Arthur Marshall Jr. announced himself on the football field at Hephzibah (Ga.) High School, graduating in 1987. He was regarded in the Augusta-area community as one of the school’s outstanding football players, and his performances helped put him on the path to Georgia and eventually the NFL. Marshall, who died Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 57 after reportedly battling stomach cancer, never forgot where he came from.
"In the early ‘90s he called me at Channel 6 on his way to Mile High Stadium for Monday Night Football," former WJBF sports director Stan Byrdy wrote on Facebook. "It was a crisp, cool afternoon in the Rockies and he was enjoying the afternoon ride." Marshall took his game to the University of Georgia, where he played for the Bulldogs from 1988-91. He finished his college career with 67 receptions for 1,186 yards and four touchdowns.
As a senior, he caught 39 passes for 524 yards on a Georgia team that went 9-3 and finished No. 19 in The poll. He also returned 15 kickoffs for 347 yards that season. Marshall’s college career included a significant injury.
He broke his leg during his junior season, an injury that required a rod and affected his prospects in the NFL draft. More news: Pioneering Memphis QB Who Coached Seahawks to Super Bowl Win Dies The Denver Broncos signed Marshall as an undrafted free agent in May 1992. His best season came as a rookie, when he caught 26 passes for 493 yards and a touchdown, and earned a place on the All-Rookie team.
In 1993, Marshall started nine of 16 games, catching a career-high 28 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned 15 kickoffs for 249 yards in the regular season. More news: WWII Survivor and Syracuse Hall of Fame QB Dies at 88 In his only playoff game with the Broncos in 1993, Marshall caught five passes for 69 yards — including four for first downs.
In April 1994, the Broncos traded Marshall to the New York Giants, for whom he saw action in 36 games over the next three seasons. He retired with 87 receptions for 1,267 yards and four touchdowns in 68 regular-season games. More news: Former LSU Coach, College Hall of Famer Dies Marshall also completed two passes for touchdowns in his career, including an 81-yard completion that broke an NFL record for the longest touchdown pass by a non-quarterback.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
