Many people know Ali Marpet as the Hobart left tackle star who became the highest drafted D3 Football player in NFL history and is currently plays as a rookie for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, most people don’t know about his Emmy Award-winning father or his rock/disco/blues band mother.
And you thought your family was unique? Check out the Marpet’s story from TampaBay.com writer Rick Stroud.
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Ali Marpet walked to the crowd of fans pressed against the orange snow fence surrounding the field at One Buc Place after a training camp practice.
His attack was premeditated.
The Bucs’ 6-foot-4, 307-pound rookie guard singled out a young blond who virtually disappeared in his meaty arms.
“Ew! You’re soaked (in sweat)!” screamed his sister Zena, helpless in her attempt to escape holding by the lineman.
Bill Marpet, the 64-year-old patriarch of the family, roared in approval.
That Ali was drafted by the Bucs was serendipitous. Two of his siblings, Zena and brother Brody, live in St. Petersburg. Another brother, Blaze, attended Eckerd College, as did Zena, and now is seeking a doctorate at Northwestern.
The Marpets (pronounced mar-PET) plan to attend all of Ali’s games, especially the ones at Raymond James Stadium. Bill will miss the Sept. 13 regular-season opener because it conflicts with Fashion Week in New York City.
“This is a whole different world for me,” Bill said of NFL training camp. “I’m used to working with supermodels and gay men and stuff. This is not normally my thing. There’s a lot of testosterone around here.”
As a Division III player from Hobart College in upstate New York, Ali overcame big odds to arrive in the National Football League. But to understand him as a person and a player, you must start with his wonderfully diverse celebrity family.
“Yes,” Zena said. “We’re a bunch of wild cards.”
