Marvin Powell

Marvin Powell Jr. Powell attended Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Powell attended the University of Southern California (USC) and played college football for the Trojans. He was an all-conference selection in the Pacific-8 in 1974, 1975, and 1976. He was All-American in 1975 and 1976. He graduated from USC in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and speech.

Powell was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Professional career The New York Jets selected Powell in the first round, with the fourth overall selection, of the 1977 NFL draft. His teammates voted Powell the Jets' most valuable player for the 1979 season. He was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1979 to 1983. He was also named a first-team All-Pro in the 1979, 1981, and 1982 seasons. Powell started 128 games for the Jets. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 1986 season. He played in nine games for Tampa Bay in the 1986 and 1987 seasons before he retired.

Law career Powell voiced his aspirations for politics, saying that he wished to run for president of the United States. A conservative, Powell worked on George H. W. Bush's 1980 presidential campaign. In 1991, he joined Rosenfeld, Meyer, & Susman, a law firm in Beverly Hills, California.

Personal life Powell's son, Marvin III, played college football at USC between 1995 and 1998. A fullback, he played in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, the Green Bay Packers, and the Denver Broncos.

Powell died of heart failure on September 30, 2022, at age 67 in Tampa, Florida.