Dec 8, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Oakland Raiders fullback Marcel Reece (45) is defended by New York Jets defensive lineman Damon Harrison (94) in the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
All this talk about who will make the team or who won’t make the team has my head spinning. Not to mention the constant conversation about whether or not QB Matt Schaub will bounce back in 2014. In all this maelstrom of ideas, criticisms, and predictions, I thought that it was time to release some tension by talking about one of the best, if not the best, players on the Oakland Raiders roster. I’m talking about Marcel Reece, the best FB in the NFL.
One of the most unlikely happenstance type of situations brought this wonderful player to the Oakland Raiders. Undrafted out of the University of Washington, where he played as a WR, Reece first tried to bring his talent to the Miami Dolphins in 2008. Luckily for the Raider Nation, Reece didn’t make the team and was released. A California Native, Reece came back home to join the Silver and Black, and he hasn’t looked back.
The word “diverse” hardly scratches the surface of the type of player Marcel Reece personifies, but it comes close enough. Truly a player who can lineup in the I-Formation, Split Back, Offset I-Formation, as a Tight End, split out wide as a WR, or even better yet, why not let him be the featured running back. Oh, and he’s not crying for more money to justify all the different positions he plays.
Whether it’s run-blocking, pass protecting, catching balls in the flat, across the middle, jumping over defenders, or streaking down the sideline, you can bet that Marcel Reece gets the job done. He’s a weapon not easily covered or stopped after the first hit. For a man of his size, the guy has something else in his arsenal, speed. That speed I speak of was shown off in the game against the New York Jets in 2013. Reece took the hand-off from Matt McGloin and turned it into a 63-yard touchdown run. He passed some of the quickest players on the field, the defensive backs. As a matter of fact, the only reason they caught up to him was due to the fact that he slowed down.
“Every man that plays football, has a dream of knowing what it’s like to put on that silver helmet, and I’m blessed to have that right now,” said Marcel Reece in an interview with Comcast Sportsnet. He embraces the Silver and Black folks. Reece is an Oakland Raider in the truest sense of those words. He loves his team and the fans, and he understands his responsibility to both. Furthermore, he looks like he is having the greatest time on the field.
Reece is a man of the community that he plays football in. He is always part of some type of charitable work going on in the Oakland area. With that wonderful smile on his face, he gladly accepts any and all challenges placed in front of him.
Thanks to the work that Reece conducted in the off-season during free agency, the Oakland Raiders were able to land some of the bigger names on the list. He helped General Manager Reggie McKenzie reach out to Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, and Donald Penn. He was on-hand to welcome in a lot of the acquisitions. Reece wants to win, and he wants the Raiders to be great again. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
So I say this to all the naysayers and pundits doubting a return of the Silver and Black, look no further than #45-Marcel Reece to find that spark that will elevate this team and give Raider Nation something to celebrate. He is a leader among men, and he gets the job done on the field. There’s a reason why he’s been voted to two consecutive Pro-Bowls (2012 & 2013), because he is the best FB in the NFL.