For Marlon Kerner, Buffalo is still home.
"When you marry a Buffalo girl, you always stay in Buffalo," Marlon laughed in his interview with buffalobills.com.
A product of The Ohio State University, Kerner was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 1995 NFL draft. He wore number 46 on the Buffalo roster, lining up in the cornerback position.
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While playing for Buffalo, Kerner met the love of his life. During regular stops for a Slurpee at a nearby 7-Eleven, he developed a special relationship with the woman that would one day be his wife.
"I would always ask her out, ask for her number," Kerner told bufffalobills.com. "Sometimes, the timing wasn't right. It took me two and a half years to take her out on a date!"
Finally, she gave in and thirteen years later Kerner and his wife are still happily married.
During his time with the Bills, Kerner logged 64 tackles and three interceptions in his 43 career games with the Bills. Kerner's career ended in the beginning of the 1999 season due to a serious knee injury.
Marlon began rehabbing, but realized his knee wasn't healing and retired from the NFL.
What's next for Kerner? He wanted to do something different. Marlon began working at Key Bank in Buffalo, where he spent four years, dabbling in all departments.
After Key Bank, Kerner began working at Tops Friendly Markets. A friend noticed he liked the retail environment, and suggested he apply at Target, where he has now spent the last six years.
"I worked at the Orchard Park Target store and I'm now in the Depew/Cheektowaga store," said Kerner. "It's been very rewarding. I get to do what I like to do which is go out and meet people in the Buffalo community."
Kerner is the Executive Team Leader of Human Resources. Among many tasks, Marlon is in charge of all community donations for his Target store.
In his free time, Marlon enjoys volunteering in the Buffalo community. Most recently, he was involved with the Buffalo Bills PLAY 60 Ultimate Field Day for Kids at Ralph Wilson Stadium. He enjoys inspiring students to follow their dreams and never give up.
"It's important to teach them to be respectful to their peers and their parents," said Kerner. "I like to inspire kids to dream big, to dream big, shoot for the stars and if you miss it, that's okay. If you don't dream big, you'll never know."
Kerner and his family reside in the Depew/Lancaster area. He and his wife have three children.
