Marques Ogden Talks Growing up with a Hall of Fame Brother, Adding Pieces to New Mancave, First Autograph Request
Marques Ogden attended Howard University, playing Division I football for the Bison. Ogden followed his dream and his big brother Jonathan’s footsteps right into the NFL, being drafted in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played for five years as an offensive lineman with the Titans, Bills, Ravens and Jaguars. In the off season, Ogden helped train football players in Europe.
The multi-talented businessman launched Ogden Ventures, LLC focused on keynote speaking, executive coaching, business consulting, and various forms of media content.
In our recent interview, Ogden talks about what it was like growing up with a Hall of Fame brother, his most memorable fan interaction and his growing mancave.
Tony Reid-Do you remember the first time you were asked for your autograph?
Marques Ogden-Yeah, man. It was my rookie year with the Jaguars right after our first day of training camp that was open to the fans. Someone said ‘Mr. Ogden…’ I was like… who? What? Uh, my name is Ogden, sure, yes can I help you? They asked for my autograph and I was like, what? The first thing I thought to myself, I love Tommy Boy with Chris Farley. In the movie they asked for his signature and they said Herbie Hancock. The fan said he needed my John Hancock. I thought to myself, John Hancock? It’s Herbie Hancock. Yo, you want my Herbie Hancock on the ball? Awesome!
TR-Playing around the NFL for five plus years and overseas for a few more, who is the most memorable fan you have ever interacted with?
MO-Fans are going to be fans. I love fans. To me there are no bad fans. Really and truly there was a really great fan that I got to meet when I was playing for the Ravens. It was Captain Defense. He was the guy who had the defense chain around his neck and the D and the fence sign. He was really down to earth. He was really nice and really awesome. Absolutely, Captain Defense from the Ravens was a really good fan.
TR-You are an accomplished businessman and public speaker. You have so much going on outside the world of football. What are you interactions with people who are not familiar with your football career?
MO-That is a great question, Tony. I absolutely love it. I am now a keynote speaker, business coach, consultant and a podcast host who is a former NFL athlete. Being a football player was awesome but that’s not who I am anymore. When people recognize me as a podcast host or speaker is great.
TR-Growing up, you had a future Hall of Famer in the same house in your older brother Jonathan but what other athletes did you look to for inspiration?
MO-I had one main guy, Barry Sanders. Every Thanksgiving you watched that guy on the field and he was balling. Detroit has been so bad for so long until recently. They are going to win the NFC North. I tell everybody, they are my pick to have a deep playoff run. I had felt for some time now that Detroit would make a huge turnaround. I'm so happy for Jared Goff. He got a bad deal with the Rams. He may not be the most athletic or talented quarterback but I’ll be damned if he’s not one of the toughest. Great leaders are tough. They set the tone where everybody else will follow them because they know they will do whatever it takes to get to that level.
TR-With all the time spent in professional football, do you have a collection of memorabilia?
MO-I do. I bought my dream home about a year ago. I have an office where my Ravens jersey is hanging. I have things autographed by Lenny Moore and Barry Sanders. I have a couple of nice pieces there. I have a man cave at the front part of my house. You walk into my home and the man cave is right there. I have my Jaguars helmet hanging on the wall. I was inducted into Howard University Athletic Hall of Fame last year. I have my bronze Bison right there. I have all of that cool stuff right there in my home.
TR-If we could flip over a football card of yours, what is the one stat or fact that you would wanted listed?
MO-I would say the word tenacious. I was always a tenacious, tough football player. I would always scrap. I remember the last six games of my senior year at Howard. I was moved to center. I never played a down in my life. I was moved and I remember playing center and having a really bad first half playing Florida A&M in Tallahassee. I was sweating. I couldn’t hold the ball. I was fumbling snaps. My coach said ‘Marques, you are our guy. Nobody else can do this but you.’ I got myself focused. I got myself together. I had a great second half. We won that game. I finished my last five games of my senior year at center. I went to the Hula Bowl and played under Mack Brown. I had a great game there. I was drafted to the NFL. I have always been tenacious to get things done, no matter what.
Tony Reid spent more than a decade covering combat sports at the highest level. He has written hundreds of articles and conducted hundreds of interviews about sports collectibles for such publications as Beckett, Sports Collectors Digest, and Sports Collectors Daily. Reid worked full time at a sports card shop in Central Pennsylvania for a number of years. A lifelong collector, Tony treasures his rookie card collection of star players in baseball, basketball, and football. If you want to discuss the greatness of Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson or Ken Griffey Jr., you can reach him at @tonyreidwrites on all social media platforms