Fielding offers from nearly 100 big-time colleges never fazed Marcus Houston.

The nation's most celebrated prep running back maneuvered his way through the recruiting frenzy with same breezy style that left defenses grasping for air. After some brotherly advice and a lengthy list of pros and cons, the Denver native sent dad to the mall to buy the Colorado Buffs hat. No flip-flopping. No circus.

	Marcus Houston was impressed by Colorado's coaching staff.

But that shouldn't come as any surprise, since the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Houston, who glided his way to 1723 yards and 28 TDs last fall, is no stranger to pressure. Or recruiting.

Two years ago, he founded Just Say Know, a motivational program targeting middle school students. The idea came to him when 12 freshmen were ineligible to play football during his junior year. He realized his potential as a role model by using sports to relate to these kids. Houston created a 45-minute presentation, complete with his football highlights, an essay-writing contest, and a request for a letter of recommendation. He thought it would prepare them for the high school experience, while stressing the importance of education.

"I thought, 'now Marcus, if you were an eighth-grader, this would be like another homework assignment.' So I had to come up with the $50 scholarship incentive." Lots of sidewalk and driveway shoveling followed. That's one way to take advantage of the Colorado snow.

He invited the most recent winners to his homecoming game in style -- in a stretch limo. Houston's TD on the game's first play was an extra treat.

"I think that's probably the most pressure I've ever played under and probably will play under," Houston said.

If he excels in his role as big brother, it's because he learned from the pros, with two older brothers of his own. These days, 22-year-old Polica is a WR at Northern Colorado, while 20-year-old Lovell plays DB for UCLA. The football genes can be traced back to dad, Herman Houston, an ex-University of Washington RB, and cousin Ken Houston, a Hall of Fame safety.

That support system explains Houston's uncanny grounding and maturity. "Of course football consumes a lot of time and I love to do it," says Houston, who plans to major in international business, "but it's not equal to my education. As much as you have to balance it, it's not equal."

Gary Barnett believes it's that character that makes Houston special. "You don't see the combination Marcus has physically and spiritually and emotionally," says the Colorado coach. "He's a rare find."

Few coaches are willing to heighten the typical buzz surrounding their best recruits. But Houston's not your average anything. He realizes the bigger the spotlight, the broader his outreach.

Just Say Know now has donors (the program spent $1050 last year) and Houston's concerns about human rights abuses and police brutality has led to his recruitment by Amnesty International. He spoke at The Hague in the Netherlands, regarding a 1996 incident that took place at his high school, Thomas Jefferson. Seventy police officers responded to a fight between two students that broke out after a dance. "The police really escalated and blew it out of control and started beating up students for no reason," he remembers. "It was like I was in a film from the '60s."

Houston believes that communication is the key for community relations. "A lot of times it seems as if the forum isn't there and the community can't express itself," he says. "A tragic example is what happened to Columbine."

In March, he's headed to Washington, D.C., as one of the two delegates representing Colorado at the U.S. Senate Youth Program, which is run through the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. The agenda includes meeting President Clinton. "I'll have some issues to talk about if the opportunity presents itself."

Houston, nicknamed The Governor by recruiting services, has become a global phenomenon, expanding his international fan base to Ghana too. With a Juneteenth King win for Denver's Emancipation celebration thanks to Houston's poetry, a Ghanian princess Asie Ocansey invited Houston to participate in their Emancipation Day festivities. He was even named Chief Nene Akrofie by the Matse Kope village. The chief's first mission: collecting books for the new library and agricultural tools for his second visit in June. Perhaps his own collection of poems will make the trip someday.

Sure it's a full plate, but one thing at a time. He has no plans to graduate early and head off to CU. "I'm having too much fun. When it's over I'll be ready to go on Phase II."

It's just the beginning.