Marcus Jemison

[ssgaufan]

AUBURN -- Marcus Jemison arrived at Auburn last summer headed down the usual road.



He was a confused 18-year-old hoping to make a strong impression. That plan took a dive when Jemison, in the running for a reserve job at safety, dislocated his left ankle and broke his left leg during practice.

What followed was an autumn of misery Jemison won't soon forget.

"I was down for a long time, probably about two months, before I actually came back to my normal self," Jemison said. "Then I had trouble at home. My mom was sick. It was just a lot of problems, a lot of problems."

Those days are over. The Birmingham native, mired in the depth-chart quagmire at safety, was moved to linebacker last week.

Now his career is on the verge of an surprising revitalization.

Jemison piqued former coach Tommy Tuberville's interest with his willingness to levy crushing blows upon opponents. That aggressive approach, coupled with a thick physique, provided a useful option in the Tigers' secondary.

Auburn's new coaches have a different view. They believe his 200-pound body can become a 225-pound body capable of powerful play near the line of scrimmage.

"He's a pretty instinctive kid and he can run," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "What we did like about him was that he seemed to tackle well and (he's) one of the guys that can make plays in space."

Roof said Jemison has been enthusiastic about the move.

"He feels good about getting some reps (and) working up a sweat instead of watching," the coach said with a grin.

Jemison wasn't sure he'd ever make it this far. His mother endured chemotherapy last summer and struggled through its destructive side effects. Her plight never was far from his mind. Then came the injury. The painful rehabilitation was next.

At one point, Jemison became ambivalent about his favorite game. He called home, explained his desire to return home in a full-time capacity.

All he received was a full-time plea to stay in school.

"She wouldn't let me come home and I didn't have a car," Jemison said. "There was no way I could get there."

Still, a car wouldn't have been enough.

"She probably would have driven me back and taken my car back with her. "She would have made me come back."

Jemison no longer is in need of motivation. Though his leg hasn't yet completely healed and doctors warn that moderate discomfort could remain indefinitely, Jemison now feels relevant in a world that seemed distant only a few months ago.

The timing couldn't be better.

Auburn has little depth at linebacker, meaning Jemison's chances for meaningful playing time have increased significantly. He's working behind Craig Stevens on the strong side for now.

Roof believes Jemison can emerge as a useful reserve in short order.

Middle linebacker Joshua Bynes thinks Jemison already is there.

"He's the kind of person who wants to come up and hit somebody. You see that a lot, especially when you watch film," he said. "As long as you go out there and hit somebody, that's all that matters. He's doing what he's supposed to be doing: He's being productive."


Good for him.  Isn't this the kid that supposedly got his leg broke in a fight last year?