Marcus Dupree: A Retrospective on Talent, Potential, and Circumstance
Marcus Dupree's name is synonymous with unrealized potential. A phenom whose star shone brightly, albeit briefly, in the college football landscape, Dupree's story is a complex narrative of unparalleled talent, immense expectations, injuries, and ultimately, a career that never quite reached the heights many predicted.
Early Life and High School Career
Marcus L. Dupree was born on May 22, 1964, in Philadelphia, Mississippi. From 1978 to 1981, he played for the Philadelphia Tornadoes high school football team. As a sophomore in 1979, he transitioned to running back and made an immediate impact, rushing for 1,850 yards and scoring 28 touchdowns. By his senior year in 1981, Dupree had become a national sensation, rushing for 2,955 yards and scoring 36 touchdowns.
Dupree concluded his high school career with a staggering 7,355 rushing yards, boasting an impressive 8.3-yards-per-carry average. He also broke Herschel Walker's national high school record by scoring 87 touchdowns.
The Recruiting Frenzy
Dupree's exceptional high school performance made him the most sought-after college football recruit in the nation. His high school coach, Joe Wood, reportedly received over 100 phone calls daily from college programs during the final month of the recruiting period.
Oklahoma assistant coach Lucious Selmon spent six weeks in Philadelphia to recruit Dupree. After Dupree verbally committed to Fred Akers and the Texas Longhorns while visiting the school, OU head coach Barry Switzer sent former Oklahoma Sooner and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims to appeal to Dupree.
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College Career at Oklahoma
Dupree ultimately chose to attend the University of Oklahoma in 1982. Head coach Barry Switzer immediately recognized Dupree's exceptional talent, stating, "He was the best player on the field. Earl Campbell was the only other guy I ever saw who was like that-physically ready, as a true freshman, to be the best player on a great college team."
Despite not starting until the seventh game of the season, Dupree finished with 1,144 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. Dupree was named Big Eight Conference Newcomer of the Year and Football News Freshman of the Year. On October 16, 1982, he ran for 158 yards against Kansas, including a 75-yard touchdown run. As a result, he was given the starting tailback position over Stanley Wilson. He made his first start against Oklahoma State and scored two touchdowns.
His freshman season concluded with a 32-21 Fiesta Bowl loss against Arizona State on January 1, 1983. Dupree participated in only 34 offensive plays.
Expectations were sky-high for Dupree's sophomore season, but it was marred by challenges. He reported to campus late, missed the team photo, and gained weight. Switzer publicly criticized him for being out of shape and lazy.
Hampered by injuries, Dupree played in only four of the first five games of the season, gaining 369 yards on 61 carries with three touchdowns. After suffering a concussion in a loss against Texas, he disappeared for a week. He resurfaced in Mississippi and announced his departure from OU and transfer to the University of Southern Mississippi.
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USFL Career
Dupree signed with the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1984. He scored a touchdown on his first professional possession. However, he was injured throughout the year and often on the bench watching Buford Jordan take his carries. He gained 684 yards on 145 carries with nine touchdowns for a 4.7 yards per carry average and had two 100-yard rushing games.
The Breakers moved to Portland, Oregon, for the 1985 season. He got off to a good start, rushing 69 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown in the season opener against the Arizona Outlaws. He had surgery on the knee and recuperated in Portland, celebrating his 21st birthday with friends and teammates.
NFL Comeback
After being out of football for four years, Dupree met with Walter Payton on some business ventures, and Payton urged him to get back into shape to try out for the NFL again in 1990. Dupree agreed and began working out, losing 100 pounds in just over three months and going back to running a 4.3 40-yard dash.
In October 1990, Dupree signed with the Los Angeles Rams, who had drafted him in the 12th round of the 1986 NFL draft. During week nine of the 1990 season, Dupree made his first appearance and rushed for 22 yards on four carries, wearing number 34 in honor of Payton instead of his usual 22. He started his first game in week 16 and rushed for 42 yards on 13 carries.
In 1991, Dupree missed the first seven games due to a toe injury suffered in practice. Returning in week 8, he played more often and scored his only NFL touchdown that year. Before the 1992 season, Dupree led the Rams in rushing in the preseason, which included a 100-yard game in the final preseason game against the Los Angeles Raiders, but was one of the 14 players cut by coach Chuck Knox to trim the team down to the 47-player regular-season roster, and he retired shortly afterward.
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Post-Football Life
After he was released by the Rams, Dupree performed as a professional wrestler for the USWA in 1995. In 2011, Dupree was diagnosed with prostate cancer but recovered. Earlier in 2011, he was running a pro wrestling promotion organization, called Mid South Wrestling. Dupree has three sons, Marquez, Landon, and Rashad.
Legacy and "The Best That Never Was"
Dupree's career is often viewed as a cautionary tale of unrealized potential. While he displayed flashes of brilliance, injuries, off-field issues, and perhaps a lack of discipline prevented him from reaching his full potential.
ESPN produced a film documentary on Dupree, titled "The Best That Never Was" (2010), directed by Jonathan Hock, which explored the rise and fall of his football career.
Welfare Fraud Allegations
On March 13, 2020, an article in the Jackson Mississippi newspaper Clarion-Ledger identified $104,974 in allegedly misappropriated TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) that was paid to Dupree for his role as a spokesperson for the charity Families First.
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