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Sports

Kolb, Marshall have left a lasting impression

by RONNIE TURNER
The Daily Cougar

If legacies could be assessed solely on the basis of statistics, senior quarterback Kevin Kolb and senior wide receiver Vincent Marshall would already have their places secured as two of the greatest players in UH football history.

However, such is not the case, and Kolb and Marshall wouldn't have it any other way. The two would rather be known for something other than the number of touchdown passes or receiving yards they collected over the course of their college careers.

Instead, Kolb and Marshall would be satisfied with fans remembering them as being a part of the group that helped UH return to its winning ways after suffering through lengthy stretches of mediocrity in the 1990s and at the start of the millennium. The two can certainly cement that legacy by helping the Cougars defeat Southern Miss in Friday's Conference USA championship game at Robertson Stadium.

"Every player that plays for UH (football) or any other sport, you want to be a legend wherever you went (when) you leave that place," Kolb said. "That's what we remember most from this situation, because we were the ones who got (Houston) back on the map. We did some special things and we still have some special things to do, but we were able to go to three bowl games (in the last four years), something which hasn't been done in a long time.

"Hopefully, it'll be a legacy that'll live on and if we get back to being a perennial powerhouse, we can say we were the ones (who started it)."

Kolb and Marshall can lay claim to having played a major role in the rebuilding process, despite coming to Houston under slightly different circumstances. 

Kolb had originally decided that he would commit to Oklahoma State upon graduating from Stephenville High School in 2002, but later decided to attend Houston after former Stephenville coach Art Briles was named the Cougars' head coach in December of that year. Marshall, a fifth-year senior, came to Houston from Ennis High School in 2001 on a track scholarship and decided to walk on to the football team.

The circumstances may have been different, but the goals were not. Kolb and Marshall both hailed from high school programs with winning traditions, and they were determined to help Houston return to its winning ways.

The fact that Houston hadn't been to a bowl game since 1996 and had suffered through an 0-11 season in 2001 didn't detract from this goal.

"I came here (to win)," Marshall said. "I knew that (the team) had come of an 0-11 season and I saw that. I hadn't got many (football offers), and I could have easily just run track because I was on full scholarship, but I wanted to come here and play (football).

"I wanted to win, and when (other seniors and I) got here, we won and went to a bowl game (in 2003)." 

Kolb was named the starting quarterback his freshman year and has started every game since. Along the way, he set several Houston career records, including marks for passing yards (12,320) and completions (919). 

He currently ranks second among UH quarterbacks in career touchdown passes with 90.

Marshall became one of Kolb's favorite targets early on, and over time, they became one of the top quarterback-receiver duos in the nation. Marshall became Houston's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards earlier this season.

The two would like nothing more than to end their final season with a conference championship and a victory in a bowl game. Such a finish would truly cap off an impressive run during their college careers.

In a sense, their missions have been accomplished.

"The cool thing to me is that we set goals from the very beginning, and when you can set a goal and reach that goal, it's pretty gratifying," Kolb said. "We did that not only at the beginning of this year, but at the beginning of our careers, and we're where we want to be. It's good to validate yourself every now and then, and we were able to do that over our careers." 

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