Marshall catching on to big picture

— Brandon Marshall brought his 17-year-old cousin to Denver to get him out of the same menacing Pittsburgh neighborhood where he was raised.

The move has been a success for both.

Under Marshall’s wing, Rayshon Williams has improved his grades and his football skills at Mullen High School, where the junior wide receiver is already drawing interest from NCAA programs.

Marshall, the Denver Broncos’ star receiver whose career has been marked by professional and personal slip-ups, has done some growing up himself over the past four months.

“There’s a lot of things that young athletes deal with outside of football, the transition from college sports, where you’re pretty much sheltered, to a professional athlete,” Marshall said. “It’s scary, and it could be dangerous.

“The transition for me didn’t go as well as I wanted it to, but having family like Ray in my life in a way made me grow faster and become more accountable.”

His teammates say they have seen a maturation in Marshall, predicting he’ll no longer find himself in Commissioner Roger Goodell’s office to explain his actions, as he did earlier in his career.

A big reason for Marshall’s metamorphosis from malcontent to magnificent is Williams, who returned to Denver this fall after Marshall sent him home for the summer to gain an appreciation for the opportunities he had back in Colorado.

“Oh yeah, because I can’t preach this message to Ray and at the same time be doing the opposite,” Marshall said. “I had to just grow up because I want to see him be great. I want to see him be successful in whateverhe does. I’m that person in his life now that guides him, and you can’t be a hypocrite.”

After serving a nine-day suspension for throwing a temper tantrum at practice during training camp, which followed yet another rejection of his request for a new contract or a trade, Marshall returned to the team with a renewed focus on football and family. He became determined to act like a professional and prove he was worthy of the big contract he craves.

He’s done that, chalking up 86 receptions for 1,008 yards and 9 touchdowns so far, proving he’s completely recovered from offseason hip surgery.

The Broncos probably did him a favor by rejecting his contract demands four months ago because he’s setting himself up for a big payday. As it stands, with an uncapped season ahead, he’ll be a restricted free agent in a few months after wrapping up his contract with the Broncos that is paying him $2.2 million this season, one of the biggest bargains in the NFL.

Marshall, his agent and the Broncos all declined to discuss his contract during the team’s stretch run. Suffice it to say his paychecks should soon match his stellar play.

Sports, Pages 29 on 12/20/2009

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