Johnson's last QB carrying his resilience

Marshall, who had ups and downs at Tech, wants to be remembered as always having teammates’ backs.

Earlier this week, outgoing (as in he’s leaving, not as in social butterfly) Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson had the seniors over to his place for some fundamental male bonding.

Steaks and cigars were on the menu. Such a combination also comes with the understanding that chops will be busted.

“We were sitting around out on the back patio and they asked me who was the best player I ever coached,” Johnson recounted. To answer, Johnson would reach back more than 30 years to his days as offensive coordinator at Georgia Southern and a multidimensional quarterback who won two Division 1-AA (now FCS) national titles and ended up in two halls of fame — College Football and Canadian Football.

“I told them probably Tracy Ham,” Johnson said. Great answer. “And they were killing TaQuon.” That’s TaQuon Marshall, Paul Johnson’s latest and last quarterback, the fellow most charged with wrapping up the triple option chapter of Tech football history against Minnesota in Wednesday’s Quick Lane Bowl.

The outgoing (as in he’s both leaving and he’s a people person) Marshall could take it. He’s endured far rougher treatment in a career marked by outrageous extremes and come out the other side intact. No, not by any charitable stretch could Marshall be called the best player Johnson has ever coached. But he’s certainly in the running for Most Resilient.

HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM It may be the final game of the triple-option era at Georgia Tech, but don’t expect Paul Johnson (left) to turn senior QB TaQuon Marshall loose in Wednesday’s bowl.