Earlier this summer, Northwestern launched a promotional campaign for All-America linebacker Anthony Walker. The marketing presents Walker as a superhero bestowed with the nickname "The Franchise."
On another team, perhaps this would have caused some tension, with one player being singled out for adulation over everyone else. Yet for Wildcats running back Justin Jackson -- the team's other clear-cut headliner -- the promotion felt like a gift dropped into his lap.
That's because the two have a unique relationship. In a reversal of one-upmanship, Jackson and Walker each like to jokingly insist that the other is the team's true superstar.