On this episode of “Listen In With KNN” a sports talk radio show and podcast presented by Fox Sports Radio 1340 AM/96.9 FM, executive producer and host Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed former NFL player, recording artist and broadcasting personality Marlon Favorite to the show.
Favorite grew up in Gretna, Louisiana. He attended Louisiana State University where he won a national championship in 2007. A champion on all levels, he won the Super Bowl in 2009 as a member of the New Orleans Saints.
Nelson mentioned Justin Jefferson, a fellow LSU alumnus and a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings who made historic news for signing the highest-paid non-quarterback contract in the NFL.
Favorite called this a full-circle moment because he first met Justin during his fifth year at LSU, along with Jordan Jefferson (no relation) who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Patrick Peterson who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I remember taking those guys under my wing, and this young man running around, asking for autographs and taking pictures was Justin Jefferson.”
On June 4th, Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Vikings.
“Fast forward, he’s one of the biggest stars on the national championship team. Now he’s the biggest, highest-paid quarterback ever,” he said. “It’s just a huge deal.”
Favorite played defensive tackle from high school to the professional ranks. He signed with various NFL teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Commanders.
Outside of football, Favorite is a man of many talents. He owns a training and development agency called Conquer Sports Professional, designed to prepare high school athletes for the collegiate level. Favorite is also a podcast host for “Inside the Trenches” powered by New Orleans Talk Network where he talks about all things sports in Louisiana. He also is a recording artist recording music under the name “Big Fav.”
“When I was at LSU, it wasn’t common to have athletes do music and get into different things,” he said. “I did go to LSU and graduated and broadcasting, so to see my career and music reignite and still be involved in football, it feels great to live in the space, and it’s fun.”
Shifting gears to women’s basketball, Favorite commented on the WNBA and the Caitlin Clark effect. He said Caitlin Clark’s popularity made the association a talking point for major networks for the first time. Favorite also pointed out that disputes between players are nothing new in sports, but with the Caitlin Clark effect, he said it’s a “combination of the norm and hating.”
Favorite believes the WNBA will implement rules to protect players from future “dirty attacks” and foul play. He referred to the Micheal Jordan rule when Chicago Bulls players cornered Micheal Jordan during the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.
“You had to protect Micheal,” he said. “In the NBA, the bad boys of Detroit were doing Mike dirty. Mike was getting elbows to the mouth. It was rough, but we can’t have him hurt; he’s a huge asset,” Favorite said.
Continuing to talk about the growth of the WNBA, Nelson asked if people in New Orleans were rooting for Angel Reese with her LSU connection.
Favorite answered enthusiastically, “We’re fired up about Angel Reese but really with where women’s basketball is going down here.”
Nicknamed the Bayou Barbie in college and today, the Chi-Town Barbie, Reese is a star rookie who attended LSU before playing for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. Favorite said Reese and Flau’jae Johnson bring a hype or a-game that reminded him of matchups between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Shifting back to football, Nelson asked Favorite to comment about the conversation around the conversation earlier in the year, about the possibility of an 18-game regular-season schedule and the NFLPA proposal that could lead to significant changes around OTAs and offseason schedules.
The decision concerns players because of the potential injuries with little time to recover from a longer season.
“Some guys are going to play a game on Thursday, turn right back around, play a Monday night football game and come back. It’s not basketball,” Favorite said.
On May 28, the NFLPA proposed eliminating voluntary on-field work or practice in the spring for longer training camps in the summer. Favorite also suggested cutting out OTA time and giving players more time to recover.
Staying with football, Nelson asked Favorite his thoughts on athletes now getting paid for their name, image and likeness. He’s happy with the experience being a collegiate athlete gave him, but the most insulting thing was financially struggling while LSU built off of the athletes’ success.
“We had housing and books, so we are thankful for the resources, but some of my teammates already had kids,” he said. “It’s one of those situations where you’re watching LSU build a $4 million habitat for a tiger and a $2 million facility out of the cash pockets we’re signing, and we have nothing to fall back on.”
He’s happy that current student-athletes can get more money for their hard work. “I didn’t really make a lot of money in the NFL,” he said.
“But now, these players may max out right here. You might not get a chance to go to the NFL. But if you make $300,000 a year, you can cop some properties, start a business and have a 401k or some type of retirement plan from yourself in college.”
Wrapping the interview up, Favorite talked about his music journey as Big Fav. Since starting at 13-years-old, he has 29 songs on Apple Music and released his latest album “Lover” on July 23. He described his music style as southern hip-hop, R&B and Soul.
Nelson asked Favorite how he brings his athletic talents into the music world. He said energy is one aspect, especially when preparing for a show.
“It reminds me of when I used to run out on the football field because you’re entertaining. Whether you are performing at a football game making a tackle, you get up from that tackle, the crowd goes ‘Wow’. If you’re singing and rapping, and the flow is nice, the crowd goes wild.”
To hear the whole conversation, listen to the episode below!
