For former LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., his place in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft was always "Meant to Be".
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That's his family slogan, which he wears as an "M2B" chain around his neck. But M2B isn't just about young Marshall. It's about his great uncle and the entire Marshall family.
Terrace Mashall Jr. isn't the only family member known for scoring touchdowns.
He's the great-nephew of former Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney. Delaney's life was cut tragically short after a pair of promising NFL seasons.
Delaney died a hero, saving the life of another. His story remains an inspiration to the Kansas City Chiefs to this day.
As Terrace Marshall Sr. told his son six years ago, Delaney's passing was meant to be. As he prepares to pick up where his great uncle left off, Terrace Marshall Jr. is meant to be in the NFL.
Who Was Joe Delaney?
RELATED: The Tragedy of Joe Delaney: How an NFL Star Died a Hero Off the Field
Running back Joe Delaney was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1981 out of Northwestern State in Louisiana. Delaney — an Haughton, Louisiana native — had been the best player on every football team he ever played for and brought that same energy to the NFL.
Delaney's rookie season showed incredible skill and promise. He was voted to the Pro-Bowl and as the AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year. Tragically for Delaney, the NFL, and the world, things started going wrong after this first season.
Delaney's sophomore effort in the NFL ended early with an injury and strike. Delaney kept his spirits high and expected to return to his old form soon enough. Expectations were shattered over the offseason.
On June 29, 1983, in Monroe, Louisiana, Joe Delaney drowned attempting to save the lives of three young boys. Delaney was walking nearby when he heard the drowning children in distress. Delaney neither knew how to swim nor cared — he tried to help. Delaney saved one boy, but tragically passed with the other two. Delaney died a hero, far too soon.
Joe Delaney died in June 1983. Seventeen years later, in June of 2000, his great-nephew Terrace Marshall Jr. was born.
Who is Terrace Marshall Jr.?
Terrace Marshall Jr. was born on June 9, 2000, in Shreveport, LA, about an hour's drive from where his uncle passed. The No. 1 film during that week of June was Nicholas Cage's Gone in 60 Seconds. The title is a description of how fast wide receiver Terrace Mashall Jr. can run.
The speedy receiver ran past his Parkway High School rivals and into college football. He was heavily recruited by big schools like Texas A&M and Oklahoma, but ultimately chose to remain in-state with the Tigers in Baton Rouge. After a high school senior season cut short by an ankle injury, Marshall joined head coach Ed Orgeron and the Louisiana State University Tigers.
For Coach O, Marshall was a case of deja vu.
Orgeron played with Joe Delaney as a true freshman at Northwestern State. Delaney was a senior. Orgeron claims Marshall is exactly like Delaney, echoing the opinion of Marshall's family.
LSU's offense, led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Terrace Marshall Jr., took the NCAA by storm in 2019. They formed a touchdown scoring machine bound for the College Football Playoff.
LSU finished a perfect season by crushing Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers in January 2020 for the national championship. Marshall scored a touchdown in the championship game. It was a great start to the year, but the rest of 2020 didn't go so well for the LSU Tigers, Marshall, or anyone else.
Marshall had decent numbers last year in a 2020 season cut short by an injury and pandemic. Hopefully, this is where the parallels to his great-uncle's story end.
With a huge frame, NFL pedigree, and national championship in his corner, LSU junior Terrace Marshall Jr. is headed for the NFL Draft.
2021 NFL Draft Outlook
There's a lot of upside to Terrace Marshall Jr. He's strong, long, and likes to get the friction on (he's physical). He'll need to be physical because 2021's wide-receiver class is crowded with talent.
Marshall's teammate Ja'Marr Chase is the top wide receiver in 2021. Besides his teammates, Marshall Jr. has stiff competition from Alabama, Ole Miss, and Florida receivers. He is the sixth wide receiver on many draft boards.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has Marshall as the No. 6 WR as well. Kiper has Marshall going to the Baltimore Ravens as the No. 27 overall pick in the first round. Other mock drafts place Marshall in New Orleans with the Saints or even following his great-uncle's footsteps to Kansas City.
Whatever team ends up with Marshall, they're likely to benefit. So long as the wide receiver can stay healthy, the sky's the limit for Joe Delaney's great-nephew Terrace Marshall Jr.
I guess it was just Meant to Be.
