HARRISONBURG – The next couple of weeks are scheduled to busy ones for former James Madison running back Marcus Marshall.

Marshall earned invites to rookie minicamps with the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend and with the Tennessee Titans the following weekend, he said Saturday shortly following the completion of the NFL Draft.

“The second one could be that extra opportunity,” Marshall said. “But I’m going into the first one with the mindset that I’m going to go down there to prove myself and earn a contract.”

Marshall, who joined the Dukes in 2017 following two seasons at Georgia Tech, said both Kansas City and Tennessee showed interest throughout the pre-draft process. He even had lunch with a scout from the Titans following his pro day at Madison last month.

“So I kind of had an idea,” Marshall said. “I didn’t know if it was going to be a free agent contract or what the case would be, but I’m excited about the minicamp opportunities and I’m looking forward to going down there to prove myself.”

Marshall said he felt like his pro day performance backed up what he did on the field during his 24 games at JMU.

In his time with the Dukes, Marshall rushed for 1,296 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. His 87-yard and 65-yard touchdown runs lifted the Dukes to a victory over South Dakota State in the 2017 FCS semifinal and helped them advance to the national title game.

Kansas City drafted a running back, Darwin Thompson out of Utah State in the sixth round, and have three others at the position listed on the roster while Tennessee didn’t draft any running backs, but have Derrick Henry, Dion Lewis and three more rushers on the squad.

“I want to prove to them that I deserve to be on the roster,” Marshall said, “and prove to them they should have drafted me, but definitely prove more to them that I can be a valuable asset to their team.”

Last year, Tennessee signed former Dukes offensive lineman Aaron Stinnie as an undrafted free agent and Stinnie is still on the roster there.

Marshall is the son of JMU Hall of Famer Warren Marshall, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 1987 NFL Draft, and brother of Keith Marshall, who played at Georgia and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the 2016 NFL Draft.

“I dreamed about it as a little kid,” Marshall said of getting his own NFL shot. “And I think everyone dreams about that, but not everyone gets the opportunity, so I just feel very fortunate and excited for the opportunity.”