The Marshall plan

Brandon Marshall has come a long way in a very short time

By John Weis

It could be argued that, until December 3, 2006, the only people who knew much about Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall were UCF football faithful, Broncos fans and hardcore fantasy football geeks.

On that date, in a nationally televised Sunday Night Football game, then-rookie Marshall took in a short sideline pass and turned it into a stunning 71-yard touchdown, breaking three tackles along the way to paydirt.

Marshall’s progress over the second half of his inaugural year and an off-season of hard work earned him a starting job in 2007. “Experience has really slowed the game down for me,” he said. “It’s very tough for a rookie NFL wide receiver to learn the plays and coverages and be totally comfortable.”

For Marshall, there was certainly no sophomore jinx as he turned in a

second season that even the most optimistic of prognosticators couldn’t

have expected. An early-season injury to fellow wideout Javon Walker led

Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan to call Marshall’s #15 often – and he did

not disappoint. His 102 receptions and 1,325 receiving yards were fifth and

sixth, respectively, in the NFL – and he added seven touchdowns.

Those closest to him aren’t surprised. After all, Marshall is a quick study

who first began learning the nuances of football early in life. His father,

Fred, was an all-city quarterback in Pittsburgh who also played at Howard

University. “My dad was my biggest influence,” Marshall said. “I remember

him explaining things like how to look at a linebacker’s positioning and read

what he’s going to do, or the angle at which a running back should take a hit

(to protect himself), and here I was just seven years old. That’s the kind of

stuff that gave me a big competitive advantage when I was a kid.”

After growing up in Pennsylvania for much of his childhood, Marshall spent

his final two high school seasons at Lake Howell in Winter Park. There,

Marshall practically did everything shy of washing uniforms and selling

popcorn. “I played everywhere at Lake Howell,” he said with a laugh. “My

junior year I played wide receiver and cornerback, and I also returned punts.

My senior year I played quarterback, running back, tight end, wide receiver,

defensive end and kicker.”

Marshall’s athletic prowess also allowed him to be state champion in triple jump his senior year and a prominent member of the school’s basketball team. “I was actually pretty good at basketball, but I just didn’t have the same love for basketball as I did for football,” he explained. “That’s what made playing college football an easy decision for me.”

Staying close to home, Marshall chose the University of Central Florida. “How would I describe my years at UCF? Good times and bad,” said Marshall. “The coaching change was tough (Head Coach Mike Kruczek was fired near the end of the 2003 season), but I love UCF and I will never forget my time there. I’m proud of being on UCF’s first bowl team (the 2005 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl) and I’ll always think that I was a part of what started something big for UCF football.”

The 2004 campaign, Coach George O’Leary’s first season on the job (and Marshall’s junior year), was the worst in school history as the team went winless. Due to injury and other factors, Marshall displayed his versatility by playing much of that season in the defensive secondary – and actually led the team in tackles. “In 2004 we had some players who were weak mentally and physically,” Marshall admits. “We also had some others who did their share of whining and complaining – and I have to admit that I was one of those. It was just a bad season because we were rebuilding.”

The next year, however, saw UCF accomplish one of the most improbable turnarounds in the history of college football, as the Golden Knights went 8-5, captured the Conference USA East Division crown and participated in their first bowl game. “All I can say is hats off to Coach O’Leary and his staff,” Marshall said. “The coaches did a great job of teaching us what we needed to do to get ready to play. They weeded out the guys who didn’t have their hearts in it, and then they made the rest of us better football players.”

They did, indeed! It was the 2005 season that made NFL scouts stand up and take notice of Marshall, as he finished the year with 74 receptions for 1,195 yards and 11 touchdowns. Improving his stock even further, he concluded his college career with a dominating bowl game performance, catching three touchdown passes en route to an 11-catch, 210-yard effort.

In Marshall and Jay Cutler, one of the NFL’s top young signal-callers, the Broncos have one of the league’s best up-and-coming pass-catch combos. “The chemistry between Jay and I on the field just keeps getting better,” Marshall said. “You have to remember, we came from the same draft class, so we have a lot in common. We’ll both continue to improve because we love to compete, and we want to be around here a long time and set records.”

Judging by what we’ve seen so far, it’d be foolish to bet against him.

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