Randle El, IU want to win
any way they can
Editor's Note: This is part seven of a 10-part
series examining every football team in the Big Ten other than Purdue.
The Purdue Preview Tailgate Guide will appear Friday.
By Paul Trembacki
Sports
Editor
Indiana's Antwaan Randle El shed his suit coat,
gripped the ball and pulled his arm back.
He had a long throw to attempt so he patted the
ball a few times, preparing to throw a door prize football to a lucky
winner at the 2001 Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in the Sheraton Hotel &
Towers ballroom in Chicago.
The senior looked at the fan, who was about 60
yards away, got a running start and pulled back with the form that helped
him pass for 5,805 yards and 33 touchdowns during the last three years.
But instead of throwing a perfect pass, he lobbed
the ball high in the air, where it broke a ceiling light and came down
on someone's table, scattering broken glass, ice and water about the
table.
"No wonder he's switching to receiver," a nearby
spectator joked.
Although it may be fun to joke about Randle El
and Indiana football, there is at least some truth to the claims by
the Indiana football media relations department that call Randle El
"college football's most exciting player" and "a frontrunner for the
2001 Heisman Trophy."
 After
all, to go with his passing statistics from the last three years, he
also rushed for 2,931 yards and 36 touchdowns, becoming the first player
in NCAA Division I football history to amass at least 2,500 total yards
as a freshman, sophomore and junior. His 3,053 yards of total offense
helped him finish 13th in the Heisman voting despite the fact that his
team was 3-8.
But he did all that while playing quarterback.
This year, Randle El is being asked to do everything but sell hot dogs
for the Hoosiers. Under the position column on the Indiana roster, Randle
El's entry says "athlete," and he's the only player in the conference
with that distinction.
Randle El's athleticism, lateral quickness and
breakaway speed make him a threat to score every time he touches the
ball.
"I've been around a lot of great players and I
don't know if there's any of them that can do the things he can with
the ball," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said. "Wherever he's playing,
whether at quarterback, wide receiver, tailback or wherever he is, you
better know where and you better give him extra attention."
An NFL advisory committee told Randle El that he
has more potential at receiver than quarterback when the speedy quarterback
pondered leaving school for the NFL. He also came back to try to accomplish
something he hasn't done much of at Indiana — a winning season
and a bowl appearance.
"One thing about Antwaan, what he cherishes more
than anything is winning," Indiana coach Cam Cameron said. "He wants
to leave as a winner."
One thing's for certain. How well Indiana does
this season will depend a lot on how Randle El handles being the quarterback/wide
receiver/punt returner/kick returner/punter. He's listed as the No.
1 wide receiver and senior Tommy Jones, more of a drop-back passer than
a scrambler, is the team's starter at quarterback. The two will alternate
at quarterback.
"(Randle El) needs to be ready to take every snap
if Tommy Jones gets injured," Cameron said. "We really are not alternating
positions because Antwaan will stay in the game."
Randle El, who received a bachelor's degree in
broadcasting this summer, will have perhaps the most solid support group
he's had since coming to IU from Thornton High School in Riverdale,
Ill.
The Hoosiers, who haven't been to a bowl game since
1993, return eight starters on both sides of the ball. The entire offensive
line is back, as well as linebacker Justin Smith, a second team All-Big
Ten selection last season after making 74 tackles, including 14 for
loss.
"This is the best football team we have had at
Indiana," Cameron said. "We increased our speed dramatically and had
a great spring game. Overall, we had our best off-season and brought
in our best recruiting class ever."
The timing couldn't be better for Cameron. The
40-year-old coach is 13-31, with an 8-24 mark in conference play, since
coming to Indiana from the Washington Redskins in 1997. The Hoosiers
have not finished higher than eighth place in the conference in Cameron's
four years.
"It was another long summer in Bloomington," Cameron
said. "We measure success by the ability to win. … The Big Ten
is difficult with its great coaches, programs and players. You need
to be ready to play every weekend. We will just have to wait and see
how things play out this year."
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