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A fateful football injury put Marquese Chriss on path to Warriors

It was a fall day in Elk Grove, the suburban town 20 minutes of Sacramento, and Marquese Chriss was going long.

The newest Warrior was in eighth grade and playing in a game for the middle school football team. He was a promising tight end. Fast but also long, gangly. Chriss ran a deep route, went up high and sprawled out for the catch but landed awkwardly on his shoulder. The x-ray evidence was not positive: fractured collarbone.

Up until that day, all Chriss had wanted to do was play football. His father had played football. His favorite football player was Reggie Bush.