| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1997-05-29)May 29, 1997 (age 27) Olathe, Kansas, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Olathe North |
| College: | Iowa State |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Undrafted: | 2020 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Marcel Spears Jr. (born May 29, 1997)[1] is anAmerican footballlinebacker. He playedcollege football atIowa State. At the conclusion of the 2017 season, Spears was named to the honorable mention All-Big 12 team.[2] During the 2017 football season he was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week twice, in back-to-back weeks.[3][4]
AtOlathe North, Spears was a three-sport athlete. Hewrestled and competed intrack & field[5] in addition to starring on the football field. His first year starting, as a sophomore, Spears began to bloom with 132 tackles including 10 for a loss. As a junior he recorded 119 tackles, forced three fumbles, recovered two fumbles, intercepted two passes and blocked two kicks. His senior season he made 86 tackles, seven for a loss, made two sacks, two interceptions and forced a fumble. He was namedAll-Sunflower League twice[6][7] and received second-team all-state honors by theWichita Eagle his senior season. He ended his impressive prep career with 227 tackles, 21 for a loss, seven sacks, and four interceptions.[8]
A three star recruit, Spear's only offers were Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas, Idaho, and Wyoming.[9] On July 28, 2014 he committed to the Cyclones.[10]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcel Spears Jr. OLB | Olathe, Kansas | Olathe North | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jul 28, 2014 | |
Star ratings:Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 74 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports:1,117, 10 (KS), 66(OLB) ESPN:11 (KS), 108 (OLB) | ||||||
Sources:
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After redshirting the2015 season and only playing on special teams in2016, Spears had his breakout season in2017. He was second on the team in tackles with 96 as well as second on the team in interceptions with two.[11] His 96 tackles were good for sixth in theBig 12 and his 48 assisted tackles were second in the Big 12, only behindJoel Lanning.[12] AgainstIowa, Spears made 17 tackles with 1.5 of them for a loss[13] and two weeks later he totaled 14 tackles againstTexas.[14] His best two games were againstTexas Tech andTCU. Against the Red Raiders Marcel made seven tackles, defended a pass, and made a pick 6 to seal the game.[15] The following week he made nine tackles, one for a loss, and an interception for the second consecutive week.[16] Spears received the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week award for his performances in both the Texas Tech[17] and TCU games.[18]
At the conclusion of the season he was named Honorable mentionAll-Big 12 by the Big 12 coaches.[19]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | FF | FR | |||
| 2016 | Iowa State | 11 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | Iowa State | 13 | 13 | 107 | 56 | 51 | 8.5 | 3 | 2 | 61 | 30.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| College Totals | 24 | 13 | 111 | 60 | 51 | 8.5 | 3 | 2 | 61 | 30.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Reference:[20] | |||||||||||||||
Spears signed with theCincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2020.[21] He was waived on September 5, 2020.[22]
Spears Jr. signed with theHouston Gamblers of the USFL on March 23, 2023.[23]
Spears and all other Houston Gamblers players and coaches were all transferred to theHouston Roughnecks after it was announced that the Gamblers took on the identity of their XFL counterpart, the Roughnecks.[24] He was not part of the roster after the2024 UFL dispersal draft on January 15, 2024.[25]
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