Denver Native (Carol)
11-26-2009, 10:21 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13871084
It was just a quick "smoke" route, a short pass to the wide receiver wearing jersey No. 15 on the first play after halftime.
The receiver caught the ball and cut to the far sideline, streaking through, then past, the defense. By the time he reached the goal line, 61 yards later, all the opponent could see was that big No. 15 on his back.
Touchdown, Rayshon Williams.
"I don't think I've ever seen him run that fast," said Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, laughing, from where he sat watching the game on cold metal bleachers. "He better not be faster than me."
The touchdown was one of four that Williams, a 17-year-old junior, scored last Friday for Mullen High School in a Class 5A state quarter-final playoff game. After each one, Marshall, the original No. 15, clapped his approval.
Marshall and Williams are first cousins. About 18 months ago, Marshall became Williams' guardian, moving the teen from a troubled life in a dangerous Pittsburgh neighborhood to Denver.
"Where we come from, the neighborhood, the percentage of guys that make it is slim to none," Marshall said. "I left Pittsburgh and went down to Florida and was in a great environment, sort of similar to this. I got a chance to go to college, to graduate from college, get my degree and make it to the NFL, and my way of giving back to him is giving him an opportunity."
The relationship between Marshall and Williams reveals a side of Marshall few Broncos fans have seen — a responsible adult who shows as much interest in his cousin's report card as his own statistics.
"I think it has helped ground Brandon a bit, in that he knows he is responsible for Ray. And even though he's 25, he's got a junior in high school that is his responsibility," said Mullen coach Dave Logan, also the Broncos' radio play-by-play announcer on KOA 850 AM. "He's done a really good job in mentoring him and trying to establish with Ray what is important. Football is important, but your education and how you conduct yourself is more important."
Marshall has stumbled at times in recent years, personally and professionally, and he said he's determined to make sure Williams doesn't make similar missteps.
"I can honestly say I'd be in deep trouble if I hadn't learned from that stuff. I don't know what road I'd be on now," Marshall said. "Now I'm on a good road, a positive road, and it's all because of the things I've been through, good and bad."
Playing and acting like a pro
After the third quarter of Friday's game, Mullen had a big lead and Logan had pulled his starters, including Williams, so Marshall headed to his black SUV in the Mullen parking lot. He cranked the heater up to 90 degrees, turned on the in-dash DVD player and popped in a burned DVD of his 2008 season, when he made his first Pro Bowl after catching 104 passes.
"I'm watching these to get my confidence back," he said.
Few things have come easily for Marshall this season, starting with surgery last spring to repair a nagging hip injury, then missing the Broncos' offseason workouts because of rehabilitation and a boycott of one mandatory minicamp. He asked for a new contract, or a trade, and got neither, and later threw a temper tantrum at practice during training camp. New Denver coach Josh McDaniels had enough and suspended him for the final nine days of the preseason.
Marshall returned to the Broncos determined to behave like a professional and show he deserved a new contract.
"I learned it's OK to feel the things that you feel and want the things that you want, but you have to go about it in a more professional way," Marshall said.
Marshall is making $2.198 million this season, the final year of his first NFL contract, and will become a restricted free agent after the season, giving the Broncos the right to match any other offer he might receive.
"My contract is over in a month and a half, so I'll be able to accomplish the things I want to accomplish," Marshall said. "There will be a team out there willing to trade for anybody, I mean anybody, who has accomplished the things that I've accomplished."
McDaniels won't discuss Marshall's long-term future with the Broncos, but said he has grown to love his playmaking potential and passionate personality, even if Marshall at times has trouble harnessing his emotions, such as Sunday, when he berated rookie tailback Know-shon Moreno on the sideline after a fumble.
"I'm proud of where we've gone, from what he did to get through and get past," McDaniels said. "Boy, how he's handled it has been impressive to me, to be in that situation, and then be where he is now."
"Future is very, very bright"
Marshall gladly found himself in Williams' shadow Friday. Wearing a black ballcap and a gray, hooded sweat shirt, Marshall stayed back as Williams received hugs and congratulations after Mullen's 41-7 rout of ThunderRidge.
Williams, who at 6-feet-1 and 175 pounds is significantly smaller than Marshall, already is attracting interest from Division I football teams. He has received his first scholarship offer, from the University of Minnesota, which is coached by former Broncos assistant Tim Brewster.
"His future is very, very bright," Logan said. "The important thing for him is to continue to improve, work in the classroom, and if that continues, he'll be able to go wherever he wants to go."
Marshall and Williams work out together in the offseason — "I kill him," Marshall said — but Marshall said he is most demanding of Williams about his work in the classroom. Unhappy with Williams' report card last spring, Marshall sent Williams home to Pittsburgh for the summer.
"I told him, you've been here for a year; you've been in Pittsburgh your whole life. When you go home, it's going to feel totally different. You're going to realize it's not a good place for you to be," Marshall said. "He had a chance to experience home after being in an environment like this, and I think it kind of shook him up."
The trip home worked. Williams returned to Denver in time for the start of the school year, and Marshall and Logan say Williams is doing better in the classroom.
"I appreciate it more because I saw the environment at home differently," Williams said. "I've taken more advantage of it."
As the Mullen players and their families began to leave Friday night, Williams said his goodbyes and climbed into the back of Marshall's SUV to head home.
"I can understand my mom and her feelings now," Marshall said. "She's my biggest fan, and sometimes I have to be like, 'Mom, take these pictures down,' because she is football, football, football. But I can see where that excitement and that joy comes from, because when I see Ray succeed in the classroom and on the football field, it's just like I'm a proud parent."
It was just a quick "smoke" route, a short pass to the wide receiver wearing jersey No. 15 on the first play after halftime.
The receiver caught the ball and cut to the far sideline, streaking through, then past, the defense. By the time he reached the goal line, 61 yards later, all the opponent could see was that big No. 15 on his back.
Touchdown, Rayshon Williams.
"I don't think I've ever seen him run that fast," said Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, laughing, from where he sat watching the game on cold metal bleachers. "He better not be faster than me."
The touchdown was one of four that Williams, a 17-year-old junior, scored last Friday for Mullen High School in a Class 5A state quarter-final playoff game. After each one, Marshall, the original No. 15, clapped his approval.
Marshall and Williams are first cousins. About 18 months ago, Marshall became Williams' guardian, moving the teen from a troubled life in a dangerous Pittsburgh neighborhood to Denver.
"Where we come from, the neighborhood, the percentage of guys that make it is slim to none," Marshall said. "I left Pittsburgh and went down to Florida and was in a great environment, sort of similar to this. I got a chance to go to college, to graduate from college, get my degree and make it to the NFL, and my way of giving back to him is giving him an opportunity."
The relationship between Marshall and Williams reveals a side of Marshall few Broncos fans have seen — a responsible adult who shows as much interest in his cousin's report card as his own statistics.
"I think it has helped ground Brandon a bit, in that he knows he is responsible for Ray. And even though he's 25, he's got a junior in high school that is his responsibility," said Mullen coach Dave Logan, also the Broncos' radio play-by-play announcer on KOA 850 AM. "He's done a really good job in mentoring him and trying to establish with Ray what is important. Football is important, but your education and how you conduct yourself is more important."
Marshall has stumbled at times in recent years, personally and professionally, and he said he's determined to make sure Williams doesn't make similar missteps.
"I can honestly say I'd be in deep trouble if I hadn't learned from that stuff. I don't know what road I'd be on now," Marshall said. "Now I'm on a good road, a positive road, and it's all because of the things I've been through, good and bad."
Playing and acting like a pro
After the third quarter of Friday's game, Mullen had a big lead and Logan had pulled his starters, including Williams, so Marshall headed to his black SUV in the Mullen parking lot. He cranked the heater up to 90 degrees, turned on the in-dash DVD player and popped in a burned DVD of his 2008 season, when he made his first Pro Bowl after catching 104 passes.
"I'm watching these to get my confidence back," he said.
Few things have come easily for Marshall this season, starting with surgery last spring to repair a nagging hip injury, then missing the Broncos' offseason workouts because of rehabilitation and a boycott of one mandatory minicamp. He asked for a new contract, or a trade, and got neither, and later threw a temper tantrum at practice during training camp. New Denver coach Josh McDaniels had enough and suspended him for the final nine days of the preseason.
Marshall returned to the Broncos determined to behave like a professional and show he deserved a new contract.
"I learned it's OK to feel the things that you feel and want the things that you want, but you have to go about it in a more professional way," Marshall said.
Marshall is making $2.198 million this season, the final year of his first NFL contract, and will become a restricted free agent after the season, giving the Broncos the right to match any other offer he might receive.
"My contract is over in a month and a half, so I'll be able to accomplish the things I want to accomplish," Marshall said. "There will be a team out there willing to trade for anybody, I mean anybody, who has accomplished the things that I've accomplished."
McDaniels won't discuss Marshall's long-term future with the Broncos, but said he has grown to love his playmaking potential and passionate personality, even if Marshall at times has trouble harnessing his emotions, such as Sunday, when he berated rookie tailback Know-shon Moreno on the sideline after a fumble.
"I'm proud of where we've gone, from what he did to get through and get past," McDaniels said. "Boy, how he's handled it has been impressive to me, to be in that situation, and then be where he is now."
"Future is very, very bright"
Marshall gladly found himself in Williams' shadow Friday. Wearing a black ballcap and a gray, hooded sweat shirt, Marshall stayed back as Williams received hugs and congratulations after Mullen's 41-7 rout of ThunderRidge.
Williams, who at 6-feet-1 and 175 pounds is significantly smaller than Marshall, already is attracting interest from Division I football teams. He has received his first scholarship offer, from the University of Minnesota, which is coached by former Broncos assistant Tim Brewster.
"His future is very, very bright," Logan said. "The important thing for him is to continue to improve, work in the classroom, and if that continues, he'll be able to go wherever he wants to go."
Marshall and Williams work out together in the offseason — "I kill him," Marshall said — but Marshall said he is most demanding of Williams about his work in the classroom. Unhappy with Williams' report card last spring, Marshall sent Williams home to Pittsburgh for the summer.
"I told him, you've been here for a year; you've been in Pittsburgh your whole life. When you go home, it's going to feel totally different. You're going to realize it's not a good place for you to be," Marshall said. "He had a chance to experience home after being in an environment like this, and I think it kind of shook him up."
The trip home worked. Williams returned to Denver in time for the start of the school year, and Marshall and Logan say Williams is doing better in the classroom.
"I appreciate it more because I saw the environment at home differently," Williams said. "I've taken more advantage of it."
As the Mullen players and their families began to leave Friday night, Williams said his goodbyes and climbed into the back of Marshall's SUV to head home.
"I can understand my mom and her feelings now," Marshall said. "She's my biggest fan, and sometimes I have to be like, 'Mom, take these pictures down,' because she is football, football, football. But I can see where that excitement and that joy comes from, because when I see Ray succeed in the classroom and on the football field, it's just like I'm a proud parent."