LSU Gold

#84 Marcus Spears Season 2003

Position
Defensive End
Height
6'4
Weight
297
Class
Junior
Hometown
Baton Rouge, La.
High School
Southern Lab

2004 First-Team All-America (Walter Camp, AFCA, AP)
2004 Second-Team All-America (Sports Illustrated)
2004 Bednarik Award Semifinalist
2004 Lott Trophy Semifinalist
2004 Lombardi Award Semifinalist
2004 First-Team All-SEC (AP, SEC Coaches, Collegefootballnews.com)
2004 SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (vs. Alabama, vs. Arkansas)
2003 First-Team All-SEC (AP)
2001 Freshman All-SEC (Coaches)

SENIOR SEASON (2004)
A Consensus First-Team All-America selection in 2004 … Earned First-Team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Foundation, the American Football Coaches Association, the Associated Press and Collegefootballnews.com … Has had one of the most dominations seasons for a defensive lineman in the history of the LSU football program … Named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week … Ranked second in the SEC with 9 sacks to go with 17 tackles for losses … The 9 sacks ranks as the 4th-highest total in school history … The 17 tackles for losses also ranks as the 4th-highest single season total in LSU history … Had a total of 49 tackles … Added 21 quarterback hurries for a Tiger defense that ranks No. 3 in the nation in total defense (256.9 yards per game) … Over final 6 games of season, recorded 14 tackles for losses and 8 sacks … Capped regular season with 9 tackles and 2 sacks totaling 27-yards in losses against Arkansas … Had 6 tackles for losses and 2 sacks for minus-22 yards in win over Troy … Had 2 sacks against Alabama, Ole Miss and Arkansas to cap the regular season … Showed athletic ability with a 35-yard interception return for a TD against Mississippi State … Batted down 6 passes at the line of scrimmage, forced 2 fumbles and recovered another … Named the team’s most valuable player … Shows dedication to team by also playing on LSU’s protection units for PATs and field goals … Tied for 5th in LSU history with 19 career sacks … Ranks 7th in school history in tackles for losses in a career with 34.5 … Invited to play in the 2005 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 29.

JUNIOR SEASON (2003)
Started all 14 games at defensive end for the Tigers … Named First-Team All-SEC after recording 49 tackles, 13 of which went for 72-yards in losses … Added six quarterback sacks and 19 quarterback pressures … Closed season by recording at least one tackle for loss in eight of LSU’s last nine games … Scored what proved to be the game-winning points in LSU’s 21-14 victory over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl with a 20-yard interception return in the third quarter for the Tigers … The interception return for TD gave LSU a 21-7 lead … Added two tackles and one sack for a 3-yard loss against the Sooners … Had four tackles and one sack for an 18-yard loss vs. Arkansas … Followed that with three tackles and a sack for an 11-yard loss vs. Georgia in SEC title game … Other sacks came against Florida, Auburn and Arizona … Had four tackles, one tackle for a loss and five quarterback pressures vs. Alabama … Batted down three passes in first meeting with Georgia … Had season-high six tackles and three quarterback pressures vs. South Carolina … Had season-best three tackles for losses in win over Arizona.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2002)
Played and started 12 games … Sat out the Auburn contest with a high-ankle sprain … Slowed the last month of the season with high-ankle sprain suffered in South Carolina contest … Played through the pain in last four games of regular season … Finished with 46 tackles, including 3.5 for losses and three sacks … Had 16 quarterback hurries, batted down two passes and intercepted two passes … Intercepted a Rex Grossman pass in win over Florida and picked off Chris Simms of Texas in the Cotton Bowl … Showed athletic ability with one-hand grab of Grossman pass for interception vs. the Gators … Returned the pick vs. Florida 18 yards … Had two tackles for losses in season-opener vs. Virginia Tech … Capped regular season with seven tackles against Arkansas and followed that with two tackles and an interception, which he returned 11 yards, against Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2001)
True freshman who saw action on both sides of the ball in 2001 … Actually played three different positions – tight end, fullback and defensive end … Earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC team as a tight end … Since the Mississippi State game, saw most of his action at defensive end … Had first career sack vs. Auburn … Offensively, had two receptions for 20 yards .. Had a 19-yard catch vs. Miss. State … Had eight tackles and one sack to his credit on defense during the regular season … Capped true freshman season with one tackles and a pair of quarterback pressures vs. Illinois in the Sugar Bowl … Came to LSU as one of the most sought after two-sport high school players in the country.

HIGH SCHOOL
The No. 1 rated tight end prospect in America … Listed as the No. 3 overall prospect by Supeprep … A consensus All-America … Listed as an All-American by Parade Magazine, ESPN, Fox Sports, SuperPrep, Prepstar, the Sporting News, USA Today and Rivals.com … Also a member of the Baton Rouge Advocate’s Super Dozen, the Shreveport Times Top 20 and the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Top 16 Blue Chip list for the state of Louisiana … Named first team 1A All-State on both offense and defense, the first player to be honored on both sides of the ball in Louisiana in any class since 1991 … Caught 28 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns and added 245 yards rushing and six scores as a senior … On defense, registered 22 tackles for 151 yards in losses to go with 11.5 sacks … Also had four fumble recoveries … Considered one of the nation’s top basketball prospects as well … Coached by Eric Randall.

PERSONAL
Full name is Marcus Raishon Spears … Born March 8, 1983 in Baton Rouge, La. … Parents are Ebray and Irma Spears … Has one sister, Deidre … Deidre played basketball for LSU in the 1990’s … Majoring in communication studies … Active in community service projects in the Baton Rouge area.

Full Bio