The Comeback Kid

Tulsa's Brennan Marion, an explosive receiver with 4.3 speed who set an NCAA record in 2007 for yards per catch, was a projected late-round pick in last month's NFL draft. But a torn right ACL, suffered in December's Conference USA championship game, scared teams off, and Marion went undrafted. Though disappointed, he landed an invitation to last week's Dolphins rookie minicamp. "It's not the worst thing I went through," he says of not being picked.

Not even close. Raised by a single mother who moved frequently, Marion attended a different school in the Pittsburgh area each year from grades six through 12. Only lightly recruited as a senior at Greensburg Salem High, he relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area to play junior college football with his best friend, Chuck Thompson. While at De Anza College they worked odd jobs, from construction to car washing, but struggled to pay the $1,300 monthly rent on their studio and were soon evicted. Homeless, they moved into the school's athletic facility, sleeping in the locker room when the janitor left the door unlocked and the press box when he didn't. Marion and Thompson subsisted on the value menus at McDonald's and Wendy's and occasional gifts of cookies or chips from a friendly clerk at 7-Eleven. After three months a De Anza assistant, Darrell Williams, learned of his players' plight and invited them to live with his family.

After leading all California junior college players in receiving, Marion received a Division I scholarship to Tulsa. That's where he met his fiancée, Fiamma Selitch, and where he will complete a degree in organizational studies this month. With room, board and a structured workout routine, the 5'11" Marion gained 30 pounds (to 190) and became a more explosive vertical threat. In two seasons with the Golden Hurricane he caught 82 passes for 2,356 yards and averaged 31.9 yards per catch as a junior.

The ACL injury was merely a small setback. Thanks to a rigorous rehab, Marion ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash just three months after surgery. He was still limping at Dolphins minicamp but grades his knee at almost 90% and has a decent chance to at least make the Miami practice squad. Says Marion of his circuitous route to pro football, "It was worth the struggle."