Huntington Quarterly Summer 2022

Right in front of him is the 2022 season. Ali knows he can no longer hide in a crowded backfield. His name and his numbers are out there. What he does plan to do is become more of a leader, and not just through words. “I lead by actions,” Ali said. “A lot of people just watch what I do, and in a sense they follow me. I lead by example. I put my head down and go to work.” “My punches are just as hard in Chicago as in NewYork.” — Sonny Liston This quote by Sonny Liston about a fight venue change might also apply to Rasheen Ali. One of the big concerns around the Herd fan base was that Ali would use his sensational freshman season to utilize the transfer portal and maybe move to a Power 5 school. He flicked that question away like an errant jab. “I don’t even feed into all that,” Ali said. “This is where I came, this is where I’m staying. My dad always told me if you’re good enough they’ll find you. Just because I’m at Marshall doesn’t mean I have to go to an SEC school to get hit by bigger people, taking more

wear on my body just to say I’m a better running back. I already made a name for myself; people knowme here. I love the team and I love the coaches.” He heads into his sophomore season with big ex pectations. He’ll have an historic stage to showcase his talents when Marshall meets Notre Dame in South Bend on Sept. 10 on NBC. How about a little pre-fight prediction? During his cover photo shoot for this magazine, he offered up this: “You heard it here first. We’re going to beat Notre Dame.” Most experts will tell you Ali’s an NFL talent. He’s got speed, patience, vision and power. It’s not hard to imagine the rest of the Sun Belt trying to play “catch-22” all season long — with Rasheen Ali bobbing and weav ing his way up and down the football field. What a main event that would be.

KEITH MOREHOUSE is a freelance writer and the sports director at WSAZ NewsChannel 3 in Huntington, West Virginia.

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