Marlon Favorite Opens Up About Winning Championships, Being Released by the Saints and Battling Depression
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
#NOLAZINE - Former LSU and New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Marlon Favorite recently sat down with What’s Yo Story Podcastfor an honest conversation about football, success, disappointment and rebuilding his life after the game.
Favorite’s journey is filled with accomplishments many athletes can only dream about. The Gretna, Louisiana, native became one of the nation’s most highly regarded defensive tackles while playing at West Jefferson High School. His talent eventually carried him to LSU, where he became a key contributor to the Tigers’ defensive line.
During his LSU career, Favorite played in 40 games, recorded 78 tackles and helped the Tigers capture the 2007 BCS National Championship. Although he was recognized as one of the top defensive linemen coming out of high school, his road to professional football was far from easy.
After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, Favorite signed with the Carolina Panthers as a free agent. That opportunity marked the beginning of a professional journey that would take him through numerous organizations, including the St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.
Throughout the interview, Favorite explained how quickly life in the NFL could change. One day, a player could feel like he was close to achieving everything he had worked for, and the next day, he could be released and forced to search for another opportunity.
Favorite was cut four times during his rookie season alone. He would eventually experience being released approximately 10 times throughout his professional career.
Despite those setbacks, one of the greatest opportunities of his life came when the New Orleans Saints signed him to their practice squad during the team’s historic 2009 postseason run. Favorite returned home and became part of the first Saints team to win a Super Bowl.
For a New Orleans-area native, the moment carried special meaning. Favorite had already won a national championship at LSU, and now he was part of a Super Bowl championship team in his hometown.
However, what appeared to be the highest point of his career was followed by one of the most difficult periods of his life.
Favorite revealed that the Saints released him shortly after the Super Bowl run. Although football is a business and roster changes are common, the decision was difficult for him to accept. He had returned home, reached the biggest stage in professional football and believed he had finally found a place where his career could grow.
Instead, he was once again forced to deal with uncertainty.
Favorite described his experience with the Saints as both a gift and a curse. The gift was being part of a championship that changed the history of New Orleans sports. The curse was learning the difficult business side of professional football immediately after experiencing such a major victory.
After being released, Favorite began fighting depression.
His story highlights a side of professional sports that fans rarely see. People often notice the championship rings, television appearances and celebrations, but they do not always understand the emotional struggles athletes face when the cheering stops.
For Favorite, football had been a major part of his identity from an early age. He went from being a nationally ranked high school athlete to an LSU champion and NFL player. When those opportunities began disappearing, he had to determine who he was without a football uniform.
The repeated rejection placed tremendous pressure on him. Every roster cut meant another move, another adjustment and another attempt to prove that he belonged in the league. It was not simply about losing a job. It felt like losing the future he had spent most of his life preparing to achieve.
Still, Favorite refused to allow those experiences to become the final chapter of his story.
He continued playing football in other leagues, including the United Football League and the Arena Football League. During his time with the New Orleans VooDoo, Favorite became one of the franchise’s top defensive players and finished his tenure as its career sacks leader.
After retiring from football in 2015, Favorite found a new purpose through journalism and sports broadcasting. The same knowledge, personality and experience that once helped him on the field became valuable behind a microphone.
Today, Favorite remains connected to football as an analyst, broadcaster and host. His ability to explain the game comes from living through every level of it—from being a highly recruited prospect and national champion to dealing with roster cuts and rebuilding his life after retirement.
Favorite’s transition into media also allowed him to tell stories that extend beyond final scores and statistics. Because he personally experienced the emotional highs and lows of professional sports, he can speak about athletes with an understanding that many commentators do not possess.
His interview with What’s Yo Story Podcast was bigger than football. It was a conversation about perseverance, mental health and finding a new direction when the original plan does not work out.
At Nolazine, we appreciate Marlon Favorite for being willing to discuss the parts of his journey that were painful. His honesty could help another athlete, entrepreneur or everyday person understand that experiencing disappointment does not mean their story is over.
Favorite may have believed his greatest purpose would be found on the football field, but his journey into broadcasting has given him another platform to inspire and educate people. He is proof that a person can lose an opportunity without losing their value.
Marlon Favorite will always be able to call himself an LSU national champion and a New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champion. More importantly, he can call himself someone who survived rejection, confronted depression and created a meaningful life beyond the game.
Watch Marlon Favorite’s complete interview on What’s Yo Story Podcast.
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