Kristina Cummins wrote a feature in the BYU student newspaper, The Daily Universe on July 1 about Brady Marshall.

Brady Steve Marshall began playing soccer when he was 5 after his mother, Lisa, said he couldn’t play his favorite sport, football, until he entered high school because she thought he would get hurt.

His dad, Tony Marshall, invited him to play soccer when he was 5. To this day, he said he still teases Brady about his response to the invitation.

“Brady responded with, ‘I am not very good at things with my feet,’ ” Tony said, in jest.

This year, Brady has taken 15 shots on goal, the third-highest on the team, according to the league division’s website. Antonio Niccoli has 17 shots on goal and B.J. Pugmire has 19.

“Brady is a great athlete with unique speed, power and agility,” Watkins said. “When he’s motivated, he can play with anyone in the country.”

Tony said he did the typical fatherly things in Brady’s young soccer career, like taking him to practices and games. He noticed at a young age that Brady’s driven nature and high level of intensity impacted every facet of his nature.

“Brady has always been a young man of spiritual intensity,” Tony said. “He is very obedient and he wants to do what is right and never get in trouble. He is a natural leader and good example for others to follow.  It has been an absolute pleasure as a parent to watch him.”

Tony said in any sport Brady took on, the coaches were always happily surprised by his ability.

“The coaches would say, ‘We can’t get over this kid,’ ” Tony said. “He stood out because of his work ethic.”

Brady’s strong and intense work ethic was developed as a result of always being small compared to the other kids on teams, so he had to work harder to compensate, Tony said.

“I grew up in Modesto, Calif.,” Brady said. “I played baseball, basketball, football and soccer in high school but felt I had the greatest potential for a scholarship in soccer.”

Brady said his life revolved around sports and his mom tried to keep him well rounded by having him play the piano and earn an Eagle Scout award. He said even family vacations revolved around sporting events for both him and his younger sister, Jennie Marshall, who currently plays on the Cougar women’s soccer team.

Both of them recall spending their Thanksgivings in condos in Oceanside, Calif., for soccer tournaments. They said these Thanksgiving vacations were some of their favorite childhood memories, especially when extended family members went with them.

“Brady is an insane athlete,” Jennie said. “He can play anything he wants. He’s strong, fast and mentally there. A lot of athletes struggle mentally.”

Jennie said her brother has done everything he can in school as well as spiritually and has always been firm in his standards and beliefs. She said she feels close to him because they are only a few years apart and they share a common bond by playing soccer at BYU.

Brady’s wife, Annie, also played soccer at BYU. She is two years older than Brady and is currently expecting their first child, a girl, in August, she said.

Annie and Brady were married in the Oakland California Temple on Aug. 1, 2009.

They met at BYU during a youth summer soccer camp Brady attended while Annie was a counselor, Annie said.

“Brady came up to me on Monday morning, the first day of camp,” she said. “And the first thing he said to me was ‘I am a 209 area code, too.’ ”

Annie said they dated when Brady was a freshman and she was a junior. Then Brady left for his mission in Charlotte, W. Va., and she wrote him throughout. They went through the date-break up cycle when he returned from his mission, until they finally were engaged and married.

“He is definitely the clean one in the relationship,” Annie said. “Our apartment is really clean and he loves to vacuum.”

Brady said he is a steak and potatoes kind of a guy and he loves anything his wife cooks.

“I have a new favorite kind of food every week,” Brady said. “I especially love my wife’s tacos.”

Brady said he loves coming home to find his wife watching soccer or any kind of sport on TV.

“That is how you know you have a good one,” Brady said. “They understand your second love. It is awesome to be with someone who understands you completely.”

Brady and Annie continue the tradition in Brady’s family of finding a spouse at BYU. Brady’s dad said he and his wife met at BYU. He was a civil engineering major and his wife, Lisa, was an elementary education major. He said they lived in Wymount and Brady spent his first year of life being strolled around here on campus.

Brady will play in the men’s soccer game Saturday at South Stadium Field at 7 p.m. against the Ogden Outlaws.

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