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.jpg) Spears in 2018 | |||||||||||
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| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1983-03-08)March 8, 1983 (age 42) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 315 lb (143 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Southern University Laboratory School (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) | ||||||||||
| College | LSU (2001–2004) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2005: 1st round, 20th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Marcus Rayshon Spears (born March 8, 1983), nicknamed "Swagu", is an American former professionalfootball player and analyst who was adefensive end for nine seasons in theNational Football League (NFL), primarily for theDallas Cowboys. He playedcollege football for theLSU Tigers, earning consensusAll-American honors. Spears was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the2005 NFL draft. He also played in the NFL for theBaltimore Ravens.
Spears was born inBaton Rouge, Louisiana. He was a highly sought after two-sport athlete in the country following his senior season atSouthern University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge. On the high school football field, he was rated as the No. 1tight end prospect in America and the third-best overall prospect after earning high schoolAll-America honors. He was named first-team Class 1A all-state selection on both offense and defense following his senior season, becoming the first player to be honored on both in Louisiana since 1991. He finished his final prep season with 28receptions for 435 yards and threetouchdowns and 245 rushing yards and six touchdowns on offense and 22tackles for losses, 11.5quarterback sacks and fourfumble recoveries on defense. Spears was also one of the nation's topbasketball prospects. He was namedGatorade Basketball Player of the Year for Louisiana following his senior season. He played in the first everU.S. Army All-American Bowl game on December 30, 2000.
Spears attendedLouisiana State University, where he played for coachNick Saban'sLSU Tigers football team from 2001 to 2004. He was initially recruited by LSU as a tight end but was soon moved to thedefensive line. Spears played tight end,fullback anddefensive end as a freshman in 2001, recording two catches for 20 yards on offense and eight tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss on defense. His play earned him freshman All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors as a tight end.
The 2002 season marked his first as a full-time defensive player, in which he recorded 46 tackles, 16 quarterback pressures, 3.5 tackles for losses and three sacks. In 2003, during LSU'snational championship season, Spears contributed 49 tackles, 23 quarterback pressures, 13 tackles for losses, six sacks and six passes defensed to earn First-team All-SEC honors. Playing against theOklahoma Sooners for the national championship in theSugar Bowl, Spears returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 21–7 advantage in their 21–14 victory.
During his 2004 senior season, Spears put together a career year, earningfirst-team All-America honors from theWalter Camp Foundation,American Football Coaches Association, andAP, and second-team All-America honors fromSports Illustrated, first-team All-SEC honors, and was a semifinalist for theBednarik Award andLombardi Award. He finished the year tying his career-high in tackles (49) while setting career-highs for tackles for losses (17) and sacks (nine, a figure that ranks fourth in the LSU single-season records). He also recorded 21 quarterback pressures to help the Tigers finish the year third in the country in total defense.
In April 2021, Spears was inducted into the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.[1]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Bench press | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 307 lb (139 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 10+1⁄2 in (0.27 m) | 5.05 s | 4.44 s | 7.21 s | 31.0 in (0.79 m) | 15 reps | ||||
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[2][3] | ||||||||||||
TheDallas Cowboys entered the2005 NFL draft with two first round draft choices. Spears was considered by head coachBill Parcells to be the key to the team's eventual move to a3–4 defense and wanted to take him with the first selection (11th overall pick). However, owner/GMJerry Jones overruled Parcells and draftedDeMarcus Ware instead, who the team thought would not be available later in the draft. Spears was eventually selected by the Cowboys with the 20th overall pick.[4][5]
Spears suffered from injury problems in his first twotraining camps. In his first training camp in2005 as arookie, he sprained his rightknee andankle while straining hiscalf. He missed the first three preseason games but bounced back in time for the final preseason game and recorded three tackles and a sack.
He started the season as a backup in the team's4-3 defense but moved into aright defensive end starting role midway through the season, to earn All-Rookie honors fromPro Football Weekly. His 35 tackles were 12th on the team – third among linemen and rookies, while his six quarterback pressures were fourth. He also added 1.5 sacks and a pass defended.[6][7]
In hisNFL debut at theSan Diego Chargers, Spears was in the defensive line rotation but did not record a tackle. He recorded his first sack – one he split withGreg Ellis – and his first career tackle against theWashington Redskins. Spears then led all defensive linemen with four tackles at theSan Francisco 49ers. He helped limit thePhiladelphia Eagles to 129 yards, including just 19 rushing, the fourth lowest in franchise history. Spears earned his first NFL start atdefensive end at theSeattle Seahawks and responded with three tackles and a batted pass while helping limitShaun Alexander, the NFL's leading rusher to 21 carries for 61 yards (2.9 avg.). He officially moved into thestarting lineup full-time against theArizona Cardinals and led all linemen with four tackles. Spears logged his third career start in Philadelphia and posted a season-high seven tackles to lead all linemen and finish second on the team. He had a three-tackle game at theNew York Giants. Against theKansas City Chiefs, Spears recorded four and a fumble recovery. With 1:16 remaining in the first half and Dallas trailing 14–10, Spears scooped up aTrent Green fumble at the Cowboys 15-yard line and returned it 59 yards to the Chiefs 26-yard line. It was the eighth-longest return in franchise history and the longest ever by a Dallas rookie. Three plays later,Drew Bledsoe completed a pass toJason Witten for a touchdown and a 17–14 halftime lead. In Washington, Spears recorded three tackles. In the season finale against theSt. Louis Rams, he recorded two tackles and his first solo sack of the season.
Before the2006 season, Spears underwent minor knee surgery to repairmeniscus damage,[8] which forced him to miss the first two weeks of training camp. The Cowboys moved to a3-4 defense and Spears earned the starting role atleft defensive end, finishing ninth with 48 tackles (31 solo), one sack, three pass deflections, two tackles for loss and tied for fifth on the squad with three quarterback pressures.[9][10]
In the season opener at theJacksonville Jaguars, Spears had two tackles and a tackle for loss. In Week two'sSunday night game against the Redskins, Spears recorded his only sack of the season, sacking quarterbackMark Brunell in the first quarter, he also recorded two tackles. After the Cowboys' bye week, Spears led all defensive linemen with four tackles against theTennessee Titans. The Titans, in rookie quarterbackVince Young first career start, only rushed 27 times for 78 yards. Spears recorded two tackles the next week in Philadelphia, where he also broke up a pass at the line of scrimmage. Against theHouston Texans, Spears recorded three tackles and a quarterback pressure. He recorded three tackles against the Giants in aMonday night loss atTexas Stadium. At theCarolina Panthers, in a Sunday night victory, Spears had two more tackles and a quarterback pressure. He had five tackles the following week in Washington, followed by four tackles inArizona. Against the eventualSuper Bowl championIndianapolis Colts, Spears had three tackles and one for loss, limiting the Colts to a season-low 14 points. In the annualThanksgiving Day game against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, he had three tackles. He had two tackles in the Cowboys' 23–20 win over the Giants at theMeadowlands. The following week Spears recorded a season-high six tackles against the Saints in a home loss. He recorded four tackles in a road win against theAtlanta Falcons, helping provide pressure on the defensive line that sacked Falcons quarterbackMichael Vick four times. Spears had three tackles in the Cowboys'Christmas Day loss to the Eagles and did not record a stat in the season finale against theDetroit Lions. In his postseason debut, Spears had one tackle and led the team with two quarterback pressures against the Seahawks.
In2007, he appeared in all 16 regular season games and Dallas' lone post season game. For the season Spears recorded 32 tackles (19 solo), two forced fumbles, and a career-high two sacks and three passed defensed on the season.[11]
In the season opener against theNew York Giants, Spears recorded one tackle (one solo). During week two at theMiami Dolphins, he recorded two tackles (two solo). In the week three victory over theChicago Bears, Spears recorded two tackles (one solo). During the week four victory over theSt. Louis Rams, he recorded two tackles (one solo), and 0.5 sack. In week five at theBuffalo Bills, Spears recorded two tackles (one solo). During the Cowboys first loss of the season, to theNew England Patriots, he recorded four tackles. In the week seven win over theMinnesota Vikings, Spears did not record any stats. During week nine at thePhiladelphia Eagles, he recorded one tackle and 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble. In the week 10 win over theNew York Giants, Spears recorded two tackles (two solo). During the week 11 win over theWashington Redskins, he recorded one tackle. In the week 12 victory over theNew York Jets, Spears recorded two tackles and one pass defensed. During the week 13 victory over theGreen Bay Packers, he recorded one tackle, and a pass defensed. In the week 14 win over the Detroit Lions, Spears recorded one tackle. During a week 15 loss to the Eagles, he recorded three tackles (two solo). In a week 16 victory over the Carolina Panthers, Spears recorded one tackle and one pass defensed. During the season finale against the Washington Redskins, he recorded a season high five tackles (four solo), one sack, and one forced fumble.
In the Cowboys lone playoff game against eventualSuper Bowl XLII champion New York Giants, Spears recorded two tackles.[12]
Marcus Spears started 15 games of the 16 games he played in the 2008 season. He registered 35 tackles (with 23 being solo, and 12 being assisted tackles), a sack, and a forced fumble.
In2009, he started 14 games and recorded 50 tackles (2 for losses), a career-high 2.5 sacks and a career-high tying 16 quarterback pressures and 2 pass breakups.
Spears registered a tackle and three pressures in the wildcard playoff win against thePhiladelphia Eagles, with the defense not allowing a rushing first down for the first time in postseason team history. He had a postseason career-high six tackles and a pressure in the divisional game against theMinnesota Vikings.
After playing in only eight games (7 starts), his streak of 88 consecutive games played ended on November 10, when he was placed on theinjured reserve list, with a left calf injury.[13] Playing mostly in running downs, he registered 24 tackles (1 for loss) and 3 quarterback pressures.[14]
Spears signed a 5-year, $19.2 million contract during the off-season.[15] He injured his groin in the second preseason game and missed the rest of the preseason.[16]
New defensive coordinatorRob Ryan selectedKenyon Coleman andJason Hatcher as the starters atdefensive end, relegating Spears into a reserve role for the first time in his career. He was used mostly on running downs and registered 29 tackles (one for loss), 15th on the team and fifth among defensive linemen, one sack, two pass deflections and one quarterback pressure.[17]
In2012, he again had a reserve role, but got a chance to start in six games because of injuries. Spears finished the season with 35 tackles (2 for loss) and 1 sack. He missed one game with a knee injury.[18]
On March 13,2013, Spears was released.[19]
On March 15,2013, Spears signed a two-year, $3.55 million deal with theBaltimore Ravens.[20] On October 30,2013, he was waived[21] after registering 10 tackles as a reservedefensive end.[22]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Underline | Incomplete data |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | PD | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBH | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | Y/F | TD | |||
| 2005 | DAL | 16 | 10 | 31 | 19 | 12 | 1 | — | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 59.0 | 0 |
| 2006 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 45 | 29 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2007 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 30 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2008 | DAL | 16 | 15 | 35 | 23 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2009 | DAL | 16 | 14 | 25 | 55 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2010 | DAL | 8 | 7 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2011 | DAL | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2012 | DAL | 15 | 6 | 25 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2013 | BAL | 5 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Career | 124 | 90 | 236 | 143 | 93 | 25 | 23 | 10.0 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 59.0 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBH | Sck | ||
| 2006 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2007 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2009 | DAL | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Career | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | |
| This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately. Find sources: "Marcus Spears" defensive end – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Spears was actively involved in community service projects during his time at LSU. As a rookie, Spears was a member of the Cowboys 2005 Rookie Club, a program designed to introduce rookie team members to community service in theDallas area which included work withThe Salvation Army, Children's Medical Center Dallas andMeals on Wheels. In the spring, Spears was a co-chair, along with teammateDeMarcus Ware, for the second annual Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party at Abacus restaurant that benefited The North Texas Food Bank. The event raised enough money to provide 330,000 meals toNorth Texans in need.
Spears and his wife, retiredWNBA playerAiysha Smith, have three children: Macaria Reagan Spears (born 2007), Marcus Rayshon Spears Jr. (born 2009), and Miko Reign Spears (born 2013).
Marcus is a Christian who attendsTD Jakes' church in Texas.[23]
In August 2014, Spears became a co-host ofSEC Nation, the SEC/ESPN Network's flagship show.SEC Nation is a weekly college football preview show offering insight into upcoming national and SEC football games.[citation needed]He is a regular contributor to thePaul Finebaum Show, broadcast daily on theSEC Network.[citation needed] He is affectionately referred to as "The Big Swagu".[citation needed]
In 2015, Spears began hosting a TV show calledDFW Outdoorsman[24] The show covers hunting, fishing, and other similar activities in the North Texas area.[citation needed]
Beginning with the 2017 college football season, Spears began hostingThinking Out Loud on the SEC Network with formerAlabama quarterbackGreg McElroy.[citation needed]
Spears now appears regularly on ESPN morning showsGet Up!,First Take, and its flagshipNFL studio show,NFL Live.[25] Spears doesMonday Night Countdown beforeMonday Night Football.
