"The Maroon Mauler"
From the time that a football player first puts on his pads and helmet, the dream of playing in the NFL are already lingering in the back of his mind. As for most, the odds are against them with only a 2% chance of making it to the professional level. However, for Marvin Upshaw, this dream became a reality.
Marvin Allen Upshaw was born and raised in Robstown, Texas, a suburb of Corpus Christi. Growing up with older brother Gene Upshaw, who also played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, his competitive household contributed to his love for the game. Upshaw told The Trinitonian in a sports article, “when someone rides you all summer the only big deal is to beat him … you just try to out-do him” (McAlpine, 1965, p. 6) and that is exactly what Upshaw did at Trinity.
What makes Upshaw so versatile was that he was Trinity's top defensive tackles, as well as, their placekicker. This combination led him to become one of the Tiger's lead scorers.