Marquez Johnson, former A&M walk-on, making waves as an amateur boxer

Key notes from Marquez Johnson interview

• My mom is excited and proud of what I've been able to do in sports and school. We were just talking this morning about how excited she was that I was joining this radio show. She loves to follow the A&M football team and all of the recruiting. TexAgs is one of the outlets she likes to do that through.
   
• When I was a player at A&M, I used to host recruits and guys that eventually became teammates of mine. I was fortunate enough to be a regular student and a student-athlete, so I could show both sides to the guys that were visiting campus. I felt like I did it all and had a better understanding and could share that with other guys.
   
• I was a star of whatever sport I played when I was a kid. At A&M, it was different not being a star. It was a humbling experience, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It helped me understand that you're not always the main character. It helped me appreciate all of the reps. That has transferred to everything in my life. Like when I started boxing, I wasn't the best guy in the gym. I've gotten trained, and I've worked hard, so now I'm the best guy in our gym and beating gyms from other gyms.
   
• I'm from West Dallas, in the inner city. I grew up in a single-parent home, and my mother raised four kids herself. She worked hard to put food on the table, so we didn't get to see her all of the time. My older brother and I helped raise our younger siblings. Our escape was playing sports. I took sports and school very seriously. That kept us out of trouble. The environment we grew up in had gangs and a high crime rate, but I wanted to create my own path. During my freshman year in high school, I came to a crossroads where I had to decide to separate myself from people that I grew up with. I had a deep conversation with my mom and my older brother about the things we wanted to accomplish. It helped me see how to get where I wanted.
   
• In my mindset, I always believed in myself. I always believed in my talent. I knew that with my work ethic, I could do anything that I set my mind to. In middle school, I was already picking out what NFL team I wanted to play for. When I was in high school, I wasn't getting much recruiting attention. Our team wasn't very good, so we were never in the limelight. I wasn't getting any responses when I sent coaches my film. My situation wasn't fortunate enough to help me get recruited. As a junior, I knew I needed to get on a college field to show those coaches what I could do. I wanted that so much so I could get my family out of the predicament we were in. I knew I could play. I didn't understand the concept of being a walk-on until my friend told me about it. Once I researched it and found more information about it, I set my mind to it.
   
• I was ranked No. 5 in my class as a junior. My counselor told me I could get an academic full-ride to any school in Texas and get into any school in the nation. I looked up great schools in Texas, and Texas A&M was the first school that came up. I got to campus, did a tour, and loved it. I didn't tour any other school.
   
• I was training during the summer before my freshman year for walk-on tryouts, but I had misread the walk-on time. When I showed up, everyone was leaving the indoor complex. I felt sick, and like I had failed my family. I was hurt. I started class as a freshman and being a regular student. I was in the rec center playing basketball. A friend of mine got into a confrontation with another dude, who was probably like 6-2. I stood my ground for my friend. That guy told me to come to his boxing gym because he liked me. I went to downtown Bryan, and that's where I learned everything about boxing. I got in the ring with my gloves on against this dude I met from the rec. I go all out for a couple of rounds and tire myself out. Coach Carl Perry told him to turn it up. He comes at me and starts wailing on me. This happens for like three minutes. After the round, I realized how legit this was. I lasted another round, landed two punches, but I got wailed on again. Coach Carl told me it took a lot of guts to get in the ring. I was hurting, but coach Carl liked my grit and invited me back.
   
• I had just lost my first love with football, but I found boxing. I was there the next day and started training. I had just fallen in love with it. I had watch it as a kid, but I had never understood how to box. The rest is history.
   
• While I was a student at A&M, I had to do an essay for an English class, and I was looking up presidents and people in American history. I came across Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote a poem called "Man in the Arena." It spoke to me. I came up with "MITA," and that's what I go by in the boxing ring. As a walk-on, you don't get a lot of credit, but the man in the arena deserves the credit. I'm hoping to be a champion of the world in the next few years.
   
• I had just won the Houston Golden Glove. I was high on boxing and could see my future in it after I finished my undergrad. During my senior year, my friend sent me the walk-on flyer and said I should try it out. I hadn't played in a while, and I was worried about getting let down again. Coach Carl told me to try it out, and at the end of the day, boxing would still be there.
   
• At walk-on tryouts, it's a big deal for guys to do the drills correctly and stand up straight. However, coaches are also looking for people who are rooting for their teammates. People thought I was crazy for rooting for people who could take my spot. Larry McDonald pulled me aside and told me that he loved my energy. I made the team. I was at practice, and I was there. I was amazed that something I had finally worked for was finally here. I brought energy. I like to think I was the glue on my side of the locker room.
   
• I initially played running back under coach Graham. He's super intelligent. It was awesome to be under a guy like that. My real position is strong safety. I told coach Elko I could be a better fit over there. I messed up on a couple of drills at first, but he told me to try things differently at the position. His personality overwhelms a room. He makes jokes and remarks that only those inside the safety room can understand. On the field, he's business. Off the field, he's always trying to help us and make each individual thrive in games and practice. I love coach Elko. He's a great guy.
   
• Coach Fisher is in the limelight, but he's so similar to coach Elko. Fisher is a perfectionist. He demands perfection every day, in every rep. That rubs off on other people. Now you see other players who demand excellence too. If you missed a rep, we'd start back over. If you were 30 seconds late, there were consequences. Coach Fisher demands excellence in everything we do, and that's changing the culture at Texas A&M.
   
• Mikado Hinson is a huge boxing guy. When you walk down the hallway, he's always punching the air. One day, he was punching the air, so we started shadow boxing. Ever since then, it has been all love with us. He's friends with prominent boxers. Mikado actually gave me the opportunity to go to the Dominican Republic, which was such a tremendous and humbling experience.