TBO: Blackwell Dusts Off His Game For A Weekend

[Minotaur]

Blackwell Dusts Off His Game For A Weekend

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By BRETT McMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Aug 5, 2006

TAMPA - Before summer ended, former University of South Florida quarterback Marquel Blackwell decided to visit former USF teammate Glenn Davis in Birmingham, Ala., where Davis was defensive coordinator for an arenafootball2 team.

When Blackwell arrived, Davis asked him if he was interested in playing for the Birmingham Steeldogs - even though Blackwell hadn't played since 2003 in three New York Jets preseason games.

So in the second half of Saturday's game against Tennessee Valley, Steeldogs coach Ron Selesky put Blackwell in. "He was really thrown to the wolves," said Selesky, a Chamberlain graduate and former Tampa Bay Storm assistant.

Blackwell threw for 108 yards, two touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 37 yards and a TD in a 55-40 loss.

"It was fun, those competitive juices got going," Blackwell said. "I wasn't nervous. I was very excited to get going. I'm in shape, but not playing shape. That's a whole different shape. I hadn't worn shoulder pads in a while."

Davis said Blackwell was impressive. "If you had seen this one play, third-and-10 from the 2," Davis said. "Marquel fumbles the center exchange, picks it up, shakes off a [middle] linebacker in the end zone and scrambles for 26 yards. It was the old Marquel."

Added Blackwell: "I was winded after that, but I wasn't going to show it."

Blackwell, 26, wants to get into coaching and had accepted his playing days were done - until Saturday's performance.

"I'm still a young blood," said Blackwell, who will teach this fall but is waiting to be assigned to a high school. "My intention is I'm playing. I'm back at it. I'll leave all my options open. Right now I'm focused on getting with a regular Arena team. Of course, ultimately I want to play in the NFL. You never know."

http://www.tbo.com/sports/bulls/MGB0EN1DHQE.html

[E.T.]

Wonder what happened to him becoming a GA here ?

Great story !!

Thanx Brett !

[Mag Pie]

Yeah, I thought he signed to be a GA here...

Man, I miss Marquel, even though he was only here for one season when I started at USF.

So he wants to teach a class...or be a HS football coach?

[The Sheriff]

I'd be worried if he was teaching anything but X's and O's. Keep him on the field... not in the classroom.

[ChiTownBull]

[USFan]

So he wants to teach a class...or be a HS football coach?

Both

[smazza]

mb is a natural

he should have started san diego st game(one of leavitt's bigger mistakes)

[BullDoug]

mb is a natural

he should have started san diego st game(one of leavitt's bigger mistakes)

Watch out...don't step in the spilt milk.