Vols' Marquez Callaway versatile enough to manage two roles
John Adams
If you watched Marquez Callaway play high school football, you know he’s a versatile athlete. But you might not know how versatile.
The Tennessee sophomore wide receiver played just enough last season to flash his athleticism. He had two punt returns for 114 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown.
Now, in preseason camp, he’s competing for two jobs, one as a wide receiver and another as the lead punt returner.
However, his versatility was most obvious at Warner Robins (Ga.) High School. And it extended beyond the football field.
He made first-team all-state as both a wide receiver and defensive back. But track is what set him apart.
It’s not what you think.
You would assume an all-state wide receiver would have run the 100 and 200 meters, and maybe anchored a relay team or two.
Not Callaway. He saved his running for football.
In track, he was a field guy. He already was a high jumper and long jumper when he landed a third event through happenstance.
“During track practice, I was playing around with my friend,” Callaway said. “He was doing the shot put. I was throwing farther than him, so they put me in the shot put.”
Callaway took it from there. Despite no previous training in the event, he almost qualified for the state meet.
“I lost in the round right before state,” he said. “I did the high jump, long jump and then had to do shot put. So I was winded.”
The three field events didn’t constitute Callaway’s body of work in high school track. He also was the manager of the girls track team.
Two-sport stars aren’t that unusual among four-star football recruits. But how many big-time college prospects also work as a manager? It proved Callaway didn’t have to be in a starring role.
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Maybe that helped prepare him for his freshman season at Tennessee during which he played in only six games and caught one pass.
He was admittedly upset over not playing more. But he also was prepared for the limited role.
“I knew I would have to earn my stripe here,” he said. “Actually, that was the best thing for me. If I had went in, I probably wasn’t going to be ready.”
A college-size playbook was his biggest hurdle.
“I could always work on the routes,” he said. “I could work on catching and blocking. But if I didn’t know the playbook, I couldn’t show (his ability).”
He’s no longer a stranger to the playbook and looks bigger after an offseason in UT’s strength and conditioning program. Now it’s just a matter of capitalizing on the opportunity that awaits.
And the opportunity won’t be limited to wide receiver.
“Returning punts is most definitely something I would want to do,” he said. “Right now, we’re all competing for a spot. It could go either way.”
If it comes down to athleticism, the former shot putter might be hard to beat.
Reach John Adams at john.adams@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6284 and on Twitter @johnadamskns.
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