Born on February 8, 1930, in Athens, Alabama,[1] Marlow moved to Troy at an early age.[2] He played high school football at Troy High School before playing college football for the University of Alabama from 1950 to 1952.[3] In 1950, Marlow's first season with the Crimson Tide, he had 118 rushing attempts, gaining 882 yards for an average of 7.5 per carry, and scored 9 touchdowns. His number of touchdowns doubled to 12 in 1951, as he rushed for 728 yards in 114 carries.[4] In that year's Iron Bowl against Auburn, Marlow had 233 rushing yards, breaking the team record; his mark was not bested until 1987. In 1952, he was named to the All-America Team,[2] after running for 950 yards in 176 attempts and scoring 10 touchdowns.[4] It was the third consecutive season that he led Alabama in rushing yards.[5] In Marlow's Crimson Tide career, the team had a win–loss record of 24–10 and won the 1953 Orange Bowl. At the end of his college career, Marlow had a school-record 2,560 rushing yards. The record lasted until 1971.[2]
The New York Giants selected Marlow with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 1953 NFL draft.[6] However, he did not play in the NFL, and instead signed to play in the CFL.[3] The Roughriders ultimately signed Marlow.[7] In his career with the Roughriders, he scored 34 touchdowns and had 4,291 rushing yards in 833 attempts.[8] Marlow spent eight seasons in Canada, and later lived in Elkmont, Alabama, and Houston, Texas. In 1985, Marlow suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 55.[2][3] Marlow was named a member of the CFL's All Star All-Time Team.[2]