Rasheed Marshall
Encyclopedia
Rasheed Malik Marshall is an American football
wide receiver
that is currently a free agent
. He previously played for the Columbus Destroyers
of the Arena Football League. He was formerly a wide receiver and kick returner
in the National Football League
for the St. Louis Rams
. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers
in the 5th round (174th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
out of West Virginia University
, before leaving San Francisco for the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Marshall threw for over 3,000 yards in 2 years and was rated #10 quarterback in the nation by ESPN
in 1998.
After graduation he attended Valley Forge Military Academy where he played quarterback
, cornerback
, and free safety. He was a team captain in football
and basketball
.
at West Virginia University
. He saw action in only five games, missing eight weeks with a broken bone in his wrist. Marshall totaled 327 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 210 yards.
In 2002 he took over the team's quarterback duties, racking up a 53.7 completion percentage for 1,616 yards, nine scores and five interceptions, also rushing 173 times for 666 yards (3.8 average) and 13 touchdowns.
In 2003 he was injured with a concussion for the season opener against Wisconsin
, but ended up with a 50.7 completion percentage for 1,729 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions, also carrying 101 times for 303 yards (2.3 average) and four scores. He also gained 173 yards on six punt returns. Marshall had his career-high passing game that season, with 271 yards against Syracuse
.
He was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year in his senior year, 2004, with a 59.5 percentage. Marshall played the post-season Gridiron Classic
as a receiver, which interested the pro scouts.
Rasheed Marshall totaled 5,558 yards passing with 44 touchdowns and 26 interceptions for his career at West Virginia. Only Pat White
, Marc Bulger
, Chad Johnston, and Oliver Luck
threw for more yards in West Virginia records than Marshall's 5,558 yards, while Marshall's 44 touchdowns are third to Pat White's 56 and Marc Bulger's 59 at West Virginia. Rasheed's 2,040 yards rushing ranks third in school history for rushing yards for a quarterback, second to Major Harris
and Pat White, respectively, while his 24 rushing touchdowns ranks second all-time at West Virginia for a quarterback behind Pat White. Marshall's 69 total touchdowns scored in his career was a school record, before Pat White broke it in 2007.
in the 2005 NFL Draft
. During training camp, Rasheed Marshall underwent the process of being converted from quarterback, his college position, to receiver. Rasheed Marshall recorded one reception for -1 yards and a rush for -7 yards. He played most of the 2005 NFL season as a kick returner, however. He registered 488 yards on kick return
s in 2005, and 87 punt return yards.
He was released by the 49ers on September 2, 2006 and was then signed by his home-town team, the Pittsburgh Steelers
on January 12, 2007. He was cut shortly after on August 8, of the same year. On August 15, 2007, Marshall was then picked up by the St. Louis Rams
.
roster of the Arena Football League. Marshall is listed as a wide receiver. In the first game of the season, a 50-47 loss to the Colorado Crush
, Rasheed Marshall caught five passes for 68 yards and a 33-yard touchdown, his first score coming in his Arena League debut. He also had one rush for five yards. In the third game of the season, a 59-57 loss to the Cleveland Gladiators, Marshall recorded three receptions for 39 yards and two touchdowns. He followed up with three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown and six kickoff returns for 130 yards and a touchdown in the 52-49 victory over the Utah Blaze
. The game saw Marshall's first appearances as the team's kick returner. Marshall finished out the month of March with six receptions for 32 yards and 4 returns for 92 yards in a 44-47 loss to the Orlando Predators
.
Marshall and the Destroyers opened up April with a 51-49 victory over the Tampa Bay Storm
, where he recorded only three kick returns for 40 yards. In the following 62-44 loss to the New York Dragons
, Marshall recorded 6 receptions for 92 yards with a score and six kickoff returns for 159 yards and a 57-yard touchdown return. After the game, Marshall ranked first in the AFL in kickoff return percentage with 21.3 yards per return, second in the league among rookies with 686 all-purpose yards, third among rookies with 42 points, and fourth among rookies with 24 receptions at that point in the season.
After missing the Philadelphia Soul
game due to an injury, Marshall returned for the 45-48 loss to the Dallas Desperados
, where he had 6 kick returns for 108 yards. Five weeks later in a 63-34 loss to the Georgia Force
, Marshall returned eights kickoffs for 116 yards and had 3 receptions for 24 yards. In the following 63-60 loss to the Grand Rapids Rampage
, Marshall had only two kick returns for 17 yards but did score a two-point conversion rush. Marshall finished out his rookie season with three kick returns for 57 yards.
Marshall finished out his rookie season with 31 receptions for 336 yards and five touchdowns. He also had seven rushes for 10 yards and a touchdown, and 54 returns for 941 yards and two touchdowns. Following his rookie campaign, Marshall's contract ended with the Destroyers and he entered the free agent market.
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...
that 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 previously played for the Columbus Destroyers
Columbus Destroyers
The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They folded along with the original incarnation of the AFL following the 2008 season, after a total of...
of the Arena Football League. He was formerly a wide receiver 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...
in the National Football League
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...
for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the 5th round (174th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
out of West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, before leaving San Francisco for 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...
.
High school career
Marshall prepped at Brashear High SchoolBrashear High School
Brashear High School is a public school in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Brashear is one of ten high schools in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.-Academic achievement:...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Marshall threw for over 3,000 yards in 2 years and was rated #10 quarterback in the nation by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 1998.
After graduation he attended Valley Forge Military Academy where he played 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...
, cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, and free safety. He was a team captain in 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...
and 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...
.
College career
In 2000 he was redshirtedRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. He saw action in only five games, missing eight weeks with a broken bone in his wrist. Marshall totaled 327 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 210 yards.
In 2002 he took over the team's quarterback duties, racking up a 53.7 completion percentage for 1,616 yards, nine scores and five interceptions, also rushing 173 times for 666 yards (3.8 average) and 13 touchdowns.
In 2003 he was injured with a concussion for the season opener against Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
, but ended up with a 50.7 completion percentage for 1,729 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions, also carrying 101 times for 303 yards (2.3 average) and four scores. He also gained 173 yards on six punt returns. Marshall had his career-high passing game that season, with 271 yards against Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
.
He was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year in his senior year, 2004, with a 59.5 percentage. Marshall played the post-season Gridiron Classic
Gridiron Classic
The Gridiron Classic was the name given to a college football game played between teams from the Pioneer Football League and Northeast Conference at the end of the 2006-2009 seasons...
as a receiver, which interested the pro scouts.
Rasheed Marshall totaled 5,558 yards passing with 44 touchdowns and 26 interceptions for his career at West Virginia. Only Pat White
Patrick White (American football)
Patrick Christian White last played American football for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League and former professional baseball player for the Kansas City Royals organization....
, Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
, Chad Johnston, and Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
threw for more yards in West Virginia records than Marshall's 5,558 yards, while Marshall's 44 touchdowns are third to Pat White's 56 and Marc Bulger's 59 at West Virginia. Rasheed's 2,040 yards rushing ranks third in school history for rushing yards for a quarterback, second to Major Harris
Major Harris
Major Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All American and finished third and fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989...
and Pat White, respectively, while his 24 rushing touchdowns ranks second all-time at West Virginia for a quarterback behind Pat White. Marshall's 69 total touchdowns scored in his career was a school record, before Pat White broke it in 2007.
National Football League
Rasheed Marshall was selected in the 5th round, 174 overall by the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. During training camp, Rasheed Marshall underwent the process of being converted from quarterback, his college position, to receiver. Rasheed Marshall recorded one reception for -1 yards and a rush for -7 yards. He played most of the 2005 NFL season as a kick returner, however. He registered 488 yards on kick return
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
s in 2005, and 87 punt return yards.
He was released by the 49ers on September 2, 2006 and was then signed by his home-town 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...
on January 12, 2007. He was cut shortly after on August 8, of the same year. On August 15, 2007, Marshall was then picked up by the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
Columbus Destroyers
On November 2, 2007, Rasheed Marshall left the Rams practice squad to join the Columbus DestroyersColumbus Destroyers
The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They folded along with the original incarnation of the AFL following the 2008 season, after a total of...
roster of the Arena Football League. Marshall is listed as a wide receiver. In the first game of the season, a 50-47 loss to the Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush
Colorado Crush were an Arena Football League team that began play as a 2003 expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspended operations in 2009...
, Rasheed Marshall caught five passes for 68 yards and a 33-yard touchdown, his first score coming in his Arena League debut. He also had one rush for five yards. In the third game of the season, a 59-57 loss to the Cleveland Gladiators, Marshall recorded three receptions for 39 yards and two touchdowns. He followed up with three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown and six kickoff returns for 130 yards and a touchdown in the 52-49 victory over the Utah Blaze
Utah Blaze
The Utah Blaze is a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competes in the West division of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the EnergySolutions Arena.-The original Utah Blaze :...
. The game saw Marshall's first appearances as the team's kick returner. Marshall finished out the month of March with six receptions for 32 yards and 4 returns for 92 yards in a 44-47 loss to the Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
.
Marshall and the Destroyers opened up April with a 51-49 victory over the Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm are an Arena Football League team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa....
, where he recorded only three kick returns for 40 yards. In the following 62-44 loss to the New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
, Marshall recorded 6 receptions for 92 yards with a score and six kickoff returns for 159 yards and a 57-yard touchdown return. After the game, Marshall ranked first in the AFL in kickoff return percentage with 21.3 yards per return, second in the league among rookies with 686 all-purpose yards, third among rookies with 42 points, and fourth among rookies with 24 receptions at that point in the season.
After missing the Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
game due to an injury, Marshall returned for the 45-48 loss to the Dallas Desperados
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional Arena Football team. The Desperados played in the Southern Division of the now-defunct Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008....
, where he had 6 kick returns for 108 yards. Five weeks later in a 63-34 loss to the Georgia Force
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
, Marshall returned eights kickoffs for 116 yards and had 3 receptions for 24 yards. In the following 63-60 loss to the Grand Rapids Rampage
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
, Marshall had only two kick returns for 17 yards but did score a two-point conversion rush. Marshall finished out his rookie season with three kick returns for 57 yards.
Marshall finished out his rookie season with 31 receptions for 336 yards and five touchdowns. He also had seven rushes for 10 yards and a touchdown, and 54 returns for 941 yards and two touchdowns. Following his rookie campaign, Marshall's contract ended with the Destroyers and he entered the free agent market.