Byron Marshall of Valley Christian: Top 50 football recruits in 50 days

Make this clear. Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.) football coach Mike Machado doesn't want Byron Marshall to change. Not one bit.

On the surface, that seems obvious.

Marshall, after all, is a game-breaker, a season-changer, a breath-taking, thrilling, strong, fleet breakaway back with major moves, sprinter speed and power to hurt.

"(Marshall) is like a magician (on the field) who can run you over," said West Catholic Athletic League-rival Serra coach Patrick Walsh.



He's the fourth-ranked senior tailback in the country and the No. 48 recruit overall according to MaxPreps.com/CBS recruiting expert Tom Lemming.

But for all his dazzle and athleticism, for all the nearly 3,000 career yards and 45 touchdowns that he's accounted for, the uncommitted 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior has gained a reputation as a hot dog.

Like his idol Michael Jordan, he enjoys getting into the heads of opponents with pointed chatter. Like flamboyant Deion Sanders, Marshall has celebrated his many triumphs with extra flair.

The flair and chatter has led him to watching important action from the sideline.

The last two seasons he's been ejected from Week 10 games for taunting and excessive celebration – two flags in each game – and by rule that's forced him to miss first-round playoff games.

Worse than that, Marshall's reputation has been tarnished somewhat. Referees are watching his every move. Bloggers are writing more about his antics than his enormous talent.



Machado maintains firmly that there are no attitude issues – quite the opposite – and that Marshall's passion and thirst for life is a strength and simply part of who he is.

"First off, he's just a great kid – an amazing kid," Machado said. "He's passionate about life. He goes onto the field with his head on fire. I don't want to change the core of who he is. The person Byron is the kind of kid you want on your team, in your program, as a friend, as a teammate, as a son. … He's got a great foundation, great parents who are both educators. … The kids gravitate toward him and he makes them better. He's a captain this season and he's earned it. He doesn't throw yelling fits and he doesn't complain if he doesn't get the ball. He just a great teammate.

"All that said, he's also 17 and he's growing up. He understands with all his passion and talent and the attention he draws come responsibility."

In other words, Marshall needs to clean up the antics and he knows it.

He said he's been embarrassed and remorseful about the ejections and though he feels the second was unwarranted, it doesn't matter.

Marshall said he will make the adjustment without changing who he is.



"I just have to be smart and it's time for me to grow up," he said. "The first (ejection) my sophomore year was me being competitive and stupid. It was a stupid immature penalty. The second (ejection) I still don't think I deserved but it happened. I let my team down. It was real selfish. I won't put the team or myself in that position again.

"I know a lot of refs are looking for me now. I just plan to shut up and play."

That won't be easy. Marshall admits he loves the banter. Always has while trying to compete with his 27-month older brother Cameron, the starting junior tailback at Arizona State, and his older athletic friends.

"(Talking) was kind of how you stood up for yourself," he said. "I had to back it up.

"I'm kind of a natural at it. I like it. It's what I do. It's fun. I try to conquer my opponent mentally and then physically. Get them out of their game. It's really why I do it. To gain an advantage. But obviously at points the last two years it hasn't worked. I need to adjust."

The on-the-field banter obviously hasn't bothered college recruiters.{PAGEBREAK}He's received nearly 20 college offers, including a coveted one from USC last week. The Trojans, hit hard by sanctions for improper benefits to (among others) Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, lost 30 scholarships over a three-ear span starting in 2011.



Marshall is the second offer to a 2012 running back by the Trojans. The other is Keivarae Russell (Mariner HS, Everett, Wash.), Lemming's No. 9 tailback in the country. 

USC would be an interesting choice considering one of Marshall's best friends, training partner and true freshman tailback Amir Carlisle has already made a big impression on the Trojans. 

Then again, so would Arizona State where his brother started the final seven games of his sophomore year. Cameron Marshall has been projected by some as a first-day NFL pick following his junior year.

Byron Marshall, whose current final list is Arizona State, Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC and Washington, said friendship or bloodlines won't play a part of his decision.

"I'm not going to neglect a good offer based on that or be swayed by it either," he said. "That would be dumb."

Marshall said he's enjoying the recruiting process thus far. It helps that he's the youngest of three and that his older siblings Dahlys – a female sprinter and hurdler at Arizona – and Cameron went through the wringer.



His father Greg, a trainer for the USFL's Sabercats and Santa Clara University, and mother Tammie were college athletes. Tammie is the track and field coach at Valley Christian.

Greg and Byron are taking four unofficial trips the next two weeks, to Notre Dame, Purdue, Washington and Oregon.

"Honestly, right now my recruiting is wide open," Byron said. "When I was younger, I wanted to leave the area and go far away. That's changed. I could definitely stay in California now. … So far the recruiting process has been cool. I'm having a lot of fun with it."

He hopes to have fun this season erasing a couple bitter Central Coast Section Open Division title-game losses from the last two years. 

The Vikings are young and return just six starters, but two of them will be filled by Byron, who is also a lockdown cornerback not to mention a lethal kick returner.

Returning punts and kicks is where Byron gets to truly show his vast physical gifts – he was a starter on the varsity basketball team as a freshman and won the CCS 100 meters as a sophomore (his best time is 10.67) – and creativity.



He'll likely get more touches than the last three seasons – just 305 carries and 22 catches - when the Warriors had more weapons to spread it around.

"Whatever it takes for us to win is all I care about," he said. "After losing the last two years I'm very hungry. I'm very motivated not to lose our final (championship) game three years in a row. Last year I was really, really mad after that loss.

"But you can't go through life angry. I know it's just football and it's a game. No matter what, I'm still always going to be laughing and smiling. I just try to attack life every day and have fun in everything I do."{PAGEBREAK}5 MORE TAKES ON MARSHALL

1. On right knee injury that required small surgery to repair patella damage and forced him to miss track season and football camps, Byron said: "I just wanted to get it out of the way and all cleared up for senior season. I'm 100 percent."

2. On working out all summer with Cameron and Carlisle, Greg Marshall said: "They all took turns beating each other up. Cameron is considerably bigger than both those kids but beat them (in sprints) as often as they beat him."

3. On comparisons between Cameron (5-10, 215) and Byron, Greg Marshall said: "Cameron is bigger and stronger and more powerful. Byron is a better athlete with better feet. They've never been separated growing up. They've competed side-by-side." Said Machado: "Cameron was fast but more of a power runner. He’d run right through you. Byron can do that but he’s more elusive. He’ll leave you hanging and then accelerate. He’s just an incredible athlete. He does things on the field that you just can't believe.”



4. On Byron's sheer athletic ability – his 40 time is 4.4, vertical jump is 33 inches and bench presses 325 - Machado said: "After three years, he still makes plays I say ‘Holy Cow.' I do hear other coaches often say, ‘Wow, did you see that?' And I often say, ‘Yes, seen it many times.' Overall, there's not much he does that surprises me any more."

5. On Bryon's overall play from Lemming: "He runs low to the ground with great speed, vision and balance. A physical runner, he will not go down with arm tackles, shows good cutback ability and is even effective between the tackles. … He keeps his legs churning at all times and gets a good amount of yardage after initial contact. A blazer, who once he bounces it to the outside shows the ability to take the ball the distance. He shows surprising strength for a 191-pounder and gets his shoulders down making himself a smaller target. Shows the brilliant agility to change directions in a flash and has the hands needed to become a receiving threat."

Monday: DeSmet Jesuit multi-dimension receiver Durron Neal, the nation's No. 47 recruit.