Ponte Vedra High School receiver Marshall Few finished his whirlwind senior year only three points shy of a perfect season. But, that whirlwind season has now turned into the perfect storm as he signed on the dotted line to attend the University of Miami and become a Hurricane.
“My dad is a lifetime military man,” Few said. “He’s been in the Army for 30 years, and I always had the dream of attending a service academy to play football. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I wasn’t sure what was coming next.”
And even after a record shattering regular season continued with the school’s unprecedented run through the FHSAA playoffs, not many colleges made serious calls. Coming into his senior season there were glimpses of what Few could do along with the talented group of players that he had been with since middle school. In his sophomore and junior seasons, he caught a total of 44 passes for 623 yards and eight TDs. He almost doubled all those numbers in an incredible senior year as he teamed up with lifelong teammate, quarterback Nick Tronti (Indiana signee).
“I played with most of those guys for seven or eight years,” Few said. “Our core group really stayed together, and it truly was like a big family. Standing on the field in our team huddle after the last regular season game, I looked around and just couldn’t believe how long I had known some of those guys. And to make the run we did in the state playoffs really was that story book ending that everyone was talking about. I mean, I had known Nick since pre-school.”
Few ended his senior year with 65 catches for 1,171 yards and 11 touchdowns. But it was his performance in the 5A championship game against powerhouse American Heritage that got his phone ringing. He started the game with a 76-yard TD on a short pass and explosive dash to the end zone. In the second quarter, he caught a critical 18-yard pass on a fake punt followed by another TD catch to keep the game close. At the end of the 35-33 loss, he had six catches for 154 yards and two TD’s.
“We lost the lacrosse state championship at the end of my junior year, and we really wanted to finish it in football,” Few said. “Heritage had 22 guys on their roster who had Division I offers. We had one. It just goes to show you what a team can accomplish when you all believe in one another.”
“I had visited the academies (Army and Navy) and really thought that was going to be it,” Few said. “I was disappointed when I didn’t get in. But when I got to Miami and met with Coach (Mark) Richt, it just seemed perfect. The stories that the coaches and players told me about Coach Richt were really pretty incredible…just so solid. It made the decision easy. I’m a Hurricane.”
Marshall’s story around his high school campus has been written in much the same way. His dad encouraged him to seek out an FCA group in the area, and when he found out the group at his school had been dormant for a time, he decided to do something about it. He rallied friends during a club sign up day and got hundreds of names on the list. He got help with the paperwork necessary to certify the huddle, and they began to meet.
“With the success we were having in football and lacrosse at school, we had gained a certain amount of notoriety, I guess you could say,” Few said. “My mom and dad just encouraged me to use that in a positive way, so FCA was a natural thing to be in. I wanted to use my platform as an athlete to let others hear about God.”
“My relationship with God is definitely my own,” Few said. “I pray every day; I feel like I have a firm foundation there. Before this year, I don’t think people would say that’s what I’ve been known for. But leading FCA has really opened up doors for me to meet more people, and it’s a great chance to hear the word of God at school.”
Few will head to Miami in May to take summer classes and do early workouts to get ready for the huge transition to college football. He will also be a part of the ROTC program in college as he keeps his dreams alive to serve his country in the military.
Ponte Vedra coach Matthew Toblin knows he’s got some big shoes to fill in the character department for next season.
“Our coaching staff has always referred to Marshall as ‘Captain America,’” Toblin said. “His incredible selfless attitude, always wanting to help others, and his deep desire to serve our country makes him a pretty special person. We’ll find other people to catch balls and make blocks, but the attitude that Marshall and this group has brought to our team, and our school, is immeasurable.”
FCA Athlete Spotlight
Marshall Few – Ponte Vedra High School
Written by: Scott Adams, FCA Metro Director
