SPORTS

'I let my family down,' Nick Marshall admits 'mistake'

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall spoke publicly for the first time since his July 11 citation for possession of marijuana (less than 1 ounce) and illegal window tint during a traffic stop in Reynolds, Georgia.

AUBURN – It wasn't exactly an opposing pass rush, but Nick Marshall showed his poise under pressure on Sunday.

Auburn's starting quarterback stood at a podium and spoke publicly for the first time since being cited for possession of marijuana during a traffic stop in Reynolds, Georgia, on July 11.

A thoroughly prepped Marshall stuck to the clearly-provided talking points. Marshall used the word "trust" 13 times and "mistake" seven times, while he answered 21 questions over a span of just over six minutes.

"I made a mistake and then I'm just trying to gain my trust back from the coaches," Marshall said. "I let my family down, and I'm also trying to gain their trust back, and also the Auburn fans."

Marshall was stopped for an illegal window tint while driving home to Rochelle, Georgia. Officers smelled marijuana in the vehicle and Marshall admitted there was marijuana in his Dodge Charger.

Reynolds Police Chief Lonnie Holder said he and a fellow officer discovered "between six and eight grams" of marijuana in a bag on the passenger visor, though Marshall was deemed not to have been smoking and was not arrested because a local ordinance requires amounts of more than an ounce for an arrest.

"I put myself in a bad situation that I shouldn't have put myself in and I'm just going to learn from my mistake," Marshall said. "It was tough because when that happened, it was like that whole team was in that car with me and then also the coaching staff, and I felt bad about it. But then again, I came up here and I apologized and I told them it won't happen again. And they accepted me back with open hands."

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Shalena Cliett, Marshall's mother, paid his $1,100 fine on July 24 and the case is closed.

According to Holder, Marshall did not initially tell his mother of the possession of marijuana charge. Marshall did not explain why he initially withheld that information from his mother, who has not returned messages since the incident, only saying he let his family down.

"They're family, they're going to be there since Day 1 and I was sad that I let them down like how I did," Marshall said. "It's just I'm gaining their trust back and they're still going to be with me to this day."

Marshall is a first-time offender of Auburn's drug policy – Malzahn has called him a "model citizen" – but he does have a prior off-field incident at Georgia, as one of three players dismissed from the Bulldogs in Feb. 2012 for reportedly stealing from a teammate.

He had to go to Garden City (Kansas) Community College for a year before transferring to Auburn in 2013.

Marshall said he did not feel as though he blew a second chance after his citation.

"What happened at Georgia, that's in the past," he said, "…and I'm not worried about that right now."

Widely considered a Heisman Trophy candidate, Marshall threw for 1,976 yards with 14 touchdowns and ran for 1,068 yards and 12 scores while helping lead the Tigers to a 12-2 record, the SEC championship and an appearance in the BCS title game last season. He was a preseason first-team All-SEC selection and was named to the Maxwell, Davey O'Brien and Walter Camp Award watch lists.

Marshall posted an ESPN graphic of Heisman Trophy contenders which had himself, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Braxton Miller, on Instagram Saturday night.

"When I put that up there, it just motivated me to strive for greatness," he said.

Whether Marshall, who Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has said will not start against Arkansas on Aug. 30, can still live up to the preseason hype with an indefinite suspension and the added limelight of his off-the-field transgressions remains to be seen. Malzahn has not even publicly declared backup Jeremy Johnson the starter for the opener.

"I have no idea (if I'll play). They haven't decided that with coach. But, like I said, I trust my coach, and I know I'm just trying to gain my trust back with him," Marshall said. "It's hard, but we've got Jeremy and then I'm going to be right behind him just like I know he'll be behind me."

Cornerback Jonathon Mincy, who also spoke Sunday for the first time since his June 28 arrest for possession of marijuana, will also not start in Auburn's season opener.

Marshall's way back in to the good graces of his coaches and teammates, who he and Mincy apologized to before last month's SEC Media Days, begins on the practice field, where he has shown a "night and day" improvement since the spring, according to offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.

"I'm coming out there every day and leading by example," Marshall said. "Picking players up, like leading the young guys, and bringing them on board on how we do it here at Auburn. I'm just going to go out there and play football. That's what I love to do."