CJ Marable #11 of the Birmingham Stallions in the 2023 USFL Championship Game at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on July 01, 2023 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/USFL)
Running back C. J. Marable is quite satisfied to be back with the Birmingham Stallions. He just can’t wait to get back to Birmingham and play in front of the fans.
“I miss Birmingham,” Marable said. “I just like being around the people. They show up, they show love… they come out and support us.”
With the current version of the Stallions living and practicing in Arlington, TX, it seems that CJ misses Alabama.
“You know I just loved being in Alabama,” Marable confirmed “I miss Alabama, for sure.”
Marable played college football at Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina. In his college career he ran for 2,872 yards and 33 touchdowns, caught 93 passes for 833 yards and 14 touchdowns, and racked up 311 yards as a returner.
Marable was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears on May 14, 2021. He was waived on August 24, 2021, at the end of training camp.
Marable was selected by the Birmingham Stallions in the 28th round of the 2022 USFL draft. Unfortunately, a knee injury caused him to be transferred to the team’s inactive roster on May 20, 2022.
In the 2023 USFL season, Marable played all ten regular season games where he rushed 118 times for 524 yards and three touchdowns, caught 28 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns, and returned the ball 15 times for 380 yards. In two post season games he ran 19 times for 120 yards and one touchdown, and caught 5 passes for 29 yards.
Marable was released from his contract on August 11 to sign with the New England Patriots. However, the Patriots waived him on August 27, 2023, and Marable re-signed with the Birmingham Stallions on September 6, 2023.
Now in his third season with the Stallions, Marable can see how the squad has progressed.
“In year one we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know the playbook. So we were just out there learning,” Marable explained. “Now, in year three, we have a couple of veterans on the team. I know the playbook like the back of my hand, so, I can help out new players… I can say that’s the difference between year one and year three, just the experience that we have.”
In their first game of the season the Birmingham Stallions will play the Renegades in their home field at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, which is close to their training facility. It is an away game, but there is no travel involved.
“It’s a benefit because it feels like a home game, even though it’s an away game,” Marable said. “It just feels like a home game because we don’t have to step on a plane or get on a bus. It’s just here in the same facility, and playing at the same stadium that we practice in.”
The Birmingham Stallions meet the Arlington Renegades in the UFL season opener on Saturday, March 30 at 1:00 PM ET (FOX).
