By Tiffany Williams –
By Tiffany Williams –
Athletes are often perceived merely as their on-field personas, known for their incredible skills and athletic achievements, like catching three touchdown passes, sinking four three-pointers, or hitting home runs in consecutive games. However, behind every athlete lies a complex individual with a rich personal narrative that extends far beyond the realm of sports.
For many Black athletes, their journeys are steeped in stories of adversity and resilience. Growing up in inner-city neighborhoods where challenges abound, the path to athletic success is often fraught with obstacles. For numerous young Black individuals in these urban environments, sports like football and basketball serve as critical avenues for transformation and opportunities to transcend life’s hardships.
Marquis Buchanan, a wide receiver for the University of Rhode Island (URI) football team, exemplifies this narrative of perseverance. At just 21 years old, Marquis embodies humility and hope, qualities that resonate in his voice when he speaks. He describes himself as a “quiet guy” who prefers to let his performance on the field speak for itself. “I’m really just a stay-low-key type of guy, and, you know, I just perform on the field,” he shares, highlighting his preference for humility over self-promotion.
When it comes to his performance, URI Head Coach Jim Fleming acknowledges Marquis’s consistency and potential for greatness. “He’s a consistent performer, and I still think that there’s more ahead of him,” Fleming states, underlining the coach’s belief in Marquis’s evolving abilities.
Marquis’ high school career is a testament to his talent and hard work on the field. He concluded his time at Classical High School in Providence, Rhode Island with impressive statistics: 165 receptions for 3,178 yards and 33 touchdowns, complemented by 45 rushes for 440 yards and four touchdowns. His senior year was particularly significant as he led his team to a state championship, a triumph that came in the wake of a pandemic that disrupted so many lives.
In 2022, during his freshman year at URI, Marquis didn’t play in any games. However, 2023 marked his emergence on the collegiate stage. He made his much-anticipated debut on August 31, catching his first collegiate touchdown pass during a thrilling matchup against Georgia State. With the game tied at 21 in the third quarter, quarterback Kasim Hill found Marquis, who then sprinted into the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown that put URI ahead, securing a key moment in the contest. He also made a notable 73-yard reception later in the game, showcasing his ability to make significant contributions when it mattered most.
Reflecting on the exhilaration of that first touchdown, Marquis expressed how monumental it felt. “Me scoring that, that was my first catch, so my first catch being my first touchdown was an amazing feeling,” he recounted. “It was incredible to get my feet wet in that atmosphere. On the sidelines, all the guys were so happy for me—they kept me upbeat throughout camp because I had my doubts about what the season would hold. So, there was a great feeling on the sideline after we took that lead.”
Marquis continued to demonstrate his skills throughout the 2023 season, finishing with four touchdowns. As the 2024 season commenced, he quickly found success, scoring his first touchdown against Campbell on September 14.
Coach Fleming expressed pride in Marquis’ efforts, particularly praising his resilience after a challenging game a week prior, saying, “He came off a tough game two games ago and followed up with two good performances.” In that game, Marquis caught four passes for 48 yards alongside his crucial touchdown. Fleming noted, “It was the third quarter and the bomb that Devon was able to put on his fingertips—that wasn’t an easy catch, but that’s what Marquis does for us.”
Beyond football, Marquis was a multi-sport athlete in high school, showcasing his versatility by also playing basketball and running track.
However, the story of Marquis Buchanan begins long before his athletic endeavors.
Born on September 11, 2003, Marquis entered the world weighing just five pounds and ten ounces as the youngest of twin boys to Stephen Walker and Charlotte Buchanan. Growing up in the coastal community of Providence, Rhode Island, Marquis was the fifth child in a family of two brothers and three sisters, living on the North side of the city during his elementary years at Carl G. Lauro Elementary School.
When asked what it was like growing up with five siblings, Marquis says, “I mean, it was pretty cool. It can get hectic at times, but you know, it was pretty fun.”
As for being a twin brother, Marquis says, they pretty much did almost everything together, and yes, his mom even tried to make them match a lot, although they didn’t really like it. When they were younger, they had their arguments, but as they got older, Marquis said, “Our bond just got better. So we’re pretty close now.”
Tragedy struck when Marquis was just eight years old. On November 11, 2012, a seemingly ordinary day transformed into a life-altering moment. While enjoying time with his father, Stephen, and watching football, a tragic turn of events occurred. After stepping away briefly, Stephen returned but fell asleep on the couch. Marquis called for his mom, who was in another room with his sister. Despite the response from Charlotte, who called an ambulance as she sensed the urgency, Stephen passed away from a heart attack—a profound loss that would leave an indelible mark on Marquis’ life.
Stephen himself had been a multi-sport athlete in high school, filled with aspirations until an injury complicated by diabetes led to the amputation of his left leg, severely altering his life trajectory.
Reflecting on his childhood, Marquis recalls his closeness with his father, describing how they spent nearly every day together. The impact of losing his dad was immeasurable. However, Marquis has chosen to channel that pain into resilience, stating, “You just learn to live.” This mindset drives Marquis not only in his athletic pursuits but also in facing life’s challenges with determination and hope.
Charlotte, Marquis says, made countless sacrifices for him and his siblings. While attending Roger Williams Middle School in Providence, she struggled with a substance abuse issue, which compelled her to seek help and get clean for the sake of her family. Despite her challenges, she ensured that her children were always provided for—clothing on their backs, food on the table, and a roof over their heads. “She made sure everything happened, no matter what type of situation she was in,” Marquis reflects with gratitude.
As his mother sought treatment, Marquis initially moved in with his second oldest sister, Leondra, before finding a new home with his older brother’s dad. This transition marked a new chapter during his middle school years.
At Roger Williams, Marquis found support that would become vital during his formative years. With Christina Gibbons, not only his principal but also his aunt, along with his math teacher and guidance counselor, he felt a network of care surrounding him. “Especially when my mom went away for a little while. So, all the teachers over there have a special place in my heart,” he expresses, highlighting the profound impact of their compassion.
Attending Classical High School after going to Roger Williams was at first a tough adjustment for Marquis. His freshman year, he barely stayed on the football team. But he knew he just had to focus, and his coaches, he said, looked out for him as much as they could to make sure he was on the right path.
Marquis’ uncle knew the teachers and the principals at Classical, so once he got in, he said, “It was pretty much like a, it was a great fit for me. The friends I made there, I talk to them almost every day now. So, it was great there. Between sports and just all the pep rallies that we did, you know, all the activities we had there, it was great.”
Even today, Marquis finds solace in revisiting Classical, where he encourages current students to work hard, embrace the process, and perfect their craft. His experiences serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration.
Marquis has dedicated himself to hard work, unwavering trust in the process, and a relentless pursuit of perfecting his craft since he first stepped onto the field at the age of seven. This journey has not been without its challenges; however, Marquis has faced life’s obstacles with resilience and determination.
His athletic journey began when he was just on the cusp of turning eight, as he took his first steps onto the football field. By the age of ten, he expanded his horizons and started playing basketball. During these formative years, Marquis found himself caught in the thrill of competition, unsure of which sport truly resonated with him. Nevertheless, he made a commitment to himself to continue playing both sports until he reached a point where he could no longer do so.
Marquis’s early football career blossomed with Mt. Hope Cowboys, a youth team located in Providence, where he played until he turned 14. Reflecting on this time, Marquis shared, “All those people over there are basically family too, you know, they always shout me out. They always ask me to come back, and I try to go as much as I can.” The bonds he formed during these years served as a strong foundation for his athletic journey.
However, it was at Classical High School that Marquis truly honed his skills and prepared for a future in Division One NCAA football. Under the guidance of Coach Kris McCall, a former Division I quarterback at UConn, Marquis received the mentorship he needed to excel. “He already had all the tools to become a Division 1 athlete,” Marquis explained. He took Marquis on a visit to Boston College, exposing him to the high level of competition he would encounter in the future. “He prepared me as if I was going to be a Division 1 football player, so all props go to him in preparing me,” Marquis acknowledged.
Marquis’s senior year at Classical became a pivotal moment in his career. Under the leadership of Coach McCall, he propelled his team to a state championship victory. Recalling the journey, Marquis stated, “We had just lost in the spring, our semi-final game, so all the guys that were juniors that year, you know, going into senior year, we knew we had to come back with a vengeance, and we knew like, looking at our schedule, we have a good shot to, you know, get to where we want to be, and like I said, all the guys that were on that team were pretty much, we pretty much hung out with each other every day, all day, so the chemistry on that team was great, and just playing with those guys and able to win, you know, the way we did in our senior year, you know, it was a great feeling.”
Coach McCall, when talking about what type of athlete Marquis was at Classical, and what type of student all around Marquis was said, “Marquis was always a very good football player. He started for us when he was a freshman. He was Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year, a highly competitive kid, a leader definitely that coaches would dream for when he was younger. Being a young kid, I think he was used to the Pop Warner system and being able to do whatever he wanted to do. High school was a lot more structured for him, so that was a learning curve originally. I think he found out very quickly as a freshman when he started that I had high expectations of him, and I let him know about that. He took the coaching very well and basically became one of the best captains we’ve ever had at Classical. His senior year wasn’t even about him. It was about the team, and when your best athlete does that, then the sky was the limit.”
Talking about how he prepared Marquis for Division I football as an athlete, but as an individual, as a person, Coach McCall stated, “I would say, I’m not from Rhode Island, and I think one of the things that I learned being here now is that there’s very few people that go places that the kids can touch. There are kids that go places. We’ve had a number of outstanding athletes in the area. Xavier Truss that played at Georgia, and Will Blackmon that played at Boston College, and Jamie Silva played at East Providence, and Classical’s had five Division I kids, Power Five kids. I think how I prepared him was giving him my own experience since I was a scholarship athlete at UConn, playing football, letting him know how things were going to be, and having high expectations. I think originally when Marquise was on the team as a freshman, we had to break some habits and break him, like I said, of those things that he felt like he could just do whatever he wanted to do. As a sophomore, I don’t know if he really believed the fact that he could be a scholarship kid at the Division I level. I think he thought he was going to be Rhode Island good. I think along with his mother, his family, and his uncle, I think we all prepared him. I think from the football perspective, he needed to get away from thinking he was a basketball player, because originally Marquis was all into basketball. I’m glad he finally realized that because he almost lost some opportunities because he thought he was a basketball player for so long. I think grabbing him, taking him around the country, and spending that type of quality time, I think that’s ultimately how he got to be who he is. We talked about always being hungry, and this year, we talked about being starving. So originally, when Marquis wasn’t playing because he was a true freshman, he wasn’t used to that because he was always one of the better kids on the team. So he wasn’t used to the college atmosphere of not playing, and I told him he has to prepare now that he’s the man, like he’s starving. Not just hungry, but he’s got to be starving.”
In high school, Marquis garnered three Division 1 scholarship offers, specifically from the University of Rhode Island (URI), the University of New Hampshire, and Sacred Heart University. Coach Fleming at URI was the first one to extend an offer after Marquis’ junior year. It was during his official visit to URI that Marquis felt an instant connection with the program. The familiarity of being at home made it an easy choice, as Marquis could visit his family whenever he wanted. That made a significant impact on his decision.
Now, at 21 years old, looking back at his younger self, Marquis reflects on the motivations he would share with the seven-year-old version of himself. “I would tell him to just keep training hard and push yourself even harder than you think you need to. It gets really hectic as you get older.”
As he contemplates the next steps in his journey, Marquis has set his sights on entering the NFL Draft. “Definitely, that’s the ultimate goal for me,” he said with conviction. Since Marquis was seven, he has dreamed of getting drafted and pursuing his aspirations. His mom, he said, has always believed that he would be as tall as his dad and one day make it to the NFL, and Marquis said, “I’m determined to follow that path.”
When asked about whether he sees himself finishing his degree at URI or considering entering the draft early, Marquis admitted that question has been on his mind a lot—even during the offseason. It’s something he says he has been weighing heavily. But right now, Marquis is concentrating on the 2024 season, aiming to finish strong, hoping to make it to the playoffs, and win a conference championship, with hopes for an FCS championship.
When asked about Marquis going pro, Coach McCall stated, “Well, I think Marquis can be a pro football player. He has every gift to do that. He’s 6’3″, 6’4″, he’s got an over 40 inch vertical, he runs 4-6, he’s as quick as a cat, so he can play slot. I think overall, Marquise sometimes needs to slow down and make the simple catches. Sometimes, he catches the difficult balls, and sometimes his concentration wanes because he’s trying to catch the easy ball. I think sometimes he drops those. So I think, if I had to say, one of his weaknesses is that he would just lock into those simple catches. But, having said all that, I think that’s something you can correct. The things that make him innately unusual are his height, his quickness, his jumping ability, and his overall tenacity. I’ve had some great wideouts, Jehlani Galloway would catch a ball no matter where you put it. He’s going to catch it, play to BC. We’ve had some Franklin Santos go to Syracuse, we’ve had Mezo Cooper that went to Rutgers. We’ve had some kids, and Marquis’ overall tenacity, he’s a wideout, but when he catches a ball, he wants to be a running back. You don’t find a lot of 6’4″, 6’3″, kids that have his type of athleticism that will catch a ball and not try to run by you, but try to run you over to set a tone. Ultimately, because of all that, I think he would be a great pro. I think him being in his red shirt sophomore year, I think all the other stuff’s coming just like it’s come. I think the more focus, the better route running, all that stuff is going to come with his development in college. But I absolutely think by the time he’s done with his eligibility in college, he can be a pro.”
Marquis’s elementary school had a motto: “Be Responsible. Be Respectful. Be Ready.” Engaging in conversation with Marquis, it’s clear that his elementary school motto embodies the essence of who he is. He stands as a testament to overcoming the odds and becoming a person poised to embrace whatever life throws his way.