Brunch with Legends highlights spring game festivities at the Vet

Troy football’s T-Day featured plenty of familiar faces, including multiple former players at the athletic department’s “Brunch with Legends” event. 

Preceding on-field action, the gathering inside the Stadium Club featured Carlton Martial, BJ Smith, Jeremy Rowell and Eric Thomas. 

Martial holds the FBS record as the all-time leading tackler. He was a four-time All-Sun Belt First Team selection over his five seasons with Troy. Martial was named Defensive Player of the Year during the Sun Belt Championship-winning season in 2022. 

Smith was an All-Sun Belt selection in 2018 and is most remembered for his two touchdowns and 70 yards in the historic win against Nebraska.  

Jeremy Rowell led the way over the 1994 and 1995 seasons, going undefeated in his final year. He was an assistant for Larry Blakeney over the five consecutive Sun Belt titles won from 2006-10.  

Eric Thomas was a three-time All-Sun Belt selection and has the most career touchdown receptions in Sun Belt history with 29. 

The event also featured speaking appearances from Athletic Director Kyle George, current head football coach Gerad Parker and Voice of the Trojans Barry McKnight. 

Beyond brunch, NFL Hall of Famer and former Trojan Demarcus Ware returned to the Wiregrass for the weekend. Ware met with the team prior to the spring game beginning and threw out the first pitch afterwards for the afternoon baseball game against Louisiana.

Ware played for the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys, winning a Super Bowl in 2016 with Denver. 

Ware, Martial, Smith, Thomas and Rowell were all celebrated for their impacts on the history of Troy football.