Trewon Marshall - Computer Science


Trewon Marshall

Trewon Marshall knew he wanted to find a place to play football in college, but he also knew he needed a strong community that would help him develop, not only as a football player, but more importantly as a student and as a man. He heard about Geneva College when an assistant coach contacted him during his junior year of high school, but even then, he didn’t realize that there were colleges that maintained a faithful Christian testimony throughout all their campus and community. When he paid a campus visit to Geneva as a young man desiring to play football and to grow in Christ, he knew exactly where he needed to be.

Even a sure thing can start out awkward, and that’s how Marshall’s first year went.

He had never lived in a large community where people cared, not just about what he did on the football field, but about Trewon, the person. “Everywhere I looked, people wanted to help me,” he recalls. “That’s not something I had for most of my life growing up, and it was a little overwhelming at first.”

Everywhere I looked, people wanted to help me. That's not something I had for most of my life, and it was a little overwhelming at first.

In his sophomore year, Trewon really started to feel at home. Head Football Coach Geno DeMarco was implementing a run-heavy, triple option offense, and he asked Marshall to move from his slot position as a receiver to a featured fullback.

Coach DeMarco didn’t have to ask him twice. He realized it represented an opportunity to show his true talents, and he was immediately onboard. He became an integral part of the rushing attack. Trewon began to excel in the classroom, as well. He focused more on academics as he pursued a computer science degree with an eye toward a career in web development. He began to realize the significance of being a part of the Geneva community, and how to enjoy college life in God-honoring ways without partying or other similar activities. He became even more active in his church as a worship leader. And in the summer following his sophomore year, he married his wife, Taylor.

“The Lord used her to change me,” Trewon says. “If it wasn’t for Taylor, I don’t know where I’d be right now. I know I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t be the man of God I’ve become.”

In his junior season, Trewon put together one of the more statistically dominant rushing seasons in recent Geneva history. Halfway through the season, Marshall was leading the nation in rushing with over 200 yards per game. He finished the season a little beat up but as the leader in the President’s Athletic Conference in rushing with 1,520 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was selected as a first team all-conference running back.

For all of Marshall’s gridiron success, it’s never been ultimately about football to him. And that’s where Geneva College has proven so pivotal. He says, “What you learn here, it’s so important. It’s more than football. It’s the family you gain. It’s the community you have around you. I can talk to anybody about anything. People here, they just care. Coming here, it has shaped my life forever.”