Former Terp Football Star-Trustee Couple Named 2025 Homecoming Grand Marshals

Domonique and Ashley Foxworth hail from Baltimore and D.C., respectively, but both consider the University of Maryland to be their home turf, too—from the South Campus Commons apartment where they met, to the football stadium where Ashley ’06 watched Domonique ’04 play, to Memorial Chapel, where they got married.

Now, the alum couple is returning to those roots, and helping thousands of other Terps do the same.

The Foxworths will serve as the 2025 Homecoming grand marshals, an honor that invites notable alums, leaders and other dignitaries to promote Maryland pride for the UMD community during the Oct. 26-Nov. 1 festivities.

“I feel so much gratitude,” Ashley said. “Choosing to bring us back and welcome us back in this way is so cool and such an honor for our whole Maryland-made family.”

The tradition returned last year for the first time in more than a decade, with triple jumper Thea LaFond Gadson ’15 and basketball player Alyssa Thomas ’14, who both won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Other marshals have included Muppets creator Jim Henson ’60, Kermit the Frog and Sweetums (1979), basketball star Tom McMillen ’74 (1983 and 1989) and fellow Olympics gymnast Dominique Dawes ’02 (2003).

A three-time All-ACC cornerback, Domonique starred for Maryland football from 2001-04 while majoring in American studies. He helped lead the Terps to the 2001 conference championship, as well as victories in the 2003 Peach Bowl and 2004 Gator Bowl, then played seven seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens.

Following his playing career, Domonique was elected president of the NFL Players Association in 2012 and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Now, Terp fans can catch his takes across ESPN shows such as “SportsCenter” and “Get Up” and his own podcast, “The Domonique Foxworth Show,” as he prepares to head back to College Park.

“I enjoy the energy on campus—the energy of young students with a lot of talent, promise and excitement,” he said. “It’s a place that I really respect and appreciate, and for them to honor me, it goes a long way.”

Ashley, who studied English, relished finding her community on UMD’s big campus after attending a small all-girls’ high school. She paid it forward through two years of Teach for America after graduation, then earned master’s degrees in teaching from American University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In between, she graduated from Harvard Law School. In 2022, she was named a trustee of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.

To further their connection to their alma mater, the couple established both the Foxworth Creative Enterprise Initiative, funding projects that apply arts and humanities skills to drive innovation and solve grand challenges, and the Foxworth Do Good Internship Endowed Scholarship, which supports students assisting underserved communities.

The Foxworths and their three children will help build Homecoming excitement at the Terp Carnival on Oct. 31 (before they head out for trick-or-treating as an on-theme Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle family). Amid food, games, giveaways and a fireworks finale, fans can stop by for a meet-and-greet and scoop of the marshals’ limited-edition ice cream flavor, courtesy of the Maryland Dairy: vanilla with crushed vanilla crème sandwich cookies, caramel swirl and rainbow sprinkles. Then at Saturday’s football game vs. Indiana, Domonique and Ashley will participate in the coin toss and a special in-game recognition.

“It’s going to be such a celebratory weekend,” Ashley said. “We’re excited to have our whole family there.”