Marecic is old school addition for Browns

Old school. That's the best description of Owen Marecic, the Browns' fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Beyond turning back the clock by playing fullback and linebacker at Stanford University, Marecic went about his business as if football already was his job. After scoring a touchdown, he would jump up and hand the ball to a referee. After making a crucial tackle, he would get back to the huddle without any self-congratulatory antics.

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert likes the character of Marecic but only plans to play him at fullback.

''He's a legit fullback,'' Heckert said. ''I mean, he can lead block, he can catch the ball, he can run the football, but obviously his strength is blocking and catching.''

Heckert also said Marecic ''is going to be a great special teams player.'' At fullback, he's an insurance policy if Lawrence Vickers, a soon-to-be free agent when the NFL gets back after the lockout, has his five-year career with the Browns end.

The 6-foot, 246-pound Marecic didn't just play both positions since high school. He's excelled at each.

He earned the inaugural Paul Hornung Award in January for the most versatile football player and was an All-Pac-10 Conference section at linebacker and fullback. During his senior season, he averaged 100 plays per game.

During a Cardinal victory at Notre Dame in September, Marecic scored on consecutive plays on offense and defense in a span of 13 seconds to put the exclamation point on Stanford's 37-14 win.

Midway through the fourth quarter, he bulldozed his way into the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run. After a 2-point conversion and the ensuing kick off, Marecic intercepted Irish quarterback Dayne Crist's pass and sprinted 20 yards into the end zone untouched for another score.

When he answered a question on draft day about his standout series of plays, Marecic downplayed his individual role and talked up the team effort it took.

''It was great to be a part of a couple plays that kind of clinched the game in our favor,'' he said. ''But it was a typical display of what a team has to do collectively to win a ballgame.''

Asked what position he'd like to play in the NFL, Marecic didn't hesitate to answer.

''I've been training as a fullback,'' he said. ''I always tried to train to be a football player, but fullback may be the best place I feel at home best.''

In addition to opening holes for the Cardinal running backs, including 2009 Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart, Marecic totaled 11 career touchdowns, nine as a rusher, one receiving and one on the interception return.

''What Owen is doing is really hard,'' former Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh told Sports Illustrated. ''For one thing, he is playing the two most physical positions on the field. How many guys are in that kind of shape or are physically talented enough to do that? Then there's the mental part. Most guys couldn't comprehend a pro-style system on offense and a pro-style system on defense. It's multiple packages, fronts, coverages, blitzes, personnel groups, plays, adjustments. Who's smart enough to get all those things the first time and actually go out and do them on the field?''

Marecic is smart enough. He graduated with a degree in human biology, is a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award recipient and a finalist for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy (considered the academic Heisman).

Marecic's combination of smarts and game-changing ability on both sides of the ball made him a favorite of Harbaugh, now coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

''In 30 years of being in college and pro football, I haven't seen a guy like him,'' Harbaugh told SI. ''He does everything right, all the time, the first time. He has everything — strength, humility, intelligence. He's everything I envisioned being as a football player.''

Harbaugh was so enamored by Marecic's throwback style of play, he kept one of the several helmets Marecic cracked during play displayed proudly in his Stanford office. At the coach's request, Marecic signed the helmet, adding these words all in capital letters: ''Today give all that you have, for what you keep inside you lose forever.''

Marecic wasn't looking to appear poetic, he was just sharing words he plays by. In fact, he later told SI he didn't understand what all the fuss about the helmet was about.

''These things happen,'' he said. ''I don't see the glamour in it.''

By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer