When it came right down to it, Cameron Marshall wasn’t ready to move on.
In August of 2016, the 25-year-old product of San Jose, Calif., had just been released by the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. He started working as a recruiter for a California-based firm and was staring at the prospect of being a 9-to-5’er.
Asked eight months later if he ever thought he would have to chuck his football career and join the working world full-time, Marshall replies: “Obviously, there were some points.”
“It was mostly like, ‘If I’m not going to get a call from the NFL, we’ll see what happens with the CFL in the off-season. If they’re willing to make a move for me, I’ll definitely go up there and play,’ ’’ he adds. “If not, then I probably would have been done.”
Such an idea could be a tough pill to swallow for a man in his mid-20s whose career path appeared to involve a football field. But Marshall was ready for anything.
“It’s difficult (to face the end) in that I still feel like I want to play — and I still feel like I can play,” he says from his off-season home in Phoenix. “But I’m not afraid of life after football. I know that I have more to offer aside from just playing this game.
“But the game has been great to me. I’ve loved every second of playing ever since I was a kid up until now. I’m extremely grateful for each opportunity I get and I want to take advantage of it. The desire is still there, so I want to pursue it as long as possible.”
So it came as a great relief to Marshall that the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders gave him another opportunity. The running back signed with the Roughriders in February, left his recruiting job, moved to Phoenix with his new wife (who’s completing law school), and prepared for a return to the CFL.
“My first experience with the league was very positive,” says Marshall, who played 19 games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the 2014 and ’15 seasons. “I was fortunate enough to be with the Blue Bombers, who treated me well. I was able to have some success with them.
“I’m really excited to get back (to the CFL) and to get an opportunity to play again.”
In need of a starting tailback, the Roughriders have signed three so far this off-season: Marshall, Kienan LaFrance and Daniel Thomas. They join returnee Greg Morris as the tailbacks currently on the Saskatchewan roster.
After playing his college ball at Arizona State University, Marshall signed as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins. He was released by Miami in August of 2014 and signed shortly thereafter with Winnipeg.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder played one game with the Bombers in 2014 and 18 more in 2015. Primarily a backup, he rushed 143 times for 629 yards and five touchdowns, caught 32 passes for 378 yards and two TDs, and returned four kickoffs for 53 yards.
In February of 2016, Marshall signed with the Seattle Seahawks, but they waived him in May. He signed with the Jaguars in August, but was released six days later.
Less than a year after playing a full CFL season, Marshall wasn’t playing any games at all.
“I knew what I was getting into (by signing in the NFL) and the possibilities,” he says. “I don’t regret it because I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity that was there. If you don’t pursue an opportunity to pursue your dreams, that would be the real regret.
“But going from 18 games to not playing at all, you’ve definitely got a lot of football on the brain that you want to get out. I still think I’ve got some good football left in me, so I’m excited about that.”
Marshall says his agent contacted a few CFL teams, but Saskatchewan provided the running back with the best opportunity. The Roughriders’ facilities at new Mosaic Stadium were a draw for Marshall, who’s eager to see the place in person after viewing pictures online.
Even before the Roughriders offered him a contract, Marshall was preparing himself for a potential return to the field. That should help him overcome nearly a year of inactivity when he joins the Roughriders.
“When I was working, I was still up at 5 a.m., lifting during the week and working out on the weekends and after work,” says Marshall, who’s about to start a job advising at-risk youth in the Phoenix area.
“I kept up with my training just in case another opportunity presented itself — and fortunately for me, it did. Obviously live football is different than training, so there might be a little bit of rust, but I think I’m good to go.”
