", Dupree, 58, grew up in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where his highlight-reel-worthy performances as a high school running back made him the most sought-after football recruit in the country. Favre has denied wrongdoing. Alleged haircut has NBA fans in a spin. As a junior in 1980, he rushed for 2,550 yards and scored 34 touchdowns (25 rushing, 9 by kick return). Earlier in 2011, he was running a pro wrestling promotion organization, called Mid South Wrestling. Where Is Bryan Penn-Johnson from Last Chance U Season 2 Now? He has always been willing to offer a second chance. Oklahoma faces their rivals, Texas, and he attempts to play despite his injured condition as a response to challenges leveled at him from some of the Texas players. A quick check of the numbers shows he rushed for 5,284 yards in three seasons and scored 87 touchdowns, breaking Walker's mark with the final carry of his career. He gained 684 yards on 145 carries with nine touchdowns for a 4.7 yards per carry average. Commercials deleted. Why Jimbo Fisher, Quinn Ewers and USC all have plenty to prove in 2023, Five big college football questions to answer this offseason. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Now 52, the former heralded football recruit, whose career tragically vanished almost within no time, has now set foot in thepro-wrestlingring! "I was all over the state. He had to leave the game several times, participating in only 34 offensive plays. Back then, Dupree playing football in school had attracted national attention. "I'm getting lumped in with whatever Brett Favre and the governor had going on. The team gets off to a bad start, and Dupree suffers a leg injury during a game which takes him out of commission for a time. I just figured it was all being put into savings for me. Where is Michael Oher now, is he still playing football in 2023? He ran for 249 yards in the Fiesta Bowl, despite being overweight and out of shape. Alumni List. Prominent college football coaches turn up in person to speak to Dupree, and intense competition amongst them is expected. According to an audit conducted by White's office, $171,000 in TANF money was used as the down payment toward Dupree's home and surrounding property. Marcus Dupree, who rose to fame in Mississippi and beyond after a brief but impressive football career that became the subject of an ESPN documentary, is speaking out about his alleged role in a . Despite not starting until the seventh game of the season, Dupree still finished the season with 1,144 rushing yards, averaging a whopping 7.8 yards per carry. It wasin 1985, Dupree earned the starting position for the season opener against the Arizona Outlaws, during whichhe sufferedthat knee injury that ended his career with the USFL. An NCAA spokesman said Wednesday that feat is "legally" impossible. He died april 13, 1986, at the age of 42. Marcus Dupree was a national star as a freshman running back at the University of Oklahoma in 1982. I had the impression before I went to Oklahoma from just watching Coach Switzer on TV, Dupree told Sports Illustrated in 1983, that hes a hard guy and that he treats his players hard. Lily Wu Leaving KWCH 12: Where Is the Wichita News Anchor Going? This latest chapter of the Marcus Dupree Story is certainly another strange twist. BIOG: NAME: 2023 www.oklahoman.com. The circumstances surrounding Duprees departure from football takes a tremendous physical and emotional toll on him, and at the age of 23 he is described as being like an old man. Around 1989, Dupree comes to believe that he might be able to play football again and begins an intense training regimen, dropping over 100 pounds in the space of a few months. I have to give . Breakers fans saw him as a local boy made good; the Superdome was packed with large crowds by USFL standards.[10]. If marcus duprees story was a fairy tale, it would read like this: Dupree was the center of the most heated recruiting frenzy in. He finally got what he deserved. Most of the parents just wanted them to be around me. He plays his first high school game on September 8th, 1978, and amazes onlookers by scoring a touchdown on his very first play. D. Well see. He reported to campus late, missed the team photo and put on considerable weight. He also wrote that Dupree could have been the greatest running back of all time. At the same time, Dupree comes to feel that he is being treated unfairly and is not being given the same privileges and benefits of the other players, such as preferential housing and monetary compensation. However, he goes on to Oklahoma and is coached by Barry Switzer, who instantly recognizes Duprees talent and skill. Oklahoma sends several of its alumni, at that time celebrated NFL players, to Mississippi to speak to Dupree. What happened to Marcus Dupree? Read on to know more about the footballer-turned-pro wrestler in our Marcus Dupree wiki. According to the lawsuit, from August 2017 to September 2019 Dupree was paid $371,000 from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. Maurice Carthon. Yes, you read that right; hes wearing No. The superstar that he did not become and the man he is today are the subject of a new documentary airing. Dupree said he couldn't quantify how many times he mentored teens at his horse farm, but he says over the roughly two-year period he was paid by the state he also made 20 to 30 appearances working as a liaison for Families First, traveling Mississippi to speak in prisons and schools and recording radio commercials. Even with these setbacks, he still managed to run for a Fiesta Bowl record 249 yards, a record that still stands today. He had a quick, spectacular impact on Norman, and that fact did not help the relationship with his coach. Later that month, Dupree visits the University of Texas and decides to commit to joining that school, but upon returning to Mississippi he decides to visit the University of Oklahoma anyway. Im in pretty good spirits with that, he said. Marcus played spring football for the Golden Eagles and finished college at the university. But his name didn't appear with any frequency in the national media until the results of a state audit in Mississippi became public and a lawsuit was then filed by the state in May against Dupree, his foundation and dozens of other defendants. He didn't have a step to lose to begin with so , he left deciding to try to rehab and play at a JUCO or small college which never happened . But his name didn't appear with any frequency in the national media until the results of a state audit in Mississippi became public and a lawsuit was then filed by the state in May against Dupree, his foundation and dozens of other defendants. Others were just a step too slow., Connolly continued, But youll also find a select few individuals who had all the tools. The upstart league had initially sworn off underclassmen in hopes of appeasing college coaches and officials angered by the blockbuster signing of Herschel Walker after his junior year. He is an actor and producer, known for fragmented. Its how quick you get up., In other news, Did Steph Curry go bald? Tamana Ali-bey 1964-1968. He is plagued by anxiety, and on February 25th, 1985, Dupree suffers a terrible knee injury during his starting game. Coach Switzer says I dont practice that well. If there was anyone in the history of . In 1984, he joined the United States Football League and signed with the New Orleans Breakers. It never reached the point that Dupree asked if he might be welcomed if he wanted to return to OU to play in the fall, though it turns out he would be athletically eligible if he could become scholastically eligible. In 1991, Dupree missed the first seven games due to a toe injury suffered in practice. The superstar that he did not become and the man he is today are the subject of a new documentary airing. He finished his career with 251 yards on 68 carries during regular season play, for a 3.7 yards-per-carry average, rushing for one touchdown. He said his message is simple. 1n 1985 and 1986, Dupree missed two more years of football with knee injuries he sustained in the USFL. "I mentored the kids through the horses by having responsibility, cleaning the stalls, and, if you got good with that, I'd let you ride a horse. After Dupree had been out of football for four years, he met with Walter Payton on some business ventures and Payton urged him to get back into shape to try out for the NFL again in 1990. Geneva Alexander 1976-1980. The Breakers moved to Portland, Oregon for the 1985 season. The player maintains that Switzer. The problem is, its not like high school when Coach (Joe) Wood made it fun. On Wednesday, Dupree denied wrongdoing in an interview with ESPN. The Best Marcus Dupree Brother Reggie Died Ideas. Dupree scored 87 touchdowns total during his playing time in high school, breaking the national high school record (set by Herschel Walker) by one. I then looked down at my knee and, literally, tore the cast off. In 1983, Dupree declared hed be transferring to Southern Mississippi. Dupree said he was not aware the money New had used to pay him had come from misappropriated welfare funds. "Marcus doesn't want to play football and he doesn't want to go to college," said the OU coach. After his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma, Marcus Dupree was on pace to become one of the all-time great college football running backs. After five and a half years away, he attempted a comeback to the NFL in 1990 with the Los Angeles Rams. Kiper's new Big Board rankings for the 2023 NFL draft: Top 25 prospects, Wambach to quit company over Favre allegations, Favre charity gave to USM while he sought funds, Texts: Ex-gov. He was also the MVP of the Fiesta Bowl, rushing for 239 yards. Follow@BillyWatkins11 on Twitter. My dreams were over.. "Neither Mr. Dupree, nor his foundation, will be making any payment in response to your demand. It would be the best for his family. ESPN and First Take regular Marcus Spears married to former WNBA player. Life, to me, is like a football game. This change in play style pays off, as Dupree utilizes it to achieve touchdowns. Favre has denied wrongdoing. Whether he will find still another NCAA school, transfer to a small college where he can play football this fall, or whether he will turn pro. White told ESPN such purchases "would be unallowable because of the prohibition against purchasing real property with TANF funds." He played in only five games in the 1983 season because of nagging injuries and suffering a concussion against Texas. All 3 counts., And at that exact moment, a rainbow popped out of nowhere, Dupree said Tuesday. That was wrong. Its not how long you stay down. But due to his injuries, he had to sit out for most of his games. Dupree has appeared in regional commercials including Hyundai and was cast in a 2017 feature film, One Mile to You. Armisael Allure 2002-2006. Dupree broke many records in both high school and college. College recruiters come out in droves to court Dupree; he estimates that several hundred schools attempted to recruit him. He couldnt play college football again until 1985. Why do the Jacksonville Jaguars say Duval? He also finished with 13 touchdowns and was the MVP of the Fiesta Bowl, rushing for 239 yards. Dupree does his best to keep in shape, and in early 1984 decides to leave Southern Mississippi in order to sign with the USFL. Dupree had already displayed his supreme athletic prowess while at Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Mississippi. . After taking a week off, Dupree surprisingly announced he was leaving Oklahoma and would be enrolling at Southern Mississippi. What has seldom been exaggerated in the stories produced by the marvelous high school career of Marcus Dupree is the scope of his talents. Contact Billy Watkins at 769-257-3079 orbwatkins@jackson.gannett.com. Feb 14, 2009. Dupree told ESPN he "was shocked" when he learned that Nancy New, the head of one of the nonprofits, the Mississippi Community Education Center, had pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts of bribery, fraud and racketeering. And it would be the best for Barry Switzer and the OU Sooners. He is not sure of his plans at this time, but it is obvious he will not be playing football at U.S.M.. He returned to professional football in 1990, playing in 15 games over two seasons for the Los Angeles Rams before being waived prior to the 1992 season. Few athletes have been blessed with the size, power and speed of Dupree. He starred for the Memphis Showboats. Meet the Inspiring NFL On-Air Personality, Who Is Will Hardy? I didn't even know about that, nothing. As a result, he was given the starting tailback position over Stanley Wilson and was named Big Eight Offensive Player of the Week. The following summer, dupree received an icelandic citizenship and as a result his playing time and performance increased with his averages jumping to 11.4 points in 2 He died april 13, 1986, at the age of 42. In February of 2020, agents from the State Auditor's Office arrested Nancy New, her son Zach New, Davis, retired wrestler Brett DiBiase, agency employee Latimer Smith, and nonprofit accountant Ann. Returning in week 8, he played more often and scored his only NFL touchdown that year. But it has done one thing: the American public should finally realize that the University of Oklahoma wasn't totally to blame for what happened while he was there. In 1984, marcus dupree signed with the new orleans breakers of the usfl and had a pretty good season, scoring nine touchdowns. Despite not starting until the seventh game of the season, Dupree finished with 1,144 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Dupree finds himself overwhelmed by the attention and uncertain of what to do, particularly after his relatives weigh in with their own feelings on the matter. He is plagued by anxiety, and on February 25th, 1985, Dupree suffers a terrible knee injury during his starting game. He finished his high school career with 7,355 rushing yards with an 8.3-yards-per-carry average. Marcus Dupree was born on 22 May 1964 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, USA. Dupree was placed on injured reserve, meaning he would have to sit out for four weeks before he could play for the Rams.[12]. He also played on Philadelphia High's basketball team, which finished the year with a 334 record and reached the semifinals of the Mississippi state basketball tournament, and played first base and catcher for the baseball team, hitting for a .481 average.[3]. Today, Marcus is a 46-year-old part-time truck driver, struggling to get . Ive got grand kids. Marcus dupree was one of the most exciting college football prospects of all time. Hopefully, Ill have a couple of more (movies) coming up pretty soon. "I have a lawyer, and I'm just waiting to see how it all pans out," Dupree said. However, after a federal judge ruled that the eligibility rule violated antitrust law, the Breakerswho had just moved from Bostonquickly persuaded the New Jersey Generals to give up their territorial rights to Dupree (OU was among the Generals' territorial schools) in return for their first-round pick in the 1985 USFL Draft. Dupree, the film notes early on, earned the respect, and even the awe, of everyone who saw him play, including the deputy sheriff linked to the murders, Cecil Ray Price (in 1967, despite the. He finished the season with 179 yards on 49 carries with one touchdown, in eight games played. Shortly after that, he signed the deal with the Breakers. Dupree and Fairley have been at odds for some time now after the former Oklahoma football star alleged that Fairley cheated him out of millions of dollars in the 1980's. Dupree sued Fairley for. However, he discovers that he is being cheated out of his salary by his agent Ken Fairley; Fairley has power of attorney and keeps intercepting Duprees paychecks under the pretense of investing them. [7], On January 1, 1983, Dupree's freshman season ended with a 32-21 Fiesta Bowl loss against Arizona State. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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