Silent Strength
August 21, 2023 | Football, Joel Coleman
Running back Jo’Quavious Marks isn’t one to say much, but he doesn’t have to.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State's football practice had just ended on Friday when a loud burst of laughter could be heard near the outside cold tubs at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
The sound of Bulldogs having a good time together once the day's work is done isn't unusual, but what was a touch surprising was the young man seemingly at the center of the humorous occasion. It was senior running back Jo'Quavious Marks, or as he's best known in Starkville, Woody.
"Woody can be a trip," fellow running back Jeffery Pittman said. "He always has a joke or something."
Always?
"Well, he's actually really locked in most of the time," Pittman said upon further thought.
Marks confesses Pittman has a fair assessment.
"Yeah, I don't really talk a lot or laugh too much or tell jokes a lot," Marks shared.
It's true. Listen to a Woody Marks press conference. Go back and watch footage of his turn at Southeastern Conference Media Days last month. A vast majority of the time, Marks is measured. He's stoic. He's generally a man of few words.
Yet behind Marks' frequent silence rests a strength that has endeared himself to his teammates, impressed his coaches and made him one of the most impactful Bulldogs on the roster.
"Woody is personally my favorite type of leader," head coach Zach Arnett said. "There's not a whole lot of talking and rah-rah. It's just show up every day and consistently take care of business. Do your work. Lead by example. I know he's extremely well thought of by everyone on the team."
Indeed, he's loved and appreciated by all in Maroon and White, not just the ones that tote the football.
"It's not just the running back room," Pittman said. "Everyone looks at Woody and the things he does. He's a guy that comes in and you see him give everything he's got every day. That's at walkthroughs. That's at meetings. He's on time. Everything about him, he's just a great role model."
A player's ability to influence those around him can't be measured. It's not like Marks' 191 career receptions entering the year – a total that has him second in MSU history. It's also not like his program-record running back receiving yardage total of 1,058 yards, or the 18 times he's found the end zone over the last three years, or the 1,260 rushing yards he's racked up with a career-high 532 of them coming last season.
Those numbers only tell a small part of Woody's story. There aren't statistics to show how he's able to influence freshmen like Seth Davis, setting youngsters on the right path with just enough words that are always backed up by dedicated action.
"[Marks] has been such a great leader to me," Davis said. "He does everything right always. He's always going 100 miles per hour. All you can do is learn from him and when you do, you can't help but have it help your own game."
Marks' leadership is all-encompassing. Even fans can see evidence of it. Just take a look at his frame and its progression since his arrival back in 2020.
Marks enters this season at 5-foot-10 and about 210 pounds. That's around 25 pounds heavier than when he first set foot on campus as a freshman, and all 25 pounds of it looks to be rock solid, chiseled muscle.
"Those before and after pictures of mine from [strength coach Tyson Brown], they'll tell it," Marks said as he tried to explain his dedication in the weight room.
He needs no fires lit under him either.
Or as Brown described it: "[Marks] is relentless as far as his stuff goes. You don't have to hold his hand or lead him through anything. He's going to attack and do the extra work."
Perhaps the most impressive thing of all is Marks is always like this. Day after day, week after week, month after month and now, year after year, Marks shows up with a seemingly unquenchable thirst to be the best.
"No matter how he feels, the work stays the same," Simeon Price said of Marks. "It doesn't matter if it's workouts or practice or film. Every single day, you know what you're getting from Woody. You know what to expect. That's the biggest thing I've learned from him – don't get too high. Don't get too low. Don't let your emotions get out of whack. Even if you make a bad play, it's move on to the next play. I think the whole running back room has adopted his mentality."
A whole room full of backs imitating the work ethic and mentality of Woody? That's exciting to hear for the Bulldogs, both for the present and the future.
"I'm always there for them," Marks said of his relationship with the rest of the running backs in his typical, straight-to-the-point style.
Marks has no need to say much. Who he is and how he carries himself says all that needs to be said.
"From the moment I got here and I saw Woody working out at 5 a.m. during our winter workouts, it was evident that he was that guy," first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay said. "He's a worker and only knows one speed. He's not a big talker or a big, flashy guy, but man, the kid is a worker and I'm so excited to have him and see what he does this fall."
