Education
He graduated in 1907 and played with Minneapolis pro teams, the Deans and the Marines.
He graduated in 1907 and played with Minneapolis pro teams, the Deans and the Marines.
He was best known for playing football, however he also competed in baseball, track, boxing, ice hockey and wrestling. When Marshall played baseball for Minneapolis Central High School, he played first base for three years. Marshall played end for the football team of the University of Minnesota from 1904 to 1906.
In 1906, Marshall kicked a 60-yard field goal to beat the University of Chicago 4-2 (field goals counted as four points).
He was the first African American to play football in the Big Nine (later the Big Ten Conference). From 1920 through 1924 he played in the National Football League with the Minneapolis Marines, the Kelley Duluths, and the Rock Island Independents.
He along with Fritz Pollard were the first African Americans to play in the NFL.
Shortly after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in law, Marshall played third base for the Minneapolis "Lund-Lands" for one season in 1906. Outside of athletics, Marshall practiced law as an attorney in the law office of Mr.
William H. H. Franklin, and later at the well known firm of Nash and Armstrong.
Marshall left the law offices, spending many years back on the diamonds, playing semi-pro baseball for pre-Negro National Leagues. In 1908, he played utility for the Minneapolis Keystones, then moved to first base latter in the season. In 1909, he joined the Saint Paul Colored Gophers.
In 1910, he split the season between the Chicago Giants and the Saint Paul Colored Gophers, appearing for and managing the Colored Gophers team occasionally until at least 1916.
lieutenant appears that Marshall bought the Twin City Colored Giants team in 1911. In a 1916 game, Marshall brought in "Cannonball Jackson" a pitcher acquired from J. L. Wilkinson"s All Nations team
Marshall would later appear in games with John Donaldson and the All Nations team in 1923. At the end of the 1911 season, Marshall received an appointment in the Minnesota state grain department, where he would work for the next 39 years.
Foreign years, he coached youngsters in football and boxing in Minneapolis.
At his retirement from his government job in 1950, he was honored with a testimonial dinner whose guests included Minnesota Governor Luther Youngdahl and legendary Gophers coach Bernie Bierman. Marshall died of Alzheimer"s disease in 1958. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.