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Video: Watch Ravens' Marquise Brown Surprise Mother with Car, Keys to House
June 30, 2019
Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown put his newfound wealth to good use after he agreed to his rookie deal by purchasing a car and a home for his mother, Shannon James:
James and Brown endured a significant amount of hardships before the Ravens picked the Oklahoma wideout 25th overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
According to Aaron Kasinitz of Pennlive.com, James needed a kidney transplant 22 years ago to save Brown before birth. Her son weighed under six pounds when he was born.
Cody Stavenhagen of Tulsa World explained the ordeals James went through: "For the better part of nine months, James was sick and on bed rest. She spent most of that time in the hospital, where she wasn’t allowed to eat, hooked up to IVs that pumped nutrients into her and her unborn child, the aggravating wires and pricks serving as a necessary lifeblood."
James, a single mother, also raised Marquise and his older sister, Shanice, with her parents.
Later in life, Brown had to overcome his own obstacles to land a chance at a D-I school out of junior college. Per Matt Hayes of Bleacher Report, Brown worked at Six Flags as a ride operator to pay rent while he went to school at College of the Canyons.
Eventually, he caught the eye of Oklahoma despite a 140-pound frame, which didn't matter considering his blazing 4.33 40-yard dash speed.
The rest is history, as Brown amassed 132 receptions for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns in two years before he landed in the first round. Now, per Over the Cap, Brown has $11,589,976 of guaranteed money coming his way.