"Everyone knew he was the best player on the team, and we all looked up to him," said Isaiah Boxell. "Everyone knew who Marcus Bobb was. Even after he graduated, he was kind of a legend around Ponder.   

Now, 12 years later, the unlikeliest of scenarios has transpired as Isaiah Boxell and Bobb are senior teammates for the University of the Ozarks' basketball team. Bobb, a 6-foot-4 forward who turned 31 in June, is not only playing basketball, but he is excelling at it for the Eagles. He has averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds in 69 career games and is a two-time American Southwest Conference All-East Division honorable mention selection.

"It really is a pretty remarkable story," said Ozarks Coach Doug Boxell, Isaiah's dad who coached Bobb at Ponder. "It's got to be one of the best stories in NCAA Division III. It's just not something you see or hear about very often."

Bobb is the oldest player in the conference and is among the oldest player in NCAA Division III. He's often razzed by opposing fans, such as two years ago when East Texas Baptist fans chanted "Moses," when he was at the free-throw line. Even his teammates enjoy a little good-natured ribbing.

"We call him Father Time or Old Man Bobb," said senior forward Ronnie Dodd. "His game is definitely old-school. We like to kid around with him, but he really is a great teammate and great player."

Bobb's circuitous route to college basketball standout status is one of both inspiration and intrigue. After graduating from high school in 1999, Bobb earned a basketball scholarship to Lyon College in Batesville, Ark. He played significantly as a sixth man his freshman year, but struggled academically. He dropped out of school, moved back to Texas and worked as a meter-reader for two years.

In 2001, Bobb began missionary work, traveling around Texas and sharing the Gospel. In what he calls a "low-burden ministry," Bobb was not paid and often relied on strangers for food and shelter. It was a nomadic lifestyle he lived for seven and a half years.

"It's not always easy when you don't know where your next meal will come from," Bobb said. "But it was an exciting and educational time for me. It opened my eyes to a lot of things and I learned how to adapt easily and get by with very little. I also matured a lot and I met a lot of people, some very, very poor and some very rich. I realized that deep down, people are really the same. They just want hope."

When Coach Boxell got the Ozarks job, he contacted Bobb and inquired about his interest in returning to college. After turning his old high school coach down several times, Bobb decided to give it a try. There was one small problem: Bobb had to return to Lyon College and make three A's and a B to become eligible, no small task for someone who had struggled in his first try at college.

"He went there and made four A's and I knew then he was serious about college," Coach Boxell said.

Bobb continues to shine on the academic side, posting a 3.5 grade point average at Ozarks as a double major in Spanish and business management. And he does that despite juggling a heavy load as a student-athlete and working part-time at Wal-Mart.

"It still surprises me sometimes how good my grades are," Bobb said. "I think maturity has a lot to do with it, but another thing is the small classes and the professors here have forced me to be more engaged in my schoolwork. I'm definitely not the same college student I was 12 years ago, and I think Ozarks is a big part of that."

Bobb has had little trouble adjusting on the court. Despite being an undersized inside player and being at least a decade older than most of his opponents, Bobb has consistently been one of the top players in the  conference.

"Marcus just had a tremendous knowledge of the game and a knack for being in the right spot," said Coach Boxell. "He's deceptively quick and more athletic than you might think. He just plays hard and he plays smart, and that's a pretty good combination."

Bobb is a full-blooded Cherokee Indian who speaks fluent Spanish, which he learned during his mission work. He's also, by nature, very soft-spoken, but Coach Boxell knows Bobb has been able to provide valuable leadership beyond the court.

"You usually count on your seniors to provide leadership and guidance to young guys because of their age and experience, but with Marcus you have a senior whose experiences are even more special," Coach    Boxell said. "His teammates see the life experiences he's had, and they have seen the sacrifices he has made to come back to school and handle his studies. They know what he's been through and that can't be anything but a positive role model for the other players. Marcus is the shining example of what a true student-athlete at Ozarks is." 

Bobb will be honored following Saturday's women's game against Mississippi College as part of "Senior Day".

 By Larry Isch, Director of University and Public Relations