As analytics exert a greater influence in sports and the way players get defined, Marlon Hairston cites a different sort of statistic when reflecting on the motivation behind his reputation as a Rapids player who stands out for his hunger to succeed.
They are the sad figures associated with his native Mississippi: No. 1 in poverty, No. 3 in obesity, always near the bottom in education. Analytics can’t measure desire, but Hairston’s heart is shaped by the needs of Mississippians and the inner city streets of his hometown, Jackson.
“Not many people from Mississippi get a chance to make it out of Mississippi, and not many people get to make it out of Mississippi as a professional athlete,” Hairston said.