Marrow's play wasn't memorable

Had Penn fifth-year senior Mitch Marrow declared himself eligible for last spring's NFL draft, the 6'5", 280-pound defensive tackle could have been making news for his on-field performance. Instead, Marrow returned to the Quakers for a fifth season -- one that has been plagued by injury, sickness, a third-place Ivy League finish and now an eligibility scandal. Marrow's 1997 season had a rocky start. Although he was selected as college football's 45th-best senior by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. before the year, Marrow had to be helped from the field in the second quarter of Penn's season opener with a head injury. Initially diagnosed with a mild concussion, there were fears that he had instead contracted hepatitis. Marrow returned to his hometown of Harrison, N.Y., for further examinations and was diagnosed not with a traditional concussion, but with a viral "equilibrium imbalance," which was rediagnosed as a "mono-like virus" a week later. After sitting out nonconference games against Bucknell and Towson, Marrow returned in limited action against Columbia, manning the field for less than 20 plays in the Quakers' 24-7 road victory. Playing at significantly below his usual 280-pound weight, Marrow did not perform up to his previous all-Ivy standards. His performance bore slim resemblance to his 1996 season, when he terrorized Ivy League quarterbacks with 16.5 sacks in 10 games. By Penn's October 25 matchup with Brown, Marrow finally hit the 270-pound mark for the first time since he became ill. A week later at Yale, the defensive standout looked even stronger. Finally healthy again, Marrow exploded in Penn's 20-17 homecoming victory over Princeton with one of the most dominant performance of his collegiate career. With six tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble, one thing was clear -- Marrow was back. But after his Ivy League Player of the Week performance in week 8, the Penn defense collapsed at Harvard, losing to the eventual Ivy champion Crimson, 33-0. With all hopes of a Quakers championship season a wash, a bruised and battered Marrow was carted off the field in the first quarter of the season finale against Cornell. He would not return. However, Marrow's season is not yet over. He is scheduled to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on January 17 and the Blue-Gray Classic in Montgomery, Ala., on Christmas Day. Although his season contains few on-field highlights, Marrow said before his final game that he did not regret coming back for another year of football. Ironically, Marrow's reflection on his season last week may have been foreshadowing the ensuing controversy that now clouds his season. "Maybe it builds character," Marrow said. By "it," Marrow was referring to his bouts with injury and illness. But, now, "it" could easily mean the investigations and inquiries into his off-field controversy.

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