Remembering the Seniors - Marc Anthony

BlueandGold15: I always felt that Marc Anthony was underrated during his years at Cal -- for a long time, I actually felt like he was the better of our two corners (an unpopular opinion, I understand), and certainly more talented at run forcing and tackling. If he wasn't wrapping people up who ran at him, then he was funneling them back over to someone who could. Man, Anthony was a great tackler out on the edge -- so much so that it'll be noticeable when we see [Kameron Jackson] out there instead. What he lacked in speed, he did have in size and length, being bigger than most corners, and he could find a home somewhere as a late pick, I'd say.

Marc Anthony also saved the game against Southern Utah this year, which is probably my favorite highlight of his. Never mind the fact that we needed to be saved against Southern Utah, okay? Still my favorite highlight, that pick-six of his.

Ohio Bear: I will remember Marc Anthony as a guy who improved greatly over the course of his Cal career and was probably somewhat underappreciated by many (if not most) Cal fans. Anthony had decent cover skills as a corner, but I think his most important attribute was his tackling ability. Anthony was a reliable open field tackler. Between him and Steve Williams on the other side, the Cal defense was blessed with two corners who could make a tackle out in space.

LeonPowe: After years of stand out corners from Tim Mixon to Dante Hughes to Syd'quan Thompson, it seemed like we had a run of amazing corners (and defensive backfield). Unfortunately it felt like last year's defensive secondary was a step back from that - but I felt like it was rarely the fault of the corners. Both Marc Anthony and Speedy Steve Williams (DR DEATH) were both very steady corners who you could leave on an island - it felt like most of the mistakes last season came from the safeties and I clearly remember multiple touchdown saving pass defenses from both sides.

LEastCoastBears: I've got to agree with BlueandGold15 that the pick-6 against Southern Utah is the Marc Anthony highlight for me. With a little bit of research (he's Cam Jordan's cousin), Anthony does have the size and speed to play at the next level. I don't think the overall lack of good pass defense by Cal will be held against him that much. He also has been quite proficient in short coverage and does rack up the tackles. Best of luck to him to be another Cal DB that plays in the league.

norcalnick: My first distinct memory of Marc Anthony was attending the spring game with my wife. We both glanced over the roster, and enjoyed an immature chuckle when we realized that Cal had a Marc Anthony on the team. We then traded Ancient Rome and latin pop jokes back and forth. Alas, the nickname 'Tribune of the Bears' never caught on. I wonder why?

Anyway, I agree with the general consensus that Cal's secondary struggled at times, but for reasons outside of Anthony's control. You have to be a really spectacular player to stand out for positive reasons in the secondary. Guys like Deltha O'Neal or Syd'Quan. Even an excellent pro player like Thomas DeCoud didn't really jump out to me as a collegiate. My general opinion is that if multiple plays don't end with me saying 'Damn it, [player's name],' then they were probably pretty good in the secondary. I don't recall that happening very often with Marc.

JahvidKnowsBest: Although Anthony gave up his fair share of completions in his years as a starter for Cal, what I will remember most about him is the occasional touchdown saving tackle that he would come up with. It wasn't uncommon for running backs to get the edge on us and break it for big gains over us this last year. Anthony however had a propensity for making big, open field one on one tackles, that definitely saved a few games from going the other way. Perhaps the best example of this came against our home opener against Nevada. With the offense sputtering, Anthony was able to come up with a big TFL against a QB keeper/read option play. The Nevada QB had been burning us all day with his legs and his arms, and this was one of the more important plays of the game that actually allowed us to have a chance to win it going into the end.

Vincent S: I have to confess that when Marc Anthony was first named a starting cornerback, I had no idea who he was. However, I've been pleasantly surprised: Anthony has been the very definition of solid, unspectacular player. You don't really notice him on the field - but for cornerbacks, that's a good thing. Upon further analysis, you realize he always seems to be playing intelligently - if he's not positioned well to make a tackle, he's influencing a runner's path into another Cal defender. Syd'Quan Thompson set the standard for Cal cornerbacks when I started school at Cal - while I'm not sure anyone could make us forget him, Anthony exemplified many of the qualities of a player who might.

I'm very happy that he's graduating with a degree - his (and Williams's) departure leaves a gaping hole in our secondary Kam Jackson and co. will have to try to fill.

What are your fondest memories of Marc Anthony? Tell us your stories below!