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PRO: With an opportunity to bolster the club's defensive front in the 2005 NFL Draft, the Cowboys jumped at the chance to add Marcus Spears with the 20th overall selection. At 294 pounds, Spears automatically became one of the biggest defensive linemen on Dallas's roster. But for a big man, he is tremendously athletic, as witnessed by his 34.5 career tackles for losses and 19.0 career sacks - the fifth most in LSU annals. As a rookie, he provided the Cowboys with a defensive lineman with the size and ability to play on the end of the line in the 3-4 alignment, moving into the starting lineup the final 10 games of the season. In an Aug. 5 training camp practice, Spears sprained his right knee and ankle while straining his calf. What could have been a serious injury was only a minor setback for the athletic Spears. He missed the first three preseason games but bounced back in time for the final preseason game and recorded three tackles and a sack. Cowboys coaches are looking for Spears to continue his progression as a dominant playmaker along the Cowboys defensive line.
2005: Spears's rookie campaign was marked by progress as he started the season as a reserve and eased into a starting role to earn All-Rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly. His 35 tackles was good for 12th on the team - third among linemen and rookies - while his six pressures was fourth. He added 1.5 sacks and a pass defensed. In his NFL debut at San Diego (9/11) Spears was in on the defensive line rotation but did not record a tackle. He recorded his first sack - one he split with Greg Ellis - and his first career tackle while helping limit Clinton Portis to 52 yards on 17 carries against Washington (9/19). He then led all defensive linemen with four tackles at San Francisco (9/25). Spears helped limit Philadelphia (10/9) to 129 yards, including just 19 on the ground - the fourth lowest in club history. He earned his first NFL start at defensive end at Seattle (10/23) and responded with three tackles and a batted pass while helping limit Shaun Alexander, the NFL's leading rusher to 61 yards on 21 carries (2.9 avg.). Spears officially moved into the starting line-up full time against Arizona (10/30) and led all linemen with four tackles as the Cardinals were held to just 213 total yards, including just 71 on the ground. He logged his third career start at Philadelphia (11/14) and posted a season-high seven tackles to lead all linemen and finish second on the team. He had a three-tackle game at the N.Y. Giants (12/4). Against Kansas City (12/11), Spears posted four stops and the biggest play of the game. With 1:16 remaining in the first half and Dallas trailing 14-10, Spears scooped up a Trent Green fumble at the Cowboys 15-yard line and rumbled 59 yards to the Chiefs 26-yard line. Three plays later, Drew Bledsoe hit Jason Witten for a touchdown and a 17-14 halftime lead. It was the eighth-longest return in club history and the longest ever by a Dallas rookie. At Washington (12/18), Spears notched three tackles. In the season finale against St. Louis (1/1/06), he posted two stops and his first solo sack of the season.
COLLEGE: Spears put together a career year as a senior, earning first-team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Foundation and American Football Coaches Association, second-team All-America honors from Sports Illustrated, first-team All-SEC honors and was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award and Lombardi 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 LSU single-season annals). He also recorded 21 quarterback pressures to help the Tigers finish the year third in the country in total defense. During LSU's national championship season in 2003, Spears contributed 49 tackles, 23 quarterback pressures, 13 stops for losses, six sacks and six passes defensed to earn first-team All-SEC honors. Playing against Oklahoma for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl, Spears returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 21-7 advantage in their eventual 21-14 victory. His sophomore year marked his first season as a full-time defensive player, and he recorded 46 tackles, 16 pressures, 3.5 tackles for losses and three sacks. Spears saw action at tight end, fullback and defensive end as a freshman, recording two catches for 20 yards on offense and eight tackles, a sack and a stop for a loss on defense. His effort earned him freshman All-SEC honors as a tight end.
PERSONAL: Marcus Raishon Spears was one of the mostly highly sought after two-sport athletes in the country following his senior season at Southern University Lab High School in Baton Rouge, La. On the football field, he was rated as the top tight end prospect in America and the third best overall prospect after earning consensus All-America honors. He was named first-team 1A all-state on both sides of the ball following his senior season, becoming the first player to be honored on both offense and defense in Louisiana since 1991. He finished his final prep campaign with 28 catches for 435 yards and three touchdowns and 245 rushing yards and six touchdowns on offense and 22 tackles for losses, 11.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries on defense. The communication studies major was also one of the nation's top basketball prospects. Spears was actively involved in community service projects during his time at LSU. His sister, Deidre was a three-year letterman on the basketball team at LSU, while starting two of those years for the Lady Tigers. 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 the Dallas area which included work with The Salvation Army, Children's Medical Center Dallas and Meals on Wheels. In the spring, Spears was a co-chair - along with fellow teammate DeMarcus 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 to North Texans in need. | 