Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Through tears, Thompson sees reward of persistence and faith
11/2/2018 9:37:00 AM | Football, Word on the Herd
Senior defensive lineman is a team captain for Saturday's game at Southern Miss
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Malik Thompson took a seat in front of the assembled media in the Joan C. Edwards Stadium press box on a Monday afternoon. It was two days after the Marshall football team had routed defending Conference USA champion Florida Atlantic, 31-7, and Thompson had enjoyed a career day against the Owls: nine tackles, one forced fumble and one interception.
As Thompson, a fifth-year senior who was seldom-used prior to this season, listened to questions and provided answers, he had no knowledge he was about to be named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week. What a story this would be – a player once so far down on the depth chart that he was traded by the offensive and defensive staffs at Marshall to merely provide reinforcement for depleted units, and now his star shined brighter than any defensive player in the league that week. By the moment he started to talk about his career-best game, he had already been awarded Defensive Champion by the coaching staff.
Steve Cotton, the longtime radio voice of the Thundering Herd, was seated to Thompson's right. He thought about Thompson's production from the outset of preseason camp in August to the late October breakout performance. Thompson had been a model of consistency all season, and an example for young players.
"How gratifying is this whole season for you?" Cotton asked, before adding. "You had 12 tackles in your career coming into this year. You almost got that Saturday. Things coming together like this, how does that make you feel?"
What happened next is not often seen in college football these days. Frankly, it is not seen enough. Players are shielded by big helmets and facemasks, and they play so much farther away from the crowd than other sports. But on this day, Thompson was up close and personal with the media formed in a half circle around him, and he could not hide what was to come.
Tears. Thompson cried. And the pass rusher did little to sack his emotions.
"I'm just blessed," Thompson said. "I didn't even play last year – barely. When I think about it, it really gets to me because I really worked so hard to get where I'm at right now. Nobody understands that."
Thompson paused and took his index finger and thumb and simultaneously wiped tears from each eye. He somehow reflected on the 2014 redshirt season, the torn labrum in 2015's August camp, the 2016 yo-yo campaign on the o-line and d-line and last season's meager playing time in a matter of moments. It turned into a message for tomorrow's Herd.
"I just want the young players to know, no matter what you go through, or how your season goes, never give up and keep going because you don't know what can happen," Thompson said. "You can never lose faith in what you believe in."
Thompson, who is 6 feet, 6 inches and 282 pounds, is a native of Winter Garden, Florida. He is seventh on the team with 27 tackles this season, the most of any defensive lineman. He has four tackles for a loss and three sacks in seven games, playing a key role up front in the absence of senior defensive lineman Ryan Bee during the first two games of the season. Thompson will be one of the team captains Saturday at Southern Miss.
"Malik Thompson is a guy that any young guy coming in here can definitely look up to," Bee said. "Two years ago he was an offensive lineman. They were trading him back and forth between positions because they didn't see him playing. He put his head down and went to work every day. Now he's reaping the rewards of that.
"He's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen. He's always locked in. You never see him goofing around. Obviously, it's showing on the field. I'm so proud of how far he's come."
GAME DETAILS
Marshall (5-2 overall, 3-1 C-USA) meets Southern Miss (3-4 overall, 2-2 C-USA) on Saturday at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. kickoff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi) at M.M. Roberts Stadium, also known as "The Rock." The game has significant implications for both teams.
The Herd can achieve bowl eligibility with a win, and also stay in the thick of the race for the East Division crown. FIU leads the East with an unblemished 4-0 mark, and hosts struggling FAU on Saturday night. FIU has a half-game lead on Middle Tennessee (4-1), and a full game lead on Marshall. FIU and Marshall meet in the regular season finale on Saturday, Nov. 24.
Southern Miss is trying to inch closer to bowl eligibility. The Golden Eagles have games against UAB, Louisiana tech and UTEP after this week.
Other C-USA games this weekend: Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee (Friday); UTEP at Rice (Saturday); Charlotte at Tennessee (Saturday); UTSA at UAB (Saturday); and Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State (Saturday).
NOTES TO WATCH
Marshall is perfect on the road this season (3-0).
The Herd defense carries a 10-game streak of not allowing a touchdown in the first quarter. The streak is the second-longest among FBS programs behind LSU (12).
Marshall has won 15 consecutive games when scoring first.
Turnovers will likely be a focal point, as host Southern Miss has struggled to protect the ball. In the last two seasons, the Herd is 9-0 when creating at least two takeaways, including 4-0 this season.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller was asked about Marshall's week off and the opportunity to get fresh before the final four regular season games, starting with Saturday's matchup at Southern Miss. Fuller placed his focus elsewhere.
"The message to the team on the Sunday after the FAU game was: Listen, the bye week is whatever it is. There's still a lot of room on this team; a lot of room for growth. An awful goal as coaches is our goal is to get healthy. What does that even mean? The goal is to improve and to just keep going and keep going every day and making sure improving on the things you're not doing well, you're honing in on things you're doing well. That's the message. I guess we'll see Saturday if we've taken that message."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a six-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
