ASU freshman Cameron Marshall realized his passion for football when he took the field as a Coyote Creek Wildcat at 8 years old.

Ten years later, he has just concluded his first season of NCAA Division I football with the Sun Devils. According to the 18-year-old running back from San Jose, Calif., he was leaning in a different athletic direction until his first experience with tackle football as a kid.

“Basketball was my favorite sport,” Marshall said, “but when I finally played football I realized it was perfect for me.”

Since then, Marshall has had aspirations to play college ball and continue on to the pros. With his first college career touchdown at Washington State, his 75-yard run against Washington and his first career start against USC, the true freshman had 294 rushing yards in 64 carries and two touchdowns in his first collegiate season.

“It’s a tough transition,” said Mike Machado, head coach of Marshall’s high school team. “He’s done well. Each week he transitioned more to the college game. Not many true freshmen get a chance to start against USC.”

Marshall ran for almost 3,000 yards and had 38 touchdowns in his high school career. As a senior, he was named Running Back of the Year in the league, Offensive Player of the Year on the All-Northern California Team and Northern California Player of the Year by the Cal-Hi Sports Publication.

“He’s an explosive player,” Machado said. “He’s got so much power and force, he’s just tough to bring down. That makes him different.”

After considering offers from Northwestern, Utah and Oregon, he chose ASU and ran as the team’s number-two running back behind senior Dimitri Nance.

“He earned that spot,” running-back coach Bryce Erickson said. “He’s hungry to learn and hungry to be the best he can be. He’s improved tremendously, and he’s a powerful runner who has the ability to take it to the house.”

According to Erickson, if Marshall continues to improve as a player, his sophomore season looks quite promising.

“He’ll have to go out and compete for it every day,” Erickson said, “but I think if Cameron does the things he’s capable of doing, he could easily be starting running back for the 2010 season.”

The pace of the game and the ability of the players have been the most notable differences between high school and college football for Marshall.

“The speed of the game is much faster,” he said. “It’s not like in high school, where sometimes you’re just naturally better than some teams. Everyone is good.”

Marshall played football and ran track throughout his four years at Valley Christian High School in San Jose. Machado said it was Marshall’s mentality that set him apart from other players.

“Cameron just seemed to be more focused on what he was doing and what he wanted in football than a lot of other kids his age,” Machado said. “There wasn’t a lot of off time for him. He has a great work ethic.”

According to Marshall, an avulsion fracture where his quad attaches to his hip flexor during track season senior year of high school has been the biggest obstacle to overcome in his football career. The injury still bothered him this season.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been a huge problem,” Marshall said, “but it definitely limits me from running as fast as I can.”

Marshall said his father Greg Marshall has been the most influential figure in his life as an athlete.

“He’s influenced me from training me and coaching me in football to just teaching me to be a man,” the athlete said.

Football is not the only thing that has been different about the college life for Marshall. As a student athlete, he has been able to find a balance between sports and school, and the study hours required by the football program have helped, he said.

While being an athlete and a student is a full-time job, Marshall has enjoyed his first semester of college, recognizing the newfound freedom as the best part.

“It’s nice making my own decisions, being on my own, and growing up,” he said.

The intense rivalry associated with ASU’s final 2009 game against the University of Arizona brought a personal rivalry for Marshall along with it – one of the sibling variety.

The Sun Devil’s older sister Dahlys is not only a sophomore Wildcat but an athlete as well, competing in sprints and hurdles on the women’s track team at the University of Arizona.

Marshall says that while she was happy for him when he made his college decision and glad they would be in the same state, a healthy brother-sister competition exists. She was there after the Cats beat the Devils in the season’s last game.

“My sister was ecstatic after the game,” Marshall said, adding that she and her friends met him after the game decked out in Wildcat gear and insisted on taking pictures with him.