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Anthony Rice's introduction to football wasn't much different than most kids - out in the backyard with dad.
But when "dad" is former a Heisman finalist and the quarterback of Notre Dame's last national championship team - Tony Rice - you bet it's different.
"It's hard,” Anthony said. “But it has its benefits."
The benefits? Well, kind of obvious, aren't they? When Anthony was little, he'd go run routes with his dad and catch those perfect passes.
"He used to be really rough on me,” Anthony said. “Every time I dropped a ball he'd be really mad at me, kind of motivate me."
Go figure he ended up a wide receiver.
As for the hard part - just think about the weight of the expectations placed upon him.
"We've had a number of kids, Joe Theismann's boy who played here and a number of other people,” Marian football coach Reggie Glon said. “It's tough on them.
“And I think his parents did a tremendous job of not making him Tony Rice's son, they let him be Anthony."
"I definitely battled that,” Anthony said. “But my parents have done a great job of keeping me sheltered from that, just letting me be my own person. Not naming me Tony. His name's Tony, my name's Anthony."
It might seem like a small distinction, but it's not to the Rice family. It's very important to them that Anthony and his accomplishments not be dwarfed by or compared with his famous father's.
"I feel like I'm always going to be in his shadow,” Anthony said. “It's how people want to think. It's just up to me whether I want to be in his shadow or not. What I think about myself rather than what other people think of me….outside of football. What I can do to distinguish myself from my father.
“Inside football, I think no matter what I'm pretty much going to be in his shadow."
It's hard not to be. In fact, there was a time when Anthony thought the only way out of his dad's shadow was to give up football entirely.
"In seventh grade, I wanted to play soccer instead of football,” he recalls. "I really didn't want to follow in my dad's footsteps."
He says his dad was supportive of his decision. But Anthony just couldn't stay away for long.
I didn't want to let it go,” he said. “It was not time to let it go. And I'm really glad I didn't."
Because football has worked out pretty well for Anthony too. He's helped lead Marian to a top-10 ranking, and landed a scholarship to play next season at Central Michigan. And most importantly, he's become his own man.
Well, almost anyway.
"He's really young yet,” Glon said. “He's still not shaving every day. And I expect him to keep maturing. His potential is limitless if he works hard."
That's the only thing his dad expects.