Well, we don't have him yet. But I guess he's the crown jewel. Kid has had a rough go of it. I really don't understand the move to Carver but it's what his mom apparently wanted. Now that she passed, since he's back in Greenville, one would think he'd want to be with his brother in Auburn. The place that makes the most sense isn't always the place they go.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/08/a-list_no_2_greenville_standou.html#incart_riverA-List No. 2: Greenville standout Marlon Davidson presses on after mother's sudden death
Drew Champlin | dchamplin@al.com By Drew Champlin | dchamplin@al.com
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on August 19, 2015 at 6:07 AM
A rejuvenated Marlon Davidson is back home at Greenville, focused on what's ahead after enduring a year full of turmoil.
In February, a self-proclaimed mama's boy and youngest of four children, lost his mother. Cynthia Carter died at age 47. Marlon, then a junior at Carver-Montgomery after transferring from Greenville before that year, learned of her death after getting a haircut.
The call came from his brother, telling him to get to the hospital right away.
Cynthia, who had been complaining of leg pain for a few days, had gone back to the doctor for a visit, but collapsed and hit her head.
"They called me to the back and said his mom had passed," said Todd Dowell, Davidson's mentor. "At first, I thought he was going to lose it. He gathered himself. Then we went outside. He just talked, and he was like, 'What do I do now?'
"What I told him was, 'There's nothing I can say, I'm just here for you because I still have my mom. It's something God has given you that you have to deal with. He's going to help you through it.'
"I don't have an answer. I didn't have an answer."
The 6-foot-4, 268-pound Davidson is a five-star recruit. He stands large on the football field as a highly-recruited defensive end. But Davidson, No. 2 on the AL.com A-List, had a larger mountain to climb
Growing up in Greenville, Marlon helped his mother with everything. He helped her with cooking, groceries and housework. But she wanted more for him and didn't feel like he was on the right path at Greenville.
So, she moved to Montgomery and he enrolled at Carver, a school that helped turn around his close friend Lyndell Wilson and others.
"It was better for me," Davidson said. "The teachers and principals, they were all there to help, the teachers are more involved with students than the students were even more involved in their work. It made me happy and made me obsessed with Carver."
After Cynthia's death, he couldn't stay at Carver. He fought it. He wanted to, but he couldn't.
His brother, Kenneth Carter, a former Greenville and Auburn standout now on the Tigers' football support staff, presented him with three options - transferring to Auburn High School, Opelika High School or back to Greenville. He chose Greenville.
"It was the longest drive ever away from Montgomery," Davidson said. "I had more family around here and had more people I could depend on instead of just depending on my brother. For me just depending on my brother, it would be difficult. Me depending on my aunt and cousins would be easier."
Davidson said his father is in the picture, but not a huge part of his life. He's reconnected with three friends - teammates Joe Maxwell ("we're laid back like brothers"), A'Darius Bowen ("he's the craziest person to be around") and Brandon Simmons ("we're video game buddies, but, you know, you've always got to be friends with your quarterback").
Dowell, who founded Make A Difference Foundation to benefit and mentor youths, has also been by Davidson's side.
"He was there when (mother) passed," Davidson said. "He was there when I was crying. He was there that night. He was there from the rest of it in. He was there before then."
Greenville High School's Marlon Davidson Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, during football practice in Greenville, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
JULIE BENNETT
Back in his hometown
Greenville head coach Josh McLendon has known Davidson for most of his life. McLendon served as a Greenville assistant before spending two seasons as head coach at McKenzie before returning to Greenville as head coach this spring.
"He's been that rugrat, always running around," McLendon said. "He was the ballboy and manager when he was in fifth and sixth grade."
Davidson started playing football in middle school, though. One day during eighth grade, he wanted to quit. Mom wouldn't let him.
"I walked off the field, threw my helmet down," Davidson said. "I used to be a little crazy back then. I went home. That's the thing I should have never did, went home.
"She tore me up. She grabbed me and she took me right back up there. She said you're never going to quit something that you start."
McLendon was coaching the varsity by that point, so he didn't specifically remember the incident. It didn't surprise him.
"She was a strong-willed lady," McLendon said. "She wasn't going to let him quit. She'd smack him around a little bit and grab a hold of him if he needed it. She was kind of the backbone of the family."
Davidson is taking a business-like approach to the recruiting process, even though everybody thinks he's going to Auburn because of his brother.
Kenneth Carter has helped Marlon during the process, giving him tips on what coaches would say to him. So far, it's going exactly like he thought he would. Auburn declined to make Kenneth available for the interview, citing a policy on football support staff members being off-limits to the media.
Auburn is a heavy favorite for Davidson when he commits on Sept. 4, but don't discount schools like Alabama, Michigan, LSU, Georgia or Florida State.
"I'm looking for coaches, environment and education, most definitely," Davidson said. "If they have a certain education that I want and it's a great school, I will be attending there. It's not about the football team. If the coaches are great, I know I'm going to be good."
Davidson wants to major in education and be a coach one day.
He's also planning on graduating high school early to enroll in college in January 2016. He has to pass 12th grade English and pre-calculus this fall.
"I've got a 3.1 GPA," Davidson said. "I had As and Bs. My sophomore and freshman year I wasn't taking it that seriously. Now I'm starting to take it more seriously and get into my schoolwork more often.
"My brother flipped the light switch there. He said that you better see reality. If you don't have the grades, you're not going D-1."
Davidson's football intellect has even surprised college coaches.
"Marlon has questions," said Dowell, who has been on recruiting trips with Davidson. "He studies everybody's defense and asks how he's going to fit. He looks at their film and says, 'You play a lot of two-technique and three-technique.'
"They're in shock, saying, 'Wow, this kid has questions.'"
Davidson emerged as a prospect as a freshman. He started out as a linebacker, but has grown into a defensive end with the agility of a linebacker. He'll even line up at tight end this fall because he loves blocking for his teammates.
During a spring game as a freshman against Robert E. Lee, McLendon remembers him recording multiple sacks and a forced fumble. Alabama State offered him right away.
"The potential has always been there, but you never know what's going to happen to these kids when they're in the ninth grade," McLendon said. "Not to brag, but we've had kids come through here with as much talent or more talent than Marlon who didn't pan out, whether it was environment or grades.
"He's got a chance to really be something special, without a doubt."
Off the field, Dowell said Davidson could watch sci-fi movies all day and he loves chocolate cake.
Looking ahead
Marlon Davidson expects the 2015 season to be emotional for him.
McLendon has opened his door whenever Davidson needs to talk, though he said, "if it does bother him, he doesn't let on that he does. I think he's OK. He's hanging in there as good as he can."
Davidson has usually worn No. 7, but he'll wear No. 47 this fall to honor his mother, who died at age 47.
He admitted it will be tough, but he's persevered through the last several months without her physical presence.
He's ready to win a state championship for his school and he's ready to play hard in memory of his late mother.
"With me coming down, it's like me feeling a connection with her," Davidson said. "Coming down to put this season in her hands and letting her know this is all for her, this feels good."
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