Titan Sized Talks: Marques Douglas
By author
TitanSized: How did you get your start in the NFL?
Marques Douglas: “Undrafted out of Howard, not too many people knew about me. But, a couple of scouts came over from Baltimore and when the time came for me to come out of school, they gave me a chance. When I finally made the team… I had to fight every day I was there. They didn’t make it easy for me, man… I didn’t get much respect, I had to earn everything. And 12 years later, I still have to earn everything.”
TS: You have been with a few teams, who were some of your previous defensive coordinators?
MD: “When I started with the [Baltimore] Ravens in ’99, Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach) was the coordinator. Then, my next coordinator was Mike Nolan (former Titan defensive coordinator). When I was traded back to Baltimore, Rex Ryan was there.”
TS: What is it like playing for Rex Ryan?
MD: “It’s fun, man. Him and Jeff Fisher are a lot like. They’re not gonna hound their players, they expect them to be professionals. They want you to play hard on Sunday, they want you to come work on time, and take to heart what you’re doing.”
TS: How was playing for Rex Ryan last year?
MD: “I started out last year with the [New York] Jets and went to the AFC Championship game, again. And so to see Rex in the that position is good, man. Guys like playing for him, because he himself had to fight coming through the ranks. He’s going to make everything fun, man. He’s to going to laugh when you’re around him and at the same time he’s going to work also. And to see him doing so good, I’m really happy for him.
TS: What is it like working with Defensive Line Coach Jim Washburn?
MD: “You know what, man? He is an awesome coach. He plays toward your strengths. When you look at a guy like myself, I’m not as a big as an Albert Haynesworth, but I might be a little faster than him. And so he’s going to play to my strengths. He’s going to take a guy, that a lot of people might not see as a Pro Bowl player and he’s going to make him into that guy. I just wish I had come here a lot sooner. Because playing for him, you can put up some pretty big numbers and he only wants the best for you.”
TS: Which position do you prefer more, defensive tackle or end?
MD: “I guess I prefer defensive tackle. Because you can hit a lot more, things happen a lot quicker down there, and you’re playing against a guy who, 9 times out of 10, you’re a better athlete than he is. I’m a smaller guy, but I like to bang and I like to show those guys that I’m just as strong as they are.”
TS: How does an NFL player live where he works, when he can be constantly moving?
MD: North Carolina to me, is home. I’ve always made that home ever since my second year, because of the volatility in the league. When I’m not playing, at OTAs, or at minicamps I’m in North Carolina. Not too many guys are fortunate enough to play for one team their whole careers. I love some of the places I’ve lived, I like Tennessee. Hopefully, I’ll be back next year.”
TS: Any thoughts on the scuffle between Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson, last Sunday?
MD: “That’s something we’ve been talking about. But, we gonna let family business be family business, as they say.”
Great quotes from the interview:
“If I’m on the field, I feel like I can make a play.”
“… Chris Johnson who moves at a 4.2 pace and Ray Lewis who moves at a 4.5 pace, when these guys hit, it makes some incredible sounds. So a lot of guys don’t expect these guys to get up after being hit like that.”
“I just want to see those Titan fans out there rooting us on, because we thrive so much on the crowd. We going to take it one game at a time, and hopefully that game will start on Sunday.”
Parting Words
In Marques’ first action of the year for the Titans, he tallied 7 tackles (including one for a loss). Honestly, I feel a lot better knowing the Titans have a quality veteran defensive tackle in the roster. Especially, with Jones and Marks struggling to stay healthy and still in the infancy of their careers. Douglas is a welcome a addition to this Titan defensive front.
Look for Marques on the field this Sunday. He will be #99 and the one harassing David Garrard in the pocket or stuffing Maurice Jones-Drew at the line of scrimmage. On behalf of TitanSized, thanks for the interview Marques and welcome to the Titan family!