruit who took the Junior College route to find himself at a big name NCAA D1 program, Marquise Brown has had quite a bit of help from his family along the way. Cousin of one of the NFL’s best wide receivers and a nephew to one of the greatest arena league players of all time, it is safe to say that football runs in Marquise’s blood.
After starting his collegiate career at College of the Canyons in Valencia, California, Brown shot onto the radar of top programs and contributed immediately upon suiting up for the Oklahoma Sooners. Despite lacking ideal size, he has blistering speed and showed the ability to routinely torch whatever man lined up against him.
Most mock drafts have Brown going towards the end of the first round, most likely in the 20-25 range. Possessing elite speed and coming from a bloodline of elite wide receivers, Marquise Brown projects to be one of the most interesting prospects at the NFL Draft.
Here’s what you need to know about Brown’s family.
1. Antonio Brown is Marquise Brown’s Older Cousin
Being an elite wide receiver runs in the Brown family genes as the Oklahoma product’s older cousin is none other than Antonio Brown. Antonio and Marquise are extremely close and Antonio serves as his mentor as he heads into the NFL Draft and inevitably learns how to adapt his game to the speed and size of the NFL.
“It’s very nice, I learn a lot from him,” Marquise says of their daily talks, “He just keeps me motivated every time I see him out there on the field.”
Similar to Marquise, Antonio is a smaller receiver who has to rely on his blistering speed and excellent footwork to burn defenses. Having one of the NFL’s best receivers who happens to play the same exact style of game in his corner should help Marquise transition to the NFL much more smoothly.
2. Who is Marquise Brown’s Mom?
Marquise Brown’s mother is Shannon James. Shannon raised Marquise and his sister on her own with the help of her parents. Things weren’t always easy for Shannon but she went the extra mile to provide the best life for Marquise and his older sister, Shanice.
“Sometimes we didn’t even realize the things we went without,” Shanice Brown (sister) said. “My mom really did an amazing job of not allowing us to feel so much of the struggle.”
Shannon dealt with a number of health complications before and well after Marquise’s birth. However, her resistance and toughness throughout helped to mold her children into the people they are today. Shannon would eventually recover from her health setbacks and remains extremely close to Marquise to this day.
3. Who is Marquise Brown’s Sister?
Marquise Brown’s sister is Shanice Brown. Shanice, Marquise, and Shannon are an extremely close family and Shanice even considers baby brother Marquise to be an inspiration.
“It makes me cry sometimes when I think about it,” Shanice told OU Daily. “He’s an inspiration to me because sometimes you may have dreams that you think are too big or have roadblocks keeping you from your dreams, and most people would give up. But he didn’t.”
During Marquise’ time at College of the Canyons in California – he was trying to work back towards a Division 1 program – Shanice would often send him money to help supplement the income he got working at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
4. Who is Marquise Brown’s Grandmother?
Brown’s late grandmother is Althea Farmer. Brown lived with his grandmother growing up and farmer just happened to live on the same street as fellow Hollywood, FL standouts Calvin Ridley and Riley Ridley. While Calvin is slightly older, both Riley and Marquise are members of the same NFL draft class.
In a stroke of luck, Brown and Oklahoma actually met up with Riley and the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 Rose Bowl. Georgia would go on to beat the Sooners in a shootout, 54-48. However, Brown had a much more productive season (and career), racking up 57 catches for 1095 yards to Ridley’s 14 catches for 218 yards during that season.
5. Marquise Brown’s Uncle, Eddie Brown, Is an Arena League Legend
Antonio Brown’s father and Marquise Brown’s uncle, “Touchdown” Eddie Brown, was one of the Arena Football League’s greatest all-time players. Voted the best player in the history of the AFL in 2006, Eddie Brown still sits in the top 10 for career catches, yards, and touchdowns.
Inducted into the Arena Leauge Hall of Fame in 2011, Eddie would play his entire career in the AFL. After his retirement in 2003, he turned to coaching. Eddie last served as the head coach of the Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) High School Football Team.
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