As a player at Indiana University, former quarterback Antwaan Randle El was known for his passion, energy and ability to get his teammates fired up.
Over time and now, as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, those traits have not changed, according to those who play for him.
Ahead of Super Bowl LV in Tampa this Sunday, several Tampa Bay players shared with TheHoosier.com what makes Randle El, who was not made available to the media during Super Bowl media availabilities, special.
Randle El played for Indiana from 1998-2001 and wasted little time making an immediate impact.
As a freshman, he was selected as the Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year after throwing for 1,745 yards, rushing for 873 and recording 17 total touchdowns.
He would earn All-Big Ten honors in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and was named a first team All-American and Big Ten MVP in his senior season, along with finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
He was the first player in NCAA history to score 40 touchdowns (45) and throw for 40 TDs (42), the first to record over 2,500 total yards in four seasons, and the first to both pass for over 6,000 yards and rush for over 3,000 yards.
Randle El is still IU’s all-time leader in total yards (11,364) and sits second all-time in Indiana University football history for passing yards (7,469), rushing yards (3,895) and total touchdowns scored (45).
Randle El played in the NFL from 2002-2010 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington.
It was his efforts with the Steelers that really put Randle El on the map as an NFL player.
In Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks, Randle El showed off his arm, taking a reverse from Willie Parker and hitting Hines Ward on a 43-yard touchdown strike that helped lift the Steelers to a 21-10 victory.
Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans told TheHoosier.com this week that he remembered that play and looked forward to talking to Randle El prior to Sunday's showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs about how he prepared for the Super Bowl.
"He brings the enthusiasm and the juice every single day to our team. He is an offensive coach, but he talks to the defense a lot and makes sure all of us are ready. I am looking forward to getting in his head and picking his brain on how he prepared and was ready for the Super Bowl," said Evans.
Members of Tampa Bay's offensive line echoed those sentiments.
Both tackle Tristan Wirfs, who played at the University of Iowa, and guard Aaron Stinnie, shared with TheHoosier.com that Randle El can always be counted on for delivering "high energy" each time out.
"El brings a lot to the field and is always fired up," Wirfs said.
Stinnie agrees.
"He is a huge energy guy, and that energy just rubs off on you. It is always good to talk to him about his experiences, and he is just a great character guy," Stinnie said.
Tampa Bay center Ryan Jensen said the greatest attribute to having Randle El in Tampa Bay is players can look to him for guidance as a former player who played at a high level and claimed a Super Bowl ring.
"It is awesome having a coach who has played the game and won a Super Bowl. It is a huge advantage," Jensen told TheHoosier.com.
Randle El and the Buccaneers will look to capitalize on that advantage Sunday when they host Kansas City at 6:30 p.m. in Super Bowl LV.
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