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Seventeen-year-old Marvyn Acenas, the son of Filipino parents Jun and Marielle Acenas, is making headlines in Austria—not for sinking jump shots, but for breaking tackles and reading defenses like a chess grandmaster.
Marvyn originally dreamed of a basketball career. “I used to play in the park with my brothers,” he says. But at 1.72 meters tall, the odds weren’t in his favor under the rim. Everything changed when two classmates introduced him to American football. One tryout was all it took: “I fell in love with this sport straight away.”
That spark turned into a seven-year commitment with the Danube Dragons, a team that quickly recognized his combination of athleticism and intellect. “He reads the game like an experienced quarterback,” say the coaches—likely thanks to his other longtime passion: chess.
Taught by his father at a young age, Marvyn has been playing chess for as long as he can remember. He even trades playful trash talk and intense games with the Dragons’ coach Dominik Mattes. “Now and then he needs a defeat,” Mattes jokes. The loser does burpees or hauls team gear—friendly stakes that keep them sharp.
Now a U19 national team player, Marvyn sees clear parallels between chess and football: both demand fast thinking and sharp focus. After trying quarterback and running back, he’s found his niche as a wide receiver. “I like running specific routes—it feels like moving chess pieces into place,” he says.
On the field or at the board, Marvyn Acenas knows how to play the long game—and win.
- source: Hector Pascua with reports from krone.at/picture: (3) Facebook
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