Pierzynski 12 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 PITTSBURGH -- Pellets of salt lay scattered all over the welcome mat in the foyer of Antwaan Randle El's stately two-story brick home in the North Hills section of the Steel City. Randle El apologized for a mess only he saw. It turns out the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver is not only fast, but fastidious, and to a fault. "I like to keep the place real clean," Randle El said Tuesday as he plopped on a couch in a tidy living room. "I even carry around a vacuum." Keeping his house in order means everything to Randle El, and it goes beyond sweeping and dusting. In Randle El's mind, he is a father who happens to play football for the Steelers and a husband who refuses to be married to his job, no matter how glamorous the profession can be. "There are three things in your life: faith in God, family and then football—or your job or whatever," Randle El said. "But those two have to be first." Those priorities get him home quickly on most days to take his 11-year-old son, D.J., to basketball practice. Randle El hosts a weekly radio show and appears once a week on the 5 p.m. television news, but he and his wife, Jaune, adjust the dinner hour so the family eats at the same time at the same table, a rule Randle El picked up from his parents growing up in Riverdale. Curtis Randle El Sr., a food distributor, and Jacqueline, a day-care provider, conditioned sons Curtis, Antwaan and Marcus to be home before the street lights went on for a meal that did not start until all the chairs at the table were filled. "You have to remember where you came from in terms of the way you were raised and your discipline, and that helps you in this league," Randle El said. "In this league, you can have all the fame and glory and tomorrow it could be gone. You can't base your life on being in the league. There's so much other stuff than football." Almost as if on cue, the voice of Randle El's 4-year-old daughter, Ciara, interrupts to ask daddy a question. A few feet away sat the bassinet where his other daughter, 13-week-old Aunna, naps. Next to that stood the holiday challenge confronting the Randle El family later Tuesday night: an undecorated Christmas tree. "My family is always going to come first," Randle El, 26, said. "Being a parent, I'm making sure I'm not doing anything outside the home that my kids will say, 'That's not like my dad,' or 'I can't believe my dad did that.'" Man of faith He wears his faith on his sleeve as proudly as he wears his black No. 82 jersey. And when Randle El combines his evangelical-like oratory skills with his football player's bravado, a performer emerges. Just ask Brad Smith, the Missouri quarterback who recently broke Randle El's NCAA career record for rushing yards by a quarterback, set at Indiana University. Antwaan's brother, Curtis Randle El, a financial adviser in Pittsburgh who knew Smith through a mutual friend, brought him over to Antwaan's house to meet the man whose name he had erased in the record books. "We were talking, and I said, 'How's your faith?'" Randle El recalled. "He was like, 'Ummm ...' Curtis said, 'Uh-oh, now he's going to preach.'" Before Steelers home games that kick off at 1 p.m. locally, Randle El attends the 8 a.m. service at the Pentecostal church to which his family belongs. When an ESPN report showed a highlight of Cleveland Browns rookie Braylon Edwards injuring his knee, Randle El changed direction in mid-sentence Tuesday as abruptly as he does in the open field on Sundays. "Jesus, bless him!" Randle El exclaimed. "That's a torn ACL." He would rather talk about his annual turkey drive that just distributed 200 free Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families in Pittsburgh than his upcoming free agency this off-season. He might be prouder of being the Steelers' United Way spokesman than he is of being a 2004 Pro Bowl alternate as a punt returner. He spent Tuesday night helping 40 kids spend $100 apiece on Christmas gifts at a local mall. "I love helping people so much that my wife tells me, "Twan, you've got to be careful,' and she's right," Randle El said. "Sometimes I get carried away." He blames his mom for that. Jacqueline Randle El, who runs her own day-care business in Calumet City, started out watching kids at the family's home on West 136th St. without charging parents who could not afford it. "She'd tell people, 'Don't worry about paying, bring the kids back,'" Randle El said. "I guess that stayed with me. It feels natural to help people." A born performer It feels even more natural for Randle El to perform. He loves a stage so much that he mentioned acting, tap-dancing and piano playing as possible career paths after his playing days end. But he is most serious about pursuing a career in sports broadcasting, so committed that he has contacted Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh about providing color commentary or sideline reports for college basketball games this winter. Randle El has a communications degree from IU and envisions sitting in a studio somewhere in a suit and tie one day dressing up a pregame show with his opinions. "Pittsburgh, Chicago, New Zealand, wherever the opportunity is," he said. "I want to be on the tube, man." The CBS affiliate station in Pittsburgh, KDK, wanted the same thing the first time sports anchor John Steigerwald heard Randle El talk at a luncheon his rookie year. "I figured he'd be shy and stumble a little like most rookies," Steigerwald said. "But he took control and started talking, off the cuff, about commitment. He was like a preacher. I was stunned." Stan Savran, co-host of Randle El's weekly 60-minute radio show for four seasons, no longer is surprised by anything his sidekick does. Randle El routinely bounces up and down in his chair and reacts with childlike enthusiasm whenever the radio call of a touchdown is replayed. "Antwaan's effervescent, a natural," Savran said. "And he'll take the bad with the good." Earlier this season against New England, for instance, Randle El fumbled deep in Patriots' territory while attempting to lateral to teammate Hines Ward. It cost the Steelers points in a 23-20 loss and did not go over well with Randle El's listening audience. "At the start of the next show he addressed it head-on," Savran said. Free agent for hire Just as directly, Randle El answers a question about his upcoming free agency that could make him an attractive and affordable option for the team he grew up loving, the Bears, who will be in the market for a dynamic punt returner and a No. 2 receiver. "Whatever God is going to bless or send us," Randle El said. "I don't know. Certainly I want to be here [in Pittsburgh], but at the same time you don't know what to expect." Steelers coach Bill Cowher loves Randle El's toughness and the Rooney family-run organization values the strength of his character, but overall Randle El's season has fallen short of expectations. Pegged to replace Plaxico Burress as the team's deep threat, Randle El has caught 29 passes for 449 yards (15.5-yard average) and only one touchdown. He also has averaged a modest 7.6 yards per punt return. "I think people would miss his personality and as a kick returner if he left, but many people don't think he has been an adequate replacement for Plaxico," said Savran, a Randle El supporter speaking for fans but not himself. Randle El, still focused on making the playoffs, considers it premature to speculate on next season. He said he has "thought about" what it might be like to play for the Bears one day but quickly added, "That's not something I'm going to worry about right now." This week offered enough potential distractions. Tuesday, Randle El battled Kyle Orton in a promotional computer-game matchup for Xbox, the first time the two have competed against one another since November 2001 when Randle El's Indiana team beat Purdue 13-7 in Orton's first college start. Wednesday, Randle El will scramble to find extra tickets for family members traveling from Chicago to Heinz Field for the game. He also has Saturday night dinner reservations to firm up with college teammate Adewale Ogunleye at a downtown steakhouse. But the man with a street named after him in Riverdale will savor every hectic moment preparing to play against a Bears team he was "in awe of" as a three-sport standout at Thornton High School in Harvey. "The only thing that would be better," Randle El said, smiling, "is if the game was at Soldier Field." http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...bears-headlines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 I don't see it saying that anywhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierzynski 12 Posted December 17, 2005 Author Share Posted December 17, 2005 I don't see it saying that anywhere... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Read the damn article.I doubt you even read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 QUOTE(Pierzynski 12 @ Dec 17, 2005 -> 02:43 PM) Read the damn article.I doubt you even read it. EDIT: Found it. It was easier to read on the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) I've heard reports that he would be interested in coming here in the offseason. He would be a completely prefect fit for this team. Edited December 17, 2005 by WHarris1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierzynski 12 Posted December 17, 2005 Author Share Posted December 17, 2005 I did. The only mentionings of the Bears was having to have take more family to the game in Pittsburgh. He joked about it being easier, if the game took place in Chicago. Paste where he says he wants to play for the Bears. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well it wouldn't have been on chicagosports.com, if he wasn't interested in playing for the Bears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 He'd be a nice fit (but I wonder if he'll demand too big of a contract; compared to what he's worth). I also think Reggie Wayne would look nice. The Bears definately need to find a FA WR and than go for a TE in the 1st round (if somehow Mercedes fell there well, wow). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fathom Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 QUOTE(Pierzynski 12 @ Dec 17, 2005 -> 07:49 PM) Well it wouldn't have been on chicagosports.com, if he wasn't interested in playing for the Bears. Or maybe it could have been a human interest piece on a very well-known Chicago product. Also, the article was written prior to the Bears/Steelers game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Pierz 12, do you moonlight as an RSS reader? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmteam Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 He seems like he'd be a good fit. Also, he's 26 but has an 11 year old? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan101 Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 The speed of Antwaan and Bradley with the veteran experience of Moose and the (hopefully) healthy Rex, and our RB's Cedric, Thomas, and Adrian....that could be pretty damn good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 And just think...when Grossman gets hurt...people could start calling for Twaan to start at QB instead of Orton! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodAsGould Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 If we get Randle El and than draft an actual real TE our offense might be pretty decent.... im saying with this defense being able to put up 20 points a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSH2005 Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 And just think...when Grossman gets hurt...people could start calling for Twaan to start at QB instead of Orton! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If we signed Randle El, he would probably be the best QB on our roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bartman's my idol Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 I've heard reports that he would be interested in coming here in the offseason. He would be a completely prefect fit for this team. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> He'd be the best punt returner, receiver and quarterback on the Bears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakes Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 QUOTE(farmteam @ Dec 17, 2005 -> 07:33 PM) He seems like he'd be a good fit. Also, he's 26 but has an 11 year old? I was wondering if that was a misprint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggsmaggs Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 QUOTE(shakes @ Dec 19, 2005 -> 12:12 PM) I was wondering if that was a misprint. Don't think so because it says he takes him to basketball practice. All I have to say about that is wow. When that kid is 20, Randel El will be 35. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Kickass Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 I saw that too. Damn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerhead johnson Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 QUOTE(Steve Bartman's my idol @ Dec 18, 2005 -> 02:58 PM) He'd be the best punt returner, receiver and quarterback on the Bears! If it's supposed to be in green, indicate as much. Randle El would be a better QB than Henry Freakin' Burris based on what, his extensive NFL training out of that slot? Randle El could bring Moose some gatorade and a towel, perhaps. That's about it. No, this guy is a pro bowl special teams player and a competent #3 receiver. I'd love to have him, but I also know his limitations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodAsGould Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 QUOTE(hammerhead johnson @ Dec 19, 2005 -> 07:47 PM) If it's supposed to be in green, indicate as much. Randle El would be a better QB than Henry Freakin' Burris based on what, his extensive NFL training out of that slot? Randle El could bring Moose some gatorade and a towel, perhaps. That's about it. No, this guy is a pro bowl special teams player and a competent #3 receiver. I'd love to have him, but I also know his limitations. Hell if we were going to bring in Randle El to be the QB we should also sign Ronald Curry and bring back Marty Booker. Our QB/WR depth would be amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattZakrowski Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 I'd love to see this, my favorite College player ever on my favorite team, although I wish someone would give him a shot at QB. That would be fun to watch. He'd be like Mike Vick, 'without the whole needing his mama on sunday night football' thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptatc Posted December 21, 2005 Share Posted December 21, 2005 The article does a good job showing what Randle El is like. I worked with him in high school and he was a great kids then. By the way his best sport may have been baseball. If he comes here he would be the best centerfielder in town. The family values didn't rub off on Marcus however, who just got busted for beating up another student up at Wisconsin where he plays wide receiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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