Antwaan Randle El
Encyclopedia
Antwaan Randle El (ˈæntwɑːn ˌrændəlˈɛl; born August 17, 1979) is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent
. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball
draft selection by the Chicago Cubs
in 1997. At Indiana, he primarily played college football
for the Indiana Hoosiers
, as well as basketball
and baseball
.
Following four years at Indiana, Randle El was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft
, by the Pittsburgh Steelers
. Playing with the Steelers for four seasons, he was active in all 64 regular season games with 23 starts, finding success as a wide receiver
, kick returner and punt returner
. He was also instrumental in a number of trick play
s, including throwing a touchdown pass as a wide receiver for the Steelers in Super Bowl XL
, the only wide receiver in history to do so. After the 2005 NFL season
, Randle El was signed as a free agent
to the Washington Redskins
. As a receiver for the Redskins, he scored ten touchdowns, catching eight and throwing two. In 2007, Randle El was sidelined for a game against the Buffalo Bills
with a hamstring injury, to date being his only inactive game.
Randle El was released by the Redskins in March 2010, re-signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers shortly after. In January 2010, Randle El was named in the Bleacher Report
's Pittsburgh Steelers All-Decade team for defense and special teams, as a punt returner. He was also named fifth in USA Today
s All-Decade kick returners. Randle El has a career passer rating
of 157.8, the highest of any player with more than twenty completed passes.
as the son of Curtis Randle El Sr., a food distributor, and Jacqueline, a day-care provider. A Chicago Bears
fan, he attended Thornton Township High School
in Harvey, Illinois
, where he played football
, basketball
and baseball
. He was a high school teammate of future NFL linebacker
Napoleon Harris
, as well as NBA center Melvin Ely
and former NFL wide receiver Tai Streets
.
After graduating from Thornton Township in 1997, Randle El was drafted in the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
, selected in the 14th round (424th overall) by the Chicago Cubs
. Despite this, he opted to purse a football scholarship at Indiana University
, despite being told he was too small during the recruiting process.
for four years between 1998 and 2001, playing college football
primarily as a quarterback
. Due to a low SAT score, he sat out his first full technical year at Indiana as a partial academic qualifier. Playing for the first time in Indiana's 1998 season opener against the Western Michigan Broncos
, Randle El completed 22 of 29 passing attempts for 385 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, as well as rushing for 82 yards on 23 carries for three touchdowns. The Hoosiers would go on to win the game, 45-30, with Randle El's 467 yards breaking the NCAA
freshman total offense record in his first collegiate game. His performance was also the third all-time highest passing yards in a single game for Indiana, and would earn Randle El the co-Big Ten
Player of the Week award. In the same season, Randle El would lead the team to victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes
on October 17, 1998, with a rushing touchdown in the final seconds of the game. The win came after a 62-0 loss to Iowa the previous season, making Indiana the first team in the history of the Big Ten Conference to lose to a team by more than 60 points in one season, and beat them the following year. Randle El would win the Big Ten Player of the Week award for a second time for his performance. On December 1, 1998, Randle El was announced as the winner of the 1998 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award, voted for by both Conference coaches and the media. The award was later re-titled the "Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year" award, partly in honor of Randle El's successful college career. Over the course of the 1998 season, Randle El tallied four 100-yard rushing games, against the Minnesota Golden Gophers
, the Michigan Wolverines
, the Michigan State Spartans
, and the Cincinnati Bearcats
. He finished the season and his freshman year with 1,745 passing yards and six touchdowns, as well as 873 yards rushing as a quarterback, breaking the Indiana University season record.
While at Indiana, Randle El became the first player in NCAA Division I history to pass for 40 career touchdowns and score 40 career rushing touchdowns. In 2001, he awarded the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
, presented by the Chicago Tribune
to the Most Valuable Player
of the Big Ten Conference
. He finished his college career as fifth on the all-time NCAA
total yardage list, and became the first player in college football history to record 2,500 total yards for four consecutive years. Tallying 7,469 passing yards, 3,895 rushing yards, and 92 touchdowns running and passing for his college career, he finish sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in his senior season. Randle El ended his college career with a 26-15 win over the Kentucky Wildcats
, passing for two touchdowns.
In 2000, Penn State coach Joe Paterno said of Randle El, "He is just the whole offense. It is scary to watch him. He is so quick that if you don't get on him and you wait for him to pitch the ball, he will take off on you. He is just an amazing athlete. I don't know how you get ready for him."
While attending Indiana, Randle El also played varsity basketball under head coach
Bob Knight. Randle El joined the 1998-99 IU basketball team following the football season. He also played varsity baseball during the 2000 season for Indiana.
, by the Pittsburgh Steelers
. Subsequently, the Steelers moved him to the receiver position, something the team had success with earlier with Hines Ward
. Additionally, the Steelers made him their top kickoff returner through the 2004-2005 season, and their top punt returner. His quarterback experience allowed the Steelers to use him as a passer in a variety of trick play
s, most notably a game-clinching 43-yard double reverse touchdown pass to Ward in Super Bowl XL
. He was the third non-quarterback and the first (and so far, only) receiver to throw a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl
.
period in March 2006, Randle El signed a seven-year deal with the Washington Redskins
, worth $31 million with $11.5 million in bonuses. He had initially been in talks to sign a six-year, $18 million contract with the Chicago Bears
, but discussions had broken down following the first day of free agency. In the Redskins' Week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts
, he returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, his first punt return for a touchdown with the Redskins, then in the week 17, he passed for his first touchdown as a Redskin, completing a 48-yard pass to Santana Moss
. In the 2007
season opener against the Miami Dolphins
, Randle El recorded five receptions
for a career-high 162 yards.
He was also the Redskins emergency quarterback. In December 2007, Randle El was inactive in a loss to the Buffalo with a hamstring injury. This was his first game missed in his six year NFL career, ending a run of 91 consecutive regular season starts.
In January 2010, Randle El was named in the Bleacher Report
's Pittsburgh Steelers All-Decade team for defense and special teams, as a punt returner. He was also named fifth in USA Today
s All-Decade kick returners. Randle El was among ten players released by the Redskins on March 4, 2010. The move came as a result of a number of personnel changes in Washington, with new head coach and executive vice president Mike Shanahan
- signed alongside new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan
- opting to make room in the Redskin's depth chart and salary outgoings in preparation of the 2010 free agency period. Randle El stated that he was "shocked" at the move, commenting that "..with a new GM and a new coach, I thought you'd be given a shot to show them what you can do."
, Randle El was the team's leading receiver with 50 yards carried, including a season-longest 34 yard catch. Following the Steelers bye week, Randle El had a twelve yard receiving touchdown overturned, in a week six loss to the New Orleans Saints
. In week nine, Randle El threw for a touchdown pass to Mike Wallace
in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals
, following a hand-off from Ben Roethlisberger
. NFL.com
named it a "Can't Miss Play" of the week. Randle El threw for a second passing touchdown in the Steelers' final regular season game against the Cleveland Browns
, completing a pass to Hines Ward
. The pass added to his career passer rating
of 157.5 from 21 completed passes of a possible 26, the highest career rating of any player with more than twenty completions. He was released on July 28, 2011.
and kick returner
for the University of Wisconsin
, while his older brother Curtis was a defensive back at Indiana University. Randle El is married to Jaune. The couple has five children: Eden, Ciara, Aunnna, Arynn and Alexa. Randle El also co-hosted Redskins Gameday on WTTG
during the 2007 season.
Randle El participated in the coverage of the 2008 NFC
Divisional playoff game between the New York Giants
and the Philadelphia Eagles
for NFL Network
, holding an interview after the game with safety Brian Dawkins
. The next week he traveled to the coverage of the AFC
championship game between his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers
, and the Baltimore Ravens
. After the game he held interviews with some of his former teammmates, including Ben Roethlisberger
, Troy Polamalu
, and Hines Ward
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
draft selection by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in 1997. At Indiana, he primarily played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
, as well as basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
Following four years at Indiana, Randle El was drafted in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
, by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Playing with the Steelers for four seasons, he was active in all 64 regular season games with 23 starts, finding success as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, kick returner and punt returner
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
. He was also instrumental in a number of trick play
Trick play
A trick play, also known as a gadget play or a gimmick play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a...
s, including throwing a touchdown pass as a wide receiver for the Steelers in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, the only wide receiver in history to do so. After the 2005 NFL season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Randle El was signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. As a receiver for the Redskins, he scored ten touchdowns, catching eight and throwing two. In 2007, Randle El was sidelined for a game against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with a hamstring injury, to date being his only inactive game.
Randle El was released by the Redskins in March 2010, re-signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers shortly after. In January 2010, Randle El was named in the Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is a website that provides news and fans' opinions of sporting events.The website was launched in February 2008 by California-based entrepreneurs Dave Finocchio, Zander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and Dave Nemetz...
's Pittsburgh Steelers All-Decade team for defense and special teams, as a punt returner. He was also named fifth in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s All-Decade kick returners. Randle El has a career passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 157.8, the highest of any player with more than twenty completed passes.
Early years
Randle El was born in Riverdale, IllinoisRiverdale, Illinois
Riverdale is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,055 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Riverdale is located at ....
as the son of Curtis Randle El Sr., a food distributor, and Jacqueline, a day-care provider. A Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
fan, he attended Thornton Township High School
Thornton Township High School
Thornton Township High School, often simply referred to as Thornton is a public high school founded in 1899. The school is located in Harvey, Illinois one of the south suburbs of the city of Chicago, Illinois. The school is one of three schools administered by Thornton Township High Schools...
in Harvey, Illinois
Harvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
, where he played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He was a high school teammate of future NFL linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Napoleon Harris
Napoleon Harris
Napoleon Bill Harris is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Northwestern and was drafted in the first round by the Oakland Raiders in the 2002 NFL Draft....
, as well as NBA center Melvin Ely
Melvin Ely
Melvin Anderson Ely is an American professional basketball player who last played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets....
and former NFL wide receiver Tai Streets
Tai Streets
Tai Streets is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League . He was selected with the second pick of the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Detroit Lions in 2004. He was the leading receiver for the...
.
After graduating from Thornton Township in 1997, Randle El was drafted in the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft
1997 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997...
, selected in the 14th round (424th overall) by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. Despite this, he opted to purse a football scholarship at Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, despite being told he was too small during the recruiting process.
College career
Randle El attended Indiana UniversityIndiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
for four years between 1998 and 2001, playing college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
primarily as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. Due to a low SAT score, he sat out his first full technical year at Indiana as a partial academic qualifier. Playing for the first time in Indiana's 1998 season opener against the Western Michigan Broncos
Western Michigan Broncos football
The Western Michigan Broncos football program represents Western Michigan University in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I and the Mid-American Conference . Western Michigan has competed in football since 1906, when they played three games in their inaugural season...
, Randle El completed 22 of 29 passing attempts for 385 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, as well as rushing for 82 yards on 23 carries for three touchdowns. The Hoosiers would go on to win the game, 45-30, with Randle El's 467 yards breaking the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
freshman total offense record in his first collegiate game. His performance was also the third all-time highest passing yards in a single game for Indiana, and would earn Randle El the co-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Player of the Week award. In the same season, Randle El would lead the team to victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
on October 17, 1998, with a rushing touchdown in the final seconds of the game. The win came after a 62-0 loss to Iowa the previous season, making Indiana the first team in the history of the Big Ten Conference to lose to a team by more than 60 points in one season, and beat them the following year. Randle El would win the Big Ten Player of the Week award for a second time for his performance. On December 1, 1998, Randle El was announced as the winner of the 1998 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award, voted for by both Conference coaches and the media. The award was later re-titled the "Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year" award, partly in honor of Randle El's successful college career. Over the course of the 1998 season, Randle El tallied four 100-yard rushing games, against the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
, the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, and the Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
. He finished the season and his freshman year with 1,745 passing yards and six touchdowns, as well as 873 yards rushing as a quarterback, breaking the Indiana University season record.
While at Indiana, Randle El became the first player in NCAA Division I history to pass for 40 career touchdowns and score 40 career rushing touchdowns. In 2001, he awarded the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
, presented by the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
to the Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. He finished his college career as fifth on the all-time NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
total yardage list, and became the first player in college football history to record 2,500 total yards for four consecutive years. Tallying 7,469 passing yards, 3,895 rushing yards, and 92 touchdowns running and passing for his college career, he finish sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in his senior season. Randle El ended his college career with a 26-15 win over the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
, passing for two touchdowns.
In 2000, Penn State coach Joe Paterno said of Randle El, "He is just the whole offense. It is scary to watch him. He is so quick that if you don't get on him and you wait for him to pitch the ball, he will take off on you. He is just an amazing athlete. I don't know how you get ready for him."
While attending Indiana, Randle El also played varsity basketball under head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Bob Knight. Randle El joined the 1998-99 IU basketball team following the football season. He also played varsity baseball during the 2000 season for Indiana.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2002-2005)
Randle El was drafted as a quarterback in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
, by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Subsequently, the Steelers moved him to the receiver position, something the team had success with earlier with Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
. Additionally, the Steelers made him their top kickoff returner through the 2004-2005 season, and their top punt returner. His quarterback experience allowed the Steelers to use him as a passer in a variety of trick play
Trick play
A trick play, also known as a gadget play or a gimmick play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a...
s, most notably a game-clinching 43-yard double reverse touchdown pass to Ward in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
. He was the third non-quarterback and the first (and so far, only) receiver to throw a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
Washington Redskins (2006-2009)
During the free agencyFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
period in March 2006, Randle El signed a seven-year deal with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, worth $31 million with $11.5 million in bonuses. He had initially been in talks to sign a six-year, $18 million contract with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but discussions had broken down following the first day of free agency. In the Redskins' Week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, he returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, his first punt return for a touchdown with the Redskins, then in the week 17, he passed for his first touchdown as a Redskin, completing a 48-yard pass to Santana Moss
Santana Moss
Santana Terrell Moss is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:...
. In the 2007
2007 Washington Redskins season
The 2007 Washington Redskins season was the team's 75th season, and saw the team achieve a record of 9-7 and a playoff appearance. This was an improvement over the 2006 season in which they went 5-11 and finished last in the NFC East....
season opener against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Randle El recorded five receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for a career-high 162 yards.
He was also the Redskins emergency quarterback. In December 2007, Randle El was inactive in a loss to the Buffalo with a hamstring injury. This was his first game missed in his six year NFL career, ending a run of 91 consecutive regular season starts.
In January 2010, Randle El was named in the Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is a website that provides news and fans' opinions of sporting events.The website was launched in February 2008 by California-based entrepreneurs Dave Finocchio, Zander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and Dave Nemetz...
's Pittsburgh Steelers All-Decade team for defense and special teams, as a punt returner. He was also named fifth in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s All-Decade kick returners. Randle El was among ten players released by the Redskins on March 4, 2010. The move came as a result of a number of personnel changes in Washington, with new head coach and executive vice president Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
- signed alongside new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan is an NFL offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins. Shanahan, at 28 years, 26 days old, became the youngest coordinator in the NFL when he was promoted by the Houston Texans on January 11, 2008...
- opting to make room in the Redskin's depth chart and salary outgoings in preparation of the 2010 free agency period. Randle El stated that he was "shocked" at the move, commenting that "..with a new GM and a new coach, I thought you'd be given a shot to show them what you can do."
Return to Pittsburgh Steelers (2010)
On March 8, 2010, Randle El again signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a three-year deal worth $7 million, with a $900,000 signing bonus. He was active in all sixteen regular season games, with 22 receptions for 253 yards. In a week four loss to the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, Randle El was the team's leading receiver with 50 yards carried, including a season-longest 34 yard catch. Following the Steelers bye week, Randle El had a twelve yard receiving touchdown overturned, in a week six loss to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. In week nine, Randle El threw for a touchdown pass to Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (American football)
-Pittsburgh Steelers:Wallace was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft with the 84th overall selection. Wallace was the 11th wide receiver chosen in the draft. On June 18, 2009, Wallace signed a three year contract with the Steelers worth $1.740 million which...
in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, following a hand-off from Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
. NFL.com
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
named it a "Can't Miss Play" of the week. Randle El threw for a second passing touchdown in the Steelers' final regular season game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, completing a pass to Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
. The pass added to his career passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 157.5 from 21 completed passes of a possible 26, the highest career rating of any player with more than twenty completions. He was released on July 28, 2011.
Personal
Randle El's younger brother, Marcus, was a wide receiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
for the University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, while his older brother Curtis was a defensive back at Indiana University. Randle El is married to Jaune. The couple has five children: Eden, Ciara, Aunnna, Arynn and Alexa. Randle El also co-hosted Redskins Gameday on WTTG
WTTG
WTTG, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
during the 2007 season.
Randle El participated in the coverage of the 2008 NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Divisional playoff game between the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, holding an interview after the game with safety Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
. The next week he traveled to the coverage of the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
championship game between his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, and the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. After the game he held interviews with some of his former teammmates, including Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
, and Hines Ward
Hines Ward
Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia...
.