Marquan McCall's NFL Debut is One He'll Never Forget
Marquan McCall flashed in training camp and in preseason play, but his spot on the Panthers' 53-man roster was not guaranteed by any means. In fact, it took some by surprise to see McCall, an undrafted rookie, make the initial roster over former 5th round draft pick Daviyon Nixon.
Last Sunday, McCall was active and made his NFL debut against the New York Giants, finishing the game with three tackles and a tackle for loss. It's a day that McCall will never forget.
"I actually shed a few tears [before the game] man," McCall said. "Just like, wow, I'm here. After all these years, after all the hard work I just thought I'm finally here and just to be there in the game, it's a blessing for me. I couldn't ask for much. I just wanted to be out there."
Going undrafted always seems to give guys an extra edge. They want to prove everyone wrong and show that they belong in the NFL. For McCall, he's used to it and it's more about making his family and his two-month-old son, Mason, proud.
"I always have a chip on my shoulder. Even before the draft I was just always the underdog to a lot of guys with my weight and everything. I just always try to play with a chip on my shoulder. And now with my son, I have extra hunger."
Earlier this week, fellow defensive tackle Bravvion Roy was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury that will cause him to miss at least the next four games. This will open up the door for McCall to expand his role and potentially cement himself as the third man in that defensive tackle rotation.
"He'll play more," said defensive coordinator Phil Snow. "He was good in the game. He played the nose really well. He's a big man. He actually played quicker than I thought he would in his first ballgame, so hopefully that continues."
Despite McCall grading himself out at a 'D' in last week's game against the Giants, head coach Matt Rhule complimented his play and loved what he saw from the rookie out of Kentucky.
"I thought Marquan was a bright spot," Rhule said. "He went out there and played in the odd package and played in the four down package and played the run well. There's a couple of plays where he needs to be a little more disciplined and stay in his gap. But for the first time getting out there, it didn't look too big for him which with Bravvion [Roy] going down was what we needed."
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