Jan. 31, 2000 By Dennis Dodd SportsLine Senior Writer

Marcus Houston can trace his zeal for civic duty to many sources.

	Related Links: Nation's top running back picks Colorado Complete recruiting coverage SportsLine/PrepStar Top 100 recruits: Running backs SportsLine's Top 25 recruiting rankings Midlands Region Super 30 SportsLine/PrepStar High School All-America Team The USA Today 2000 All-USA Team Forum: Will Houston be a success at Colorado?
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Before his 19th birthday, the nation's No. 1 high school running back has been named an honorary chief by an African tribal village. Amnesty International -- the human rights organization -- had him flown to the Netherlands to speak at a world conference.

Both parents encouraged him early on to run for class office. At Denver's Thomas Jefferson High School, Houston was class president all four years.

The kid is special, but when the police showed up at a school dance four years ago, Houston's service to the community was galvanized. Back then, it was a simple eighth-grade dance primarily attended by African-American students. A fight broke out between two boys. Nothing out of the ordinary for kids that age.

An off-duty policeman surveyed the scene and called for backup. Seventy squad cars showed up. Police overreacted, Houston said, to a simple disturbance. Racial insults were hurled as "offenders" were rounded up.

"I'm really surprised nobody lost their life that night," Houston told SportsLine. "Those are the kinds of things you just read about. You don't actually believe it happened. You think that was the '60s and we have moved on. But to see it come to life in front of my eyes is amazing.

"The racial slurs, the hate and all that was present."

When Houston committed to Colorado on Friday, there were larger issues at work than just the Buffaloes running game. A lawsuit filed by Houston and some friends against the city of Denver and its police department is still pending, Houston told SportsLine. It's not really about money, it's about "changing the way police go about their everyday duties," according to Herman Houston, Marcus' father.

This is no frivolous litigation. Tacklers, recruiters and city employees alike have learned to respect one of Denver's outstanding citizens. The fact that Houston is only 18 matters little.

He plans to use college sports to his advantage when the modern system dictates the opposite. As an athlete, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Parade All-American will go into fall camp competing for a starting job. Before he takes a snap, it's not outlandish to suggest that Houston is Colorado's best running threat since Rashaan Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy.

In rushing for 1,750 yards as a senior, Houston averaged almost 8 yards per carry. Recruiting analysts say he could have made some top 100 lists just by playing as a defensive back alone.

But Houston picked Colorado over Florida State, Texas, Southern California and UCLA as much for football as its proximity to his "Just Say Know" life goals program in Denver middle schools.

Houston started Just Say Know two years ago when he conducted an essay contest for middle school students. First prize was $50 Houston had earned from cutting grass. Houston has reached into his pocket also to rent a limo to bring students to Thomas Jefferson's homecoming game.

"He was pleased because he scored on the first play of the game," said Herman Houston. "His basic premise is kids can't get encouraged too much."

When Amnesty International heard about his lawsuit, they wanted Houston to speak in the Netherlands as a keynote speaker about police brutality.

When a princess from Ghana heard him at a Denver high school speech contest, she was so impressed that she had Houston flown to her native country. The Machikopie tribe named him "Nene Akrofi" after a respected chief.

Too good to be true? Actually, he's better. Throw in a 3.6-point GPA and an intended major in international business, and his football commitment pales in comparison to his human commitment.

"Because he's well known here in Colorado, he doesn't have to start over," Herman Houston said. "If he went to Florida State or Texas or Los Angeles, it might take two years to establish something with the school system."

That, more than anything, was the deciding factor for Houston in one of the most hotly contested recruiting battles of the season. Houston wants to be a man of the people before he becomes the man in Colorado's offense.

"A lot of it goes back to my mom telling me, 'To whom much is given much is expected,'" Marcus said. "When you have an opportunity to make a difference that's really important, you should do it. I look at myself at being in an influential position right now. Politics is never out of the question."

Houston is the cherry on top of what could be a top 10 recruiting class after national signing day Wednesday. For the first time in recent memory, Colorado did well at home, landing at least eight in-state players.

That's news within the Houston family. One brother, Lovell, rejected Colorado and went to UCLA. Another, Polica, went to Kansas State and has since transferred to Northern Colorado. Buffs coach Gary Barnett earned major credibility points for himself and the program by keeping Marcus home.

Colorado finished seventh in Big 12 rushing last season, a year after having the second-worst running game in the league in 1998. Junior-to-be Cortlen Johnson is the incumbent at tailback, but coaches don't particularly care for his offseason work habits.

That's why the pursuit of Houston was one of those pull-out-all-the-stops recruiting jobs. Colorado assistant coach Jon Embree was in the Houston home seven times. He sold Marcus on winning a Heisman Trophy and becoming a Rhodes Scholar. It could happen. Colorado claims to be the only school that has both in its history.

Embree had a milk carton made up adorned with pictures of former Colorado state high school stars that went out of state and failed. Below their pictures was this caption: "Call 1-800-Where's-He-Now?"

The implication was that Houston would be lost if he left the state. The real story is obvious. Colorado -- the state and the team -- might look back one day and figure it would have been lost without Houston.