Marshall brothers look to keep Lions undefeated

On the defensive side of the ball for the Columbus Lions, you may see two brothers on the field at the same time, though the only way you may be able to tell is looking at the name on the back of the jerseys.

Veteran defensive back and third-year Lion Roshawn Marshall is joined this year in Columbus by defensive lineman Joseph Marshall. The two differ greatly in size, with younger Joseph nearly a half-foot taller and 100 pounds heavier, but that is where the differences stop. Both have the same heart, athleticism, and drive to help the Columbus defense maintain its stature as the stingiest in American Indoor Football.

The Columbus Lions (3-0) look to keep their undefeated streak alive as they battle the Myrtle Beach Freedom (2-1) on Saturday night in the Columbus Civic Center.

The two are actually half-brothers, with the same father but different mothers, but you wouldn’t know it from talking to them. Both speak of the other as if they are 100 percent flesh and blood related.

“Ro was always like my hero when it came to football, any other sport, or anything; he was my guy,” said Joseph.

“I tried to stay sharp when I knew he was watching me and tried to set a good example for him,” Roshawn said. “It was crazy because we grew up in different households. He grew up in Clearwater, (Fla.), and I grew up in Tarpon Springs, (Fla.). It was weird remembering him as a baby, and now he’s grown and I’m the little big brother.

“I took a lot of my mom’s genes. I always wanted to be a 6’2” corner(back),” Roshawn said with a laugh.

“Roshawn took the athlete genes, and I took the big guy genes,” said Joseph. “Trying to do what he did made me better on my feet, made me quicker, and made me like the big athlete.”

Both took their father’s athleticism in football, where the elder Marshall excelled as a linebacker.

“In Clearwater, we had a weight limit, so at age 8, I was already playing with the 10 year olds,” Joseph said. “When I was 9, I was playing with the 130 (pound) kids who were 13 and 14. After that, I just couldn’t play because I was too big, so I had to sit out from football for five years until I played again in high school. In other sports I was playing like baseball and basketball, I would wear (Roshawn’s) number in those sports to still have that vibe.”

Their careers took different paths in the early stages of playing professionally until both of them landed with the Richmond Raiders in the PIFL in 2013.

“We played together in Richmond, but I was new, so I didn’t get the best opportunity to play. We didn’t get a whole season to play together, but it was still cool,” said Joseph.

“We didn’t really bond until he played with me three years ago in Richmond,” Roshawn said.

After the 2013 season in Richmond, their paths deviated once again. While Roshawn came to Columbus to play for the Lions, Joseph was elsewhere in the state, playing for the PIFL’s Georgia Fire in Rome.

“When I was in Richmond, we had some battles with Columbus,” Roshawn said. “I knew about the Lions over the years, that they were a good organization. Once we lost to Alabama in the championship, I was burned out. I started my career in Spokane, and I mostly played on the West Coast and Midwest; I wanted to play in the South so my family can see me play. I knew my career was winding down, so I wanted to finish my career down south.”

The bond Roshawn shares with his fellow defensive back, all-time indoor football interception leader Damian Daniels, is a special one.

“Any time someone has 100 interceptions, that’s going to catch your eye,” said Roshawn. “I always respected his game and told him if the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to play with him.

“He and I think the same way. We watch a lot of film. We understand the game. We understand what they’re trying to do to us, stuff over the years we’ve picked up. Our game complements each other. I do things better than him, he does things better than me. We’re the same player mentally, but our games are different, like a yin and a yang. We feed off each other. We’re always on the same page.”

Finally this season, the two Marshall brothers have been on the field together each of the first three games and have had an impact. Roshawn had an interception returned to the two yard line in last week’s win over Atlanta, while Joseph recovered a fumble in the end zone for a defensive score in the Lions’ Week 1 blowout victory over the Georgia Firebirds.

“(Roshawn) told me it was an awesome place,” Joseph said of Columbus. “He told me about the fans and that it’s a good environment.

“My thing was the motorcycles in pregame. I always wanted to run out of those motorcycles.”

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Marshall brothers look to keep Lions undefeated."