Marlon Humphrey: From Collegiate Star to NFL Standout
Marlon N. Humphrey, born on July 8, 1996, is an accomplished American professional football cornerback currently playing for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL was paved with remarkable achievements in high school and college, setting the stage for his successful professional career.
Early Life and High School Career
A native of Hoover, Alabama, Humphrey attended Hoover High School, where he quickly established himself as a dominant force. His exceptional talent earned him three All-State selections. During his junior and senior seasons, Hoover High School achieved a combined record of 30-1, securing AHSAA 6A State Championships in 2013. Humphrey's outstanding performance led to his recognition as a USA Today High School All-American for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Beyond football, Humphrey excelled in track and field. He won a silver medal in the 110 metres hurdles with a time of 13.24 seconds at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. He lost to Jaheel Hyde of Jamaica, who established a new championship record and came .01 seconds shy of tying the World Youth Best held by Wilhem Belocian.
Recruitment
Humphrey was a highly-touted five-star prospect in the class of 2014 and received nine offers from Power Five schools, including Alabama, Florida State, UCLA, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan State, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Rivals.com ranked Humphrey the highest positionally, behind only Jabrill Peppers. 247Sports.com ranked him third behind Tony Brown and Adoree' Jackson, and ESPN.com ranked him fifth behind Peppers, Brown, Jackson, and Teez Tabor.
College Career at Alabama Crimson Tide
Humphrey played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2015 and 2016. Initially, he intended to compete in track and football but later focused solely on football. In 2015, he and the Alabama football team won the CFP National Championship.
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2014 Season
Marlon Humphrey planned to play both football and track at the University of Alabama. He took a redshirt year in 2014, meaning he practiced but didn't play in games.
2015 Season
In 2015, Humphrey earned the starting cornerback job in his first game against Wisconsin. He ranked second on the team in interceptions with three during the 2015 season. Humphrey was an essential part of an elite 2015 Alabama defense earning Freshman All-American rights. The team won their 16th national championship.
2016 Season
Humphrey started 2016 with the team's first interception for a touchdown against USC and started 14 games. After a great first season, Marlon earned first-team All-American honors in his final year. He continued to play very well against other teams' receivers.
NFL Draft
Before the NFL Draft, Marlon Humphrey showed off his skills at the NFL Combine. He attended pre-draft visits with the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the second-best cornerback prospect in the draft. had Humphrey listed as the third-best cornerback prospect (23rd overall) in the draft. NFL analysts Bucky Brooks and Mike Mayock had him ranked as the third-best cornerback in the draft. Jeff Legwold of ESPN ranked him as the fourth-best cornerback (24th overall) in the draft. Sports Illustrated had Humphrey ranked as the fifth-best cornerback in the draft. NFL draft analysts projected Humphrey to be selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Professional Career with the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens picked Marlon Humphrey in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. He was the 16th player chosen overall. He was the second cornerback picked that year.
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2017 Season
Marlon started his first professional season as the third cornerback for the Ravens. On September 10, 2017, Humphrey made his professional regular season debut in the Baltimore Ravens' season-opening 20-0 victory at the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 5, he got his first start. On November 19, 2017, he made his first career interception on a pass thrown by Brett Hundley to wide receiver Jordy Nelson during a 23-0 victory at the Green Bay Packers. In Week 13, he had a season-high seven tackles and another interception. He became a starting cornerback for the last four games of the season.
2018 Season
In 2018, Marlon became the top starting cornerback for the Ravens. Throughout training camp, Humphrey competed against Brandon Carr to be a starting cornerback. On September 13, 2018, Humphrey collected a season-high seven combined tackles (five solo) during a 23-24 loss at the Cincinnati Bengals. He missed two games due to a thigh injury. On December 16, 2018, he recorded two solo tackles, a season-high four pass deflections, and intercepted a pass thrown by Jameis Winston to wide receiver Mike Evans as the Ravens defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-12. He finished the season with 14 games with eight starts and had a total of 37 combined tackles (31 solo), a team-leading 15 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
2019 Season
During training camp, he competed for the role as the No. 2 starting cornerback against Brandon Carr. He changed his jersey number from No. 29 to No. 44 as a show of goodwill to accommodate the newly acquired free agent safety Earl Thomas. On September 8, 2019, Humphrey started in the Baltimore Ravens' season-opener at the Miami Dolphins and made one solo tackle, set a season-high with two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Josh Rosen to wide receiver Jakeem Grant during a 59-10 victory. In Week 4, he had a notable moment with another player, Odell Beckham Jr. In Week 5, he forced a crucial fumble that helped the Ravens win the game. On October 20, 2019, he scored his first career touchdown by returning a fumble 18 yards. The next game, he scored another touchdown by returning a fumble 70 yards. He finished the 2019 season with 65 tackles, 14 passes defended, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and two touchdowns.
2020 Season
On April 28, 2020, the Baltimore Ravens officially exercised the fifth-year option on Humphrey's rookie contract for a guaranteed one-year, $10.24 million. In 2020, the Ravens extended Marlon's contract for five more years, worth $97.50 million. He became the main starting cornerback. In Week 4, he had a season-high nine tackles. The next week, he got his first career sack and forced another fumble that led to a touchdown for his teammate. He finished the 2020 season with 82 tackles, 11 passes defended, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and a career-high eight forced fumbles. He led the NFL in forced fumbles that year.
2021 Season
Humphrey returned to training camp slated as a starting cornerback alongside Marcus Peters. On September 13, 2021, Humphrey started in the Baltimore Ravens' season-opener at the Las Vegas Raiders and set a season-high with nine combined tackles (six solo) and made one pass deflection as they won in overtime 27-33. Marlon started the 2021 season as a starting cornerback. In Week 7, he made his only interception of the season. In Week 13, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle injury. This injury ended his season early, and he missed the last five games.
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2022 Season
On January 27, 2022, the Baltimore Ravens hired Mike Macdonald as their defensive coordinator following their decision to fire Don Martindale. He returned to training camp as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback. In 2022, Marlon returned as the top starting cornerback. In Week 11, he made a key interception late in the game to help the Ravens win. In Week 13, he had a career-high three sacks. On December 24, 2022, he forced a fumble. For the first time in his career, he started all 17 games.
2023 Season
On August 16, 2023, the Ravens reported that Humphrey would undergo surgery on his foot due to an ongoing injury. Marlon had foot surgery in August 2023 and missed the first four games of the season. When he returned, he was still the top starting cornerback. In Week 5, Humphrey made his season debut and set a season-high with four solo tackles during a 10-17 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. On November 12, 2023, Humphrey recorded three solo tackles before exiting in the third quarter of a 31-33 loss to the Cleveland Browns due to an ankle injury. In Week 16, he made his only interception of the season. He re-injured his calf in Week 17 and missed the final game.
2024 Season
On February 1, 2024, the Baltimore Ravens announced their decision to promote Zachary Orr to defensive coordinator following the departure of Mike MacDonald. Humphrey was retained as the No. In 2024, Marlon continued as the Ravens' top cornerback. On September 15, 2024, he had a season-high ten tackles and his first interception of the season. In Week 7, he had a career-high two interceptions in one game before leaving with a knee injury. He missed one game due to this injury. On December 31, 2024, he scored his first "pick-six" (an interception returned for a touchdown) of his career. He finished the 2024 season with 67 tackles, a career-high 15 passes defended, and a career-high six interceptions. He also had two forced fumbles and one touchdown.
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