Illustration by Sam Thiel Marshall's Yahya Black was named the 2019 Marshall Independent Football Player of the Year.

MARSHALL — When opposing players lined up against the Marshall football team this season, they knew they had the tough task of keeping the Tigers in check. What made things even more challenging, though, was they were led by a 6-foot-6, 255-pound defensive tackle who had only one thing in sight: getting to the ball as quick as possible.

Whether it came through the form of a quarterback sack or a tackle in the backfield, Yahya Black anchored the Marshall defensive line to the tune of 4 1/2 sacks and 58 1/2 total tackles in his senior season and finished his career as the all-time sacks leader for the Tigers at 17 1/2. His highlights extended far beyond the defensive side of the ball, however, as he helped block for an offense that scored nearly 44 points per game. His dominant play on both sides of the ball and other contributions on the field has earned Black the 2019 Marshall Independent Football Player of the Year.

“It’s crazy; I’m just a kid playing football, I guess,” Black said. “I’ve been playing football all of my life and didn’t think I’d do something this cool. I thought some of these guys work harder than me and I think they should be recognized too and not just me.”

Marshall coach Terry Bahlmann said the accolade is a fitting end to Black’s prep career after what he’s done for the program the last few years.

“Yahya’s had an outstanding career for us. Defensively, he’s played outside linebacker and defensive line and is the all-time sacks leader for us and offensively he’s turned into one of the most dominant offensive lineman we’ve ever had,” Bahlmann said. “He’s a great worker, a great teammate and he’s been a good leader for us, so he’s had an outstanding career here.”

This past season, Marshall’s defense continued to showcase its strength on the field, as it recorded 21 interceptions and recovered 13 fumbles as a team. While the takeaway numbers are certainly impressive, what made the Tigers defense even more daunting was their front seven. The defensive line helped hold opponents to a dismal 51.9 rushing yards per game and a stifling 9.8 points per contest.

Black said one of the biggest things he worked on throughout the offseason was improving his explosiveness out of his defensive stance.

“Probably being more explosive going out of my stance,” Black said. “Coach is always on me about using my hands, so I tried to use my hands more, that’s pretty much it.”

Black’s hard work on the field has paid off. As a result, as he will be competing for the South team at the Minnesota Football Showcase on Dec. 7 in Minneapolis.

Bahlmann said it’s a great way for Black to showcase his talent and represent his team and his school.

“It’s a great opportunity; I’ve had the opportunity to coach in it twice and we’ve had a lot of players go and it’s a great experience for everybody,” Bahlmann said. “For him to get to play at U.S. Bank and represent Marshall, it’s good for Yahya and also good for our program.”

Bahlmann added Black has grown in every aspect of becoming an everyday leader since his sophomore season.

“As a sophomore, he was a quiet young man and he’s still quiet but now he’s a leader and people gravitate to him and he does a great job for us,” Bahlmann said. “He’s very unselfish and doesn’t really care about the accolades he’s received, he just wants to keep working hard and make our team better.”

Black said his coaches and teammates have had a tremendous impact on him throughout the past few years and that he wouldn’t be where he is today without them.

“[My coaches had] a major impact,” Black said. “I don’t think I would have learned anything from them. My teammates, they’re always encouraging me. It’s crazy how they’re always behind me 100%; it’s nice to have the team keep pushing you when you can push them.”

Even though his time as a Marshall Tiger has come to an end, it isn’t the end of the football road for Black. Next season, he will trade in his orange and black jersey for the black and yellow uniform of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

But before he drives the 388 miles down to Iowa City, Black still has to finish up the rest of his senior year at Marshall, and is currently playing for the boys basketball team. Black said he’ll miss his teammates and just the energy of the Marshall fans.

“I’m going to miss the team and the crowd,” Black said. “I love all of the people around Marshall and it’s going to be tough to leave a city like this.”