by Kevin Eickman
The first time I saw Andew Marshall on the football field my jaw dropped to the floor. In all the time I had been watching and covering Milford, Marshall was by far the most physically imposing player that I had ever seen. When I asked one of the Milford assistant coaches where Marshall had transferred in from, I was even more surprised by the answer, “Nowhere, he is a freshman.” I was stunned.
Marshall checked in at 6’5” and about 330 pounds. To have a freshman clock in like that was something you hear about in big programs in Ohio or another place where Friday night football is a way of life. “When I saw Andrew and his father (Andrew Sr.) walking in my direction, I thought that someone might be playing a prank on me or something,” Coach Mike Tkach continued “After speaking with the two of them, I was very excited about what the next four years would look like for Milford football.”
While Marshall may have been a bit raw, it didn’t take long for him to get up to speed and slot himself in as the starting left tackle beginning his freshman year. Besides his skills as an athlete, Marshall was also well liked by his teammates and fellow students. “Everyone naturally gravitated towards Andrew. He had such a great disposition and made friends very easily, he is the type of person it is very easy to like,” Tkach said.
Marshall would earn his letter in football in each of his four years, before graduating in 2014. During that time, the accolades for his work on the field continued to accumulate. Marshall would be first team all-conference twice in his last two years at Milford, while getting a second team nod as well while just a sophomore. Playing both ways, Marshall would garner second team all-conference as a senior. Marshall would gain All-State recognition twice, once as second team and once as third team.
With each year of football, Marshall’s confidence and skill would grow until the point where he was considered one of, if not, the top offensive lineman in Delaware. There was one issue however, Marshall and academics did not go hand in hand. “I had to work very hard in the classroom just to keep up, but I did it. Things that came easier to other students, I had to work much harder to understand. But I kept up because I really wanted to stay on the field,” Marshall stated. As a result of his grades, Marshall would go the JUCO route to continue playing football.
Marshall spent two years at Global Institute of Technology honing his skills and hitting the books even harder. He would parlay that into a full ride scholarship to D-II Valdosta State (GA), where he would play his final two years of college ball. Marshall achieved an associate degree in Sports Management along the way. He would be selected to the D-II All-Star Game and based on his showing was offered a mini-camp invitation to the San Francisco 49ers. “While obviously I didn’t make the cut, I gave it my all. It was a thrill to be able to compete at that level, I knew that my future was somewhere else besides football,” Marshall stated.
When asked about being named to the Milford Football Hall of Fame, Marshall offered these comments. “It’s something that you think about in the back of your mind, but you keep it right there. When I got the call, I was very surprised at how happy and humble I was at the same time. To know that your community, your coaches, your teammates all remember you still comes as a surprise. I am truly honored.”
These days Marshall is in the process of helping his partner get A & D Logistics off the ground and believes that all his hard work along the way will help him succeed. “Hard work never scared me, and it still doesn’t. We are on our way to being successful and have no doubt we will be,” Marshall said.
Marshall has a son, Andrew III, along with his stepchildren Jordan, Jace and Cameron. He lives with his significant other Ashley in Frederica.
Share this Post