By Billy Watkins
Marcus Dupree was inducted Sunday evening into the National High School Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
“Can you believe who I’m going in with?” Marcus asked me beforehand.
It’s a stellar class — and the first one — in a hall of fame that has been in the works for nearly 20 years. It’s the vision of LaMont “Showboat” Robinson, a standout basketball player from Ohio who has played professionally all over the world.
Getting back to Marcus’ question, here is a list of others who joined him in the inaugural class: Archie Manning, Cooper Manning, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Archie Griffin, Jim Brown, Paul Brown (coach), Bernie Kosar, Chris Spielman, Kevin Mack, Lomas Brown, Don Nehlen (coach), Marion Motley, Mike Doss, Greg Cameron, Greg Kampe, Horace Sheffield, Jerry Ball, John Crowell, Ray Freeman, Ted Ginn, Sr. (coach), Thom McDaniels (coach).
Yes, it has a distinct Ohio flavor to it. But Mississippi sure can’t complain.
The Manning family wasn’t able to attend because of previous travel plans. In fact, Eli was inducted Saturday night into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, joining Archie (1988) and Peyton (2018). They are the only father-brothers in the hall’s history.
“We got the date mixed up on the Louisiana Hall of Fame,” Archie said. “Eli went down (to Natchitoches) for that but we couldn’t get anybody up to Canton.
“It’s truly an honor to be in their first class up there. All four of us cherish our high school days, especially the relationships that we built with teammates and coaches.”
Marcus, the legendary running back out of Philadelphia High, said: “This is so cool. I’m going in with guys I admired and looked up to growing up — Archie Manning, Archie Griffin, Jim Brown. I’ve known about it since early April, but I think it’s just now starting to hit me.”
Marcus, 11 months shy of turning 60, certainly belongs. He rushed for 7,355 yards and broke Herschel Walker’s national touchdown record with 87. In high school, Marcus stood 6-foot-2, 225 pounds and once ran a 4.29 in a 40-yard dash. He was the subject of one ESPN’s most popular “30 for 30” documentaries.
But Marcus never mentioned stats during our interview. He talked about the same things Archie did — relationships and how special they remain.
“A lot of things had to go right for me to have the high school career I had,” he said. “I was fortunate to have such great people in Philadelphia around me from the time I was little … going through kindergarten, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, little league.
“I had great friends like Tree McAfee and Michael Smith. Tree passed away in 2020 and I still can’t believe it.
“And I had great coaches who pushed me and put me in a position to succeed. They had us prepared every game. Every time I see Coach (Joe) Wood (the former Philly High head coach), we’ll both say ‘One more time.’ We wish we could do it again just one more time.”
Marcus, a 2017 inductee into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, didn’t prepare an acceptance speech for Canton.
“I always do better when I talk from the heart,” he said. “I know there are people I will think of while I’m up there speaking — my mom, my grandparents. My uncle Curlee just passed away two months ago from Covid. I wish all of them could’ve lived long enough to experience this with me.”
These days, Marcus lives in Oklahoma where he is a partner in a marijuana wholesale business. He is also taking a shot at acting. He and John Schneider, the former “Dukes Of Hazzard” TV star, have become friends.
“(Schneider) owns a studio right outside of Baton Rouge and he’s shooting films down there,” Marcus said.
Marcus earned a part in a recent movie “Mysterious Circumstance: The Death of Meriwether Lewis.” Schneider had a leading role.
Marcus also is in remission from his 2011 bout with prostate cancer. His checkups have been cut back to once a year.
He doesn’t dwell on his leaving Oklahoma during his second year with the Sooners, or the devastating knee injury he suffered in 1984 while playing in the USFL that robbed him of his speed.
Instead, he focuses on his return to pro football in 1990 — the NFL this time — and playing in 15 games and scoring a touchdown for the Los Angeles Rams.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life,” he said. “But it’s things like this hall of fame that remind me to trust the process. God has a plan.
“And I can honestly say, ‘We made it to Canton, Mom. We made it to Canton.’ Maybe it’s not the hall of fame we expected but I’m sure honored to be here.”
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