Straight Lockdown

No matter who lines up across the line from him, senior cornerback Marcus McCauley is up to the task

By Darrell Copeland III
The Collegian

HE’S ONE OF THOSE GUYS that has a laundry list of accomplishments and awards under his biography – but that’s not what makes him special.

What makes him special is his rare collection of physical qualities, like when he ran a 4.31 40-yard dash in the spring of 2006 for NFL scouts.

What makes him special is his rare capacity for mental toughness, like when he ran down and tackled former USC star Reggie Bush from behind when he could have folded the tent and watched him score.

But most of all, what makes Marcus McCauley special is the loyalty and humbleness he has shown not only throughout his career as a Bulldogs football player, but throughout his life.

McCauley is entering his fourth year as a cornerback for Fresno State, and his patience to stay in school and forfeit a chance to join former Bulldogs cornerback and teammate Richard Marshall in the National Football League has earned him unlimited preseason recognition while thrusting him into the spotlight.

It’s ironic that McCauley would be thrust into the spotlight, seeing how the man of few words has always let his play do the talking for him. Well, that and his tattoos.

That’s right, the man with a 40-plus inch vertical leap who talks minimally with his mouth, talks a ton with skin ink – in a good way.

“I got the M with the crown on it that represents, basically, that I am a man and my father is like a king passing down the crown,” McCauley said.

It’s a rarity to find tattoos with meaning these days, but McCauley’s do just that, with thoughtful designs presenting a permanent reminder of his love for his family and loved ones.

A black panther represents strength, a cross with the names of family members scripted within and the word McCauley engulfed in smoke, representing family and loved ones that have passed away can be found on his right arm and shoulder.

“My family is a big part of my life, probably the biggest thing in my life,” McCauley said. “I kind of use my body to express my love for my family. Every one of my tattoos has something to do with my family.”

It was his family, along with Fresno State coach Pat Hill that led McCauley on the path to becoming a Bulldog.

In his senior year in high school, McCauley had offers from all of the “big name” schools, representing conferences like the PAC-10 and Big XII, just as many other superstar high school athletes did.

McCauley said that all of the schools that recruited him wanted him to play offense, only without knowing the amount of impact, if any, that McCauley would have on its team — except for one.

“Coach Hill was the only coach that had a plan for me,” McCauley said.

Hill — the only coach who had mapped out a complete plan for McCauley, on defense nonetheless — knew right away that McCauley’s future lied in the hands of the cornerback position.

Four years later, Hill’s plan has come full circle, as the McCauley plan has not only proved successful for Fresno State, but now it looks as if NFL teams will want to make McCauley a part of their teams’ plan as well.

Mel Kiper, ESPN’s top college football guru, recently selected McCauley as his choice for the top cornerback and NFL prospect in the country, an opinion respected by many in the professional levels.

“It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence with some of those players,” McCauley said. “I still realize that it’s just a list, it doesn’t mean anything.”

One of the core pieces that has aided McCauley’s development as a player is teammate Paul Williams, yet another Bulldogs standout who has built up quite a college football resume.

The two have made it a priority to match-up against each other in practice during their tenure as teammates. Those repetitions continue to reap rewards for McCauley, according to Williams.

“In college football right now, if you could beat Marcus, you can beat any [defensive back] in the country,” Williams said. “Marcus is gonna be a big priority in the NFL.”

While the two were roommates as freshman, a bond was made, which is why it is so hard for Williams to admit McCauley is the fastest player on the team, while Williams follows behind in second.

”Marcus is probably the fastest player on the team,” Williams said … “If we raced I’d win, but this is his story, so we’ll let him win.”

It’s a position McCauley has put himself in, the chance to be a winner.

“It’s a great feeling to know how much I’ve developed as a player,” McCauleysaid. “I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would play in the NFL.”

It’s time to wake up Mr. McCauley, reality has arrived — and it wants you.

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