Few people know that back in 1988, a young man by the name Ramon Martinez was initially the pride of his family as the highly touted pitching prospect who left the Dominican Republic to gain wealth and prominence by playing in the big leagues-though maybe you are more familiar with his younger brother, Pedro. Venus Williams tore through her competition with reckless abandon early in her career and was labeled the savior of tennis, only to lose her title to no other than her pesky little sis, Serena. Even Michael Jackson had remarkably talented older siblings and managed to outshine them all.
The highest profile case of an up-and-coming younger sibling outside of Eli Manning or Ashlee Simpson is unfolding right here in Madison, as freshman sensation Marcus Randle El-the younger brother of Pittsburgh Steeler Antwaan-adjusts to the college game and aspires to maximize his potential during his years in a Badger uniform. Marcus' oldest brother Curtis played defensive back for Indiana, though the name Randle El was made famous by Antwaan, who starred at quarterback for the Hoosiers and broke numerous Big Ten records before becoming an impact player at wideout in the NFL.
It certainly is not fair to ask Marcus to carry the burden of great expectations simply because we associate his surname with greatness, but his ability and past production on the field have been equal contributors to his hype.
Randle El built up his legend by putting up staggering numbers at Thornton High School in his hometown of Markham, Ill. In his junior and senior seasons alone, he scored 65 total touchdowns-rushing for 28 of those, and throwing for other 37.
Coming into this year, however, sophomore John Stocco had the quarterback position locked up, so Randle El has had to wait his turn. Despite not being able to play his natural position at the college level, the coaches are so impressed with his athleticism and play-making ability that they find ways to get him in the game anyway.
\He wants to be a quarterback, but the biggest thing coming into this year is seeing where he can get on the field the quickest, and being a true freshman, it is usually hard to get time out there,"" quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton said. ""But he is still an explosive enough player where as coaches we need to find a way to get him on the field and that has been as a receiver so far.""
Randle El is well aware of his potential but needs no reminder that he has to earn his keep, being a true freshman, and has to put his trust in the coaching staff that he says promised him a shot at quarterback in the future.
""Right now I am just filling my role,"" said Randle El. ""It's my freshman year so I have to come in and just do what the coaches ask me to do-and when I do it, I'll try to make something happen.""
The ability to make things happen is exactly what the coaching staff is counting on from him this season. He has caught one pass thus far at wide receiver, but usually sets up wide only to go in motion and either run a reverse or fake one. He has also taken a snap for a quarterback draw and returned a punt, helping out wherever he is needed and keeping the defense guessing.
""I think any time you have a guy that can do a bunch of different things, that really helps when you are trying to draw up a game plan,"" Horton said. ""He is a threat to run with the football, he is going to throw a little bit, and hopefully he can give the defensive coordinators around the league headaches trying to prepare for that.""
If it all comes together for Randle El, he will do more than cause some headaches-defensive coordinators will sooner solve cold fusion or world hunger before they figure out how to keep him out of the end zone. He is already harder to contain than quicksilver and an airborne virus combined, which is scary considering that for the time being he is only a decoy. One can only imagine the possibilities once he starts to touch the ball more, but he and his coaches know he has a lot of work to do before that happens.
""He is a young guy so he needs to understand the pace of the game, understand ball security, understand what we are trying to do, and he has to begin to grasp what we are trying to do offensively,"" Horton said.
The question on everyone's mind is whether Randle El will ever play quarterback in his time at UW, bringing a new dynamic to the position that this program has not seen in a while. The coaching staff remains unsure of whether they think he can develop into an every down quarterback because, as Horton explains, ""that really is not the style of offense we run all of the time right now.""
However, Horton does see as much promise for Randle El as his fans eagerly await each time he is given the ball. Said Horton, ""I will say, I think you've seen only the tip of the iceberg.\
