Marcus Hammond, offensive coordinator at Roman Catholic, has dedicated his career to providing opportunities for Black quarterbacks to excel at the position in ways he wasn't provided with as a child. He chases quarterback Semaj Beals out of the pocket during a practice drill on Aug.11.on Aug 19, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET
Hammond is also the offensive coordinator at Roman Catholic High, where his top pupil, sophomore Semaj Beals, received a scholarship offer from Alabama as a freshman.Hammond’s seven-on-seven football program, Next Level Greats, also has earned a national reputation for producing top talent. Hammond and his friends also played baseball, so they wanted to fling the football, not act as turnstiles for running backs on every play.
“I never even knew I was good at football,” Hammond said. “In high school we didn’t throw the ball, so nobody ever said, ‘Hey, you’re good at football. You should try to do this.’”Similarly, Abrams found himself behind the quarterback curve in college, but for different reasons. So, Abrams became a sponge, meeting with Longo sometimes until 1 a.m., desperately trying to learn the position.
Hammond’s football career, however, was cut short after two seasons when a car accident left him with a severe concussion. Perhaps too eager at the outset, Hammond says he bought hot dogs, hamburgers, and drinks, estimating that maybe 100 children would have attended his first outing. Only three players showed up. His disappointment, however, didn’t last long.After a while, Hammond says he created a database of contacts, including parents, high school players, and college coaches. He also slowly learned more about the recruiting process. Before long, college coaches respected his opinion on prospects.
At first, Abrams doubted if he had the experience and knowledge to coach the position. After all, he hadn’t been taught until he was in college.