At 6’4’’ and 307 pounds, Ali Marpet was hard to miss on the field during Sunday night’s game against the Tennessee Titans. With the start of the 2015 NFL season, Marpet traded in his number 55 Hobart jersey for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey embellished with the number 74.
Selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers, Marpet became the only Division III rookie starting for any NFL team in the 2015 season.
During training camp, Marpet competed against two teammates, Kadeem Edwards, and Garrett Gilkey, for the starting right guard spot. While competing for the spot, the three players rotated between the first and second team to determine who would be the best fit at the starting position.
“I think it was a smooth transition,” said Marpet in regards to the selection process. “I know moving forward we’re still going to be rotating at right guard and I know the position is up for grabs, but it was a smooth transition to start with the two’s and then finally getting reps with the one’s today. And again, I still have a lot of things to work on.”
Marpet was very successful at training camp, struggling only with the hot and humid Florida temperatures. In comparison to his time practicing in Geneva, training in Florida will take some getting used to. However, come December, he will probably be relieved to have escaped the upstate New York winters!
In regards to his time on Boswell Field with the Hobart Football Team compared to his time thus far with the Buccaneers, Marpet explained that, “the biggest difference, again, is the quickness. The strength I’ve been able to handle, but everything is so quick, the whole game. It’s just a lot faster.”
Luckily, having just signed four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Ali Marpet will have time to adjust to the speed of the NFL.
If you’re looking to cheer on Marpet and watch him represent Hobart in the big leagues, then tune in on September 20th at 1pm to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the New Orleans Saints!