Jared S. Hopkins catches up with Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall in a little article for the Chicago Tribune. Marshall’s response to a question about setting franchise records for receptions and yards was interesting:
“‘It was OK,’ he said. ‘My No. 1 goal (is) to be in the community. So all the accolades and all the statistics — I know it and keep up with it and that’s good — but this is the No. 1 reason of being in Chicago … to make a difference, make a huge impact. If that’s on the football field Sunday sometimes, bringing joy, that’s OK. But the stuff that lasts forever (are) the things you do like today.'”
What “stuff” might that be? The article doesn’t say but what follows is a guess.
This report read like a simple update on Marshall’s offseason but I thought it was interesting because, as some might recall, Hopkins wrote the somewhat controversial bio piece on Marshall’s background in June last year. Marshall wasn’t too happy about the slant of the article but apparently he decided to talk to Hopkins and bury the hatchet.
That might seem like a minor thing but to me its not. Hopkins isn’t a beat reporter. As far as I can tell he’s not associated with covering the team at all. Marshall never had to speak to him again. But he must have contacted him specifically to talk to him and he must have done it knowing that there was nothing to be gained other than to make peace with another human being.
This simple action speaks more to Marshall’s real character that any action he has ever taken as a Bear. Can anyone reading this ever imagine Brian Urlacher doing such a thing?
Yes. I’m definitely impressed.