Joe Gaiter: What does football mean to you?
Ke’Tryus Marks: Besides God and my family, Football means almost everything to me. There has been a limitless amount of sacrifices that I have made for this sport and I don’t regret a single one. Football has been a sport that I have been around my whole life and it has also been a sport that I have been playing since I was five years old.
Joe Gaiter: Tell me about your season this year?
Ke’Tryus Marks: My season this past year was a season that I never will forget. I can truly say that I put my all into it and left everything that I had in me on the field week in and week out for my school, coaches, and my teammates. I set goals and met them and I also stepped up and became the leader that my teammates and coaches asked me to be.
Joe Gaiter: How hungry are you to make the NFL?
Ke’Tryus Marks: Out of all due respect hungry is an understatement ! I’m starving to reach the NFL ! I passed the hungry stage a long time ago. If I had given a visual example of how bad I want it then you can compare me to the person who hasn’t ate for weeks and their stomach is touching their back! That’s just how bad I want it.
Joe Gaiter: What will you miss most about playing college ball?
Ke’Tryus Marks: The thing I will miss the most about playing college football will be the relationships that I built with my teammates and of course game day. There was a special feeling that you would get when you are preparing for a game and it’s very hard to describe. I will miss the jokes in the locker room, the bond that we made as a team, and most importantly going to war with my teammates each and every Saturday.
Joe Gaiter: What would you tell yourself if you could go back to your freshman year?
Ke’Tryus Marks: If I could go back in time I would tell the freshman version of myself to have fun and enjoy the game that you love. My freshman year, I would overthink everything when it came to football. I personally think that if I would have taken more time to enjoy the process that comes along with being a freshman, then it would have been a smoother sail down the line for me.
Joe Gaiter: Why should someone pick you over someone that plays your same position?
Ke’Tryus Marks: The reason why I should be be picked over someone else that plays the same position as me is because I am “different breed”. I think different, I play different ,I react to things different , I’m just different ! I’m the type of person that excels the most when the pressure is at its peak. I have kill or be killed mentality when it comes to competing, and I also have the confidence of a championship boxer. I possess what some would call the “IT Factor” and that is hard to come by.
Joe Gaiter: Have you reached your athletic peak?
Ke’Tryus Marks: In my personal opinion I haven’t even scratched the surface of my athletic peak. The best is yet to come for me and the sun is the limit.
Joe Gaiter: What is your motivation on the field?
Ke’Tryus Marks: When I’m on the football field my goals ,my aspirations, and my family are the biggest motivational factors that motivate me. I naturally possess self motivation, but it’s always good to have something that adds fuel to the fire for you.
Joe Gaiter: Do you have a backup if you don’t get drafted?
Ke’Tryus Marks: When it comes to back up plans Im a firm believer that when you entertain Plan B you open up the first window for Plan A to fail. However, I will say that the Good Lord has blessed me with two degrees and I will be successful at whatever occupation I choose to pursue after football.
Joe Gaiter: Who is your agent and why did you chose them?
Ke’Tryus Marks: My agent is Seth Needleman. The reason why I chose to sign with him is because after praying and discussing things over with my family , I felt as if he was the best person to sign with to help me pursue my dreams.
Joe Gaiter: Where and how often are you training?
Ke’Tryus Marks: For the past couple of months I have been training in Boca Raton ,Florida at Impact Sports Performance, and I have been going there 6 days out of the week.
Joe Gaiter: Tell me about your proday?
Ke’Tryus Marks: My pro day went well, there were a few things that I know for a fact I could’ve done better on, but at the end of the day the good outweighs the bad.
Joe Gaiter: What do you want your legacy to be?
Ke’Tryus Marks: When it’s all said and done , I want my legacy to be “ One of a Kind “ . I truly feel that I am one of kind and I want to show my peers and the world that I am truly different. When people are at home or in the barbershop speaking about sports when my name comes up I want them to be able to say you won’t find another Ke’Tyrus Marks !
Joe Gaiter: As we get closer to the draft day, have you enjoyed this ride?
Ke’Tryus Marks: As the draft approaches I can say that I have enjoyed the ride and the pre draft process. There has been ups and downs but it all comes with the territory and this is something signed up for.
Joe Gaiter: Final Words/Shoutouts?
Ke’Tryus Marks: For my final words I would like to give all the glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I would also like to thank everyone that has helped me get this far. Finally , I would like to thank Gaiter Sports for their time and also for the interview.
