 Colston with the New Orleans Saints in 2012 | |||||||||
| No. 12 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1983-06-05)June 5, 1983 (age 41) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Susquehanna Township (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||
| College: | Hofstra (2001–2005) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2006: 7th round, 252nd pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||
As an administrator: | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Marques E. Colston (/ˈmɑːrkɪsˈkoʊlstən/MAR-kisKOHL-stən born June 5, 1983) is an American former professionalfootball player who was awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theHofstra Pride, and was selected by theNew Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the2006 NFL draft. He helped the Saints achieve victory inSuper Bowl XLIV with seven receptions for 83 yards against theIndianapolis Colts. He is the Saints' all-time franchise leader in receiving yards, yards from scrimmage, receivingtouchdowns, and total receptions. Despite favorable statistics compared to otherPro Bowl orAll-Pro players in the same position likeBrandon Marshall andReggie Wayne, Colston was never selected for either in his career. Colston is often regarded as arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history to never have been selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection.[1]
Colston attendedSusquehanna Township High School, inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, and was a letterman infootball and track. In football, he won All-Conference honors as a wide receiver and defensive end. Colston graduated from Susquehanna Township High School in June 2001.
Colston lettered three years intrack & field and was a standout. He qualified for the 2001Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Outdoor T&F Championships in thejavelin, recording a top-throw of 57.03 meters. He was also a member of the Susquehanna4 × 100 m (42.41 s) relay squad.[2]
Colston received a scholarship offer from theDivision I-AUniversity of Missouri but turned the offer down in favor ofDivision I-AAHofstra.[3]
Colston had 14 receptions for 335 yards (23.9 avg.) and three touchdowns as a freshman. In 2002, he made 47 grabs for 614 yards (13.06 avg.) and three scores. As a junior in 2003, Colston led the team with 51 receptions for 910 yards (17.8 average) and seven touchdowns. Colstonredshirted the 2004 season due to a shoulder injury, but in 2005 was named to the All-Atlantic 10 First-team after making a career-high 70 receptions for 976 yards (13.9 avg.) and five touchdowns. In four seasons at Hofstra, Colston appeared in 40 games (37 starts) and recorded 182 catches for a school-record 2,834 yards and 18 touchdowns.[4] During his time at Hofstra, he was teammates with future NFL cornerbackKyle Arrington.[5]
Colston declared for the 2006 NFL draft. He was tipped in many prospect profiles to become atight end, because of his size and catching ability, but was also predicted to go undrafted.[6]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+5⁄8 in (1.95 m) | 224 lb (102 kg) | 33+3⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.51 s | 1.59 s | 2.66 s | 4.43 s | 6.94 s | 37.0 in (0.94 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | 16 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[7][8] | ||||||||||||
The New Orleans Saints selected Colston in the seventh round with the 252nd overall pick in the2006 NFL draft.[9] Colston was the 32nd wide receiver drafted in 2006.[10] He was the seventh player ever drafted out of Hofstra.[11] With Hofstra discontinuing their football program in 2009, Colston became their last player to be drafted from the program.[12]
On July 14, 2006, the Saints signed Colston to a three-year,$1.10 million contract that includes asigning bonus of $24,600.[13]
Throughout training camp, Colston competed to be the third wide receiver on the depth chart againstDevery Henderson,Lance Moore, andTerrance Copper. After performing well throughout training camp, head coachSean Payton elected to trade starting wide receiverDonte Stallworth, stating Colston's progress made Stallworth expendable.[14]
He made his professional regular season debut in the New Orleans Saints' season-opener at theCleveland Browns and made four receptions for 49 yards and scored his first career touchdown. He made his first career touchdown reception on a 12-yard pass by quarterbackDrew Brees during the third quarter.[15] In Week 3, in a game on the road against theCarolina Panthers, Colston recorded an 86-yard receiving touchdown in the 21–18 loss.[16] The reception was the longest receiving play for the Saints sinceEddie Kennison had a 90-yard play in 1999.[17] On October 29, Colston caught six passes for 163 receiving yards and had a season-high two touchdown receptions during a 35–22 loss against theBaltimore Ravens in Week 8.[18] He was named theDiet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for Week 8.[19] He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for October.[20] The following week, Colston made a season-high 11 receptions for 123 receiving yards and one touchdown during the Saints' 31–14 victory at theTampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9.[21] Once again, he earned Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for Week 9.[22] In Week 10, Colston recorded 10 catches for a season-high 169 receiving yards during a 38–31 loss at thePittsburgh Steelers.[23] His performance marked his third consecutive game with over 100 receiving yards. Colston sprained his left ankle during a Week 11 loss to theCincinnati Bengals and missed the next two games.[24] Colston finished his rookie season with 70 receptions, 1,038 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns in 14 games and 12 starts.[25]
He helped the Saints reach the playoffs with a 10–6 record. The Saints earned a first-round bye with the #2-seed.[26] The Saints defeated thePhiladelphia Eagles in theDivisional Round and made it to theNFC Championship Game with theChicago Bears.[27] Despite Colston scoring a touchdown, the Saints fell 39–14, ending the team's season.[28]
Colston earned a spot on the NFL All-Rookie Team for his immediate contributions.[29] He tied for second in voting for OffensiveRookie of the Year, behindTennessee Titans' quarterbackVince Young, and withJacksonville Jaguars' running backMaurice Jones-Drew. He had more votes than his fellow rookie teammate, the much more celebratedReggie Bush, who was picked second overall by the Saints.[30] Colston was among theNFC leaders in receptions (70), receiving yards (1,038) and receiving touchdowns (8).[31]
Against theSan Francisco 49ers on October 28, 2007, Colston caught a career-high three touchdown passes fromDrew Brees and guided the Saints to a 31–10 victory in Week 8.[32] He followed up his three-touchdown performance with three consecutive games going over 100 receiving yards (159, 128, 118).[33][34][35] From Weeks 14–17, he recorded five receiving touchdowns in a four-game stretch.[36] For the 2007 season, Colston recorded 1,202 receiving yards and set a team record for receptions with 98, besting the previous mark of 94 set byJoe Horn in 2000 and 2004. He would hold on to this record until 2011, when Jimmy Graham broke the mark. Colston tied Horn's record for touchdown receptions in a season with 11. Colston would share this mark until 2013, when it was also bested by Graham.[37][38]
On July 23, 2008, Colston signed a three-year contract extension with the Saints through the 2011 season.[39] In 2008, Colston suffered a broken thumb after a hit byRonde Barber on a quick slant pass in the Saints' Week 1 victory over theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[40] This sidelined Colston for four weeks andLance Moore moved up into the starting receiver position. In Week 10, he recorded a season-high 140 receiving yards on seven receptions against theAtlanta Falcons.[41] A few weeks later, he recorded a 70-yard touchdown catch against theGreen Bay Packers as the Saints won the game 51–29 in Week 12.[42] In Week 16, against theDetroit Lions, he recorded his only multi-touchdown game of the season in the 42–7 victory.[43] Colston finished the season with 47 receptions for 760 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.[44]
Colston found the endzone twice in Week 2 against thePhiladelphia Eagles in the 48–22 victory.[45] During a Week 6 game against theNew York Giants in a battle of undefeated teams, Colston caught eight receptions for 166 yards, as the Saints defeated the Giants 48–27.[46] Overall, Colston finished the 2009 regular season with 70 receptions for 1,074 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.[47]
The Saints finished with a 13–3 record and earned the #1-seed for the NFC playoffs.[48] In theDivisional Round against theArizona Cardinals, Colston had six receptions for 83 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 45–14 victory.[49] Colston started for the Saints inSuper Bowl XLIV. He contributed to the Saints' 31–17 victory with seven receptions for 83 yards against theIndianapolis Colts.[50]
Colston remained a consistent producer for the Saints in the 2010 season. In Week 13, against theCincinnati Bengals, he scored the late go-ahead touchdown with 31 seconds remaining in the 34–30 victory.[51] He recorded three games going over 100 receiving yards and two games with multiple receiving touchdowns. Overall, Colston finished the 2010 season with 84 receptions for 1,023 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns in 15 games played.[52] The Saints returned to the playoffs but failed to repeat as Super Bowl Champions, falling in theWild Card Round toSeattle Seahawks in theBeast Quake game. In the 41–36 loss, Colston had four receptions for 66 yards.[53] He was ranked 53rd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2011.[54]
Colston continued in his role as a receiving threat for Drew Brees in the 2011 season. He recorded four games going over 100 receiving yards and three games with multiple receiving touchdowns. In the regular season finale in Week 17, he recorded seven receptions for 145 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 45–17 victory over theCarolina Panthers.[55] Overall, Colston finished the 2011 season with 80 receptions for 1,143 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 14 games as the Saints won the division with a 13–3 record.[56][57] Colston set a new franchise record for most 1,000-yard seasons with his fifth, breaking a tie with Joe Horn.[58] Colston, along with Jimmy Graham, gave the Saints their first duo with at least 1,000 receiving yards sinceWillie Jackson and Joe Horn in 2001.[38]
In the Saints' two postseason games, Colston recorded seven receptions for 120 receiving yards in the 45–28Wild Card Round victory over theDetroit Lions and nine receptions for 136 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 36–32 loss to theSan Francisco 49ers in theDivisional Round.[59][60]
On March 13, 2012, Colston signed a five-year, $40 million contract extension with the Saints.[61] In Week 4, against theGreen Bay Packers, Colston recorded nine receptions for 153 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in a 28–27 loss .[62] On October 7, in Week 5 against theSan Diego Chargers, Colston brokeJoe Horn's record for most touchdown catches by a Saints wide receiver, catching three touchdowns in the game to make 52 for his career.[63] On November 11, in Week 10 against theAtlanta Falcons, he tiedDeuce McAllister's team record for total touchdowns with his 55th career touchdown.[64] He matched his season-high yardage total of 153 in Week 16 against theDallas Cowboys in the 34–31 victory.[65] Overall, he finished the 2012 season with 83 receptions for 1,154 receiving yards and ten receiving touchdowns.[66] Colston, along with Jimmy Graham (982) and Lance Moore (1,041), gave the Saints their first trio of receivers in franchise history to record at least 900 receiving yards each.[38]
In the opening game of the 2013 season, a 23–17 win overAtlanta Falcons, Colston became the Saints' all-time leader in pass receptions when he caught a second quarter touchdown pass for the 533rd catch (and 59th touchdown) of his career.[67] In the Saints' tenth game of the season, a 23–20 home win overSan Francisco 49ers, Colston passedEric Martin to become the all-time franchise leader in receiving yards and yards from scrimmage.[68] In Week 14, he had his most productive game of the regular season with nine receptions for 125 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns against theCarolina Panthers.[69] Colston finished the regular season with 75 receptions for 943 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.[70]
In the Saints'Divisional Round playoff game against theSeattle Seahawks, Colston led all receivers with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown, the touchdown coming with 26 seconds remaining in the game to bring the Saints, who had trailed the entire game, within eight points; he then recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving the Saints a slim chance to tie the game. On the ensuing drive, Brees spiked the ball to stop the clock, then found Colston near the sideline. Instead of stepping out of bounds to stop the clock and give the Saints a chance at a last-secondHail Mary pass to the end zone, Colston went ahead with the play as it had been called, which required him to throw alateral pass across the field toTravaris Cadet. However, Colston's throw went forward and was ruled an illegal forward pass; the 10-second runoff attached to the penalty used up the clock, sealing a 23–15 victory for the Seahawks.[71]
Colston recorded two games going over the 100-yard mark in the 2014 season, first in the Saints' regular season opener against theAtlanta Falcons and later in Week 7 against theDetroit Lions.[72][73] Overall, Colston recorded 59 receptions for 902 yards and five touchdowns as the Saints missed the playoffs with a 7–9 record.[74][75]
In 2015, Colston caught 45 passes for 520 yards and four touchdowns, all career-lows. Part of his statistical decline was due to the emergence ofBrandin Cooks andWillie Snead as receiving options for Brees to go along with shoulder and chest injuries causing him to miss three games.[76][77][78][79] He was released by the Saints after the season.[80][81] At the time of Colston's release, he and Brees were the most productive wide receiver-quarterback tandem in terms of passing yards and receiving yards over the decade-long period of 2006–2015, which encompassed Colston's career. Only Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates, a tight end, had more receiving touchdowns in that time span as a duo.[82]
Colston was unsigned after the 2015 season. He never released a formal retirement announcement but did acknowledge his retirement in 2020.[83] At the time of Drew Brees's retirement, Colston ended up being the player that he threw the most touchdowns to with 72.[84][85]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2006 | NO | 14 | 12 | 70 | 1,038 | 14.8 | 86T | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007 | NO | 16 | 14 | 98 | 1,202 | 12.3 | 45 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | NO | 11 | 6 | 47 | 760 | 16.2 | 70T | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | NO | 16 | 14 | 70 | 1,074 | 15.3 | 68 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010 | NO | 15 | 11 | 84 | 1,023 | 12.2 | 43 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| 2011 | NO | 14 | 7 | 80 | 1,143 | 14.3 | 50 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | NO | 16 | 13 | 83 | 1,154 | 13.9 | 60 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 |
| 2013 | NO | 15 | 11 | 75 | 943 | 12.6 | 35 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | NO | 16 | 13 | 59 | 902 | 15.3 | 57 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | NO | 13 | 5 | 45 | 520 | 11.6 | 53T | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 146 | 106 | 711 | 9,759 | 13.7 | 86 | 72 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 7 | |
Colston's father, James, played in the Canadian Football League.[86] James Colston died when Marques was 14.[3]
In 2010, Colston bought a home inLuling, Louisiana.[87]
Colston was the majority owner of his hometownHarrisburg Stampede who played inAmerican Indoor Football and theProfessional Indoor Football League.[88] In 2014, he bought a share of thePhiladelphia Soul of theArena Football League.[89] Colston has pursued an executiveMBA program atGeorge Washington University,[90] and he has made a series of investments instartup companies operating in the health and sports sectors.[91]
In 2017, Colston was involved with the ownership group of theAlbany Empire of theArena Football League.[92] He later became involved with the ownership of theAtlantic City Blackjacks.[93]
Colston is involved with Son of a Saint, which is a New Orleans–based charitable organization that tries to improve the lives of fatherless boys. He is the ambassador for the program, which involves sessions that go over various life-skill topics.[94]
On October 27, 2019, Colston was inducted into The New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame alongside Reggie Bush.[95]
Colston delivered the keynote speech to graduates at the December 2019 commencement for the University of New Orleans. The school later hired Colston as an adjunct professor in 2020.[96]
On September 17, 2020, Colston was named as an inductee to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame for the Class of 2021.[97]
