Bradley Jerrill Marquez (born December 14, 1992) is a former
American football wide receiver. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
. He is also a member of the
New York Mets organization where he played minor league baseball from 2012-2013 and again in 2019.
High school career
Marquez played high school football, ran
track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
, and played
baseball at
Odessa High School in
Odessa, Texas. He played football at the
running back position, and baseball at the
shortstop position. Marquez was ranked as a 4-star prospect by
Scout.com and an All-American prospect by
PrepStar College Recruiting
''PrepStar College Recruiting'', known also as ''PrepStar'', is an online magazine at www.prepstar.com, which was established in 1982. It provides information on the top football and basketball prospects in the United States. The online magazin ...
. His father, Brad Givens, also played for Odessa High. As a sophomore, Marquez rushed 203 times for 1,743 yards and 21 touchdowns, earning ''
Associated Press'' All-State 2nd Team honors.
As a junior, Marquez rushed 77 times for 492 yards before being sidelined by an elbow tendon
tear. During his senior year, Marquez accrued 2,210 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, becoming the school's new all-time leading rusher.
Marquez accepted a scholarship to play football collegiately for
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
over several schools including the
Oklahoma Sooners. Additionally, Marquez was drafted by the
New York Mets in the 16th round of the
2011 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the first ...
.
Marquez's first season in the minors was cut short by a
quadriceps injury.
College football and baseball
Selected in the 16th round of the 2011 Major League Draft, Marquez arranged a two-sport deal which allowed him to attend Texas Tech to play football while playing baseball for the
Kingsport Mets in the spring. Marquez forfeited $250,000 of his $325,000 signing bonus by not choosing to play baseball full-time by September 15, 2013.
Marquez earned playing time in all 12 games, with 4 starts. In the season opening September 9, 2011 game against
Texas State, Marquez caught his first receiving touchdown on a diving catch, becoming the first true freshman wide receiver to do so in a season opener for the school in 17 years.
Marquez would finish the season contributing on special teams and at the receiver position, accruing 25 receptions for 240 yards with 1 receiving touchdown.
Marquez would play in 6 games during the
2012 season, before suffering a season ending knee injury in the October 13, 2012 upset against #5
West Virginia.
Marquez earned Academic All-
Big 12 Conference 1st Team honors following the season.
In 2013, Marquez started in all 13 games in his junior season. During the October 12, 2013 game against Iowa State, Marquez earned his first career 100-yard receiving game. Marquez would contribute in every game and ended the season with 49 receptions, 633 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. Marquez again earned Academic All-Big 12 Conference 1st Team honors, in addition to All-Big 12 honorable mention honors.
Prior to the start of the 2014 season during spring football practices, Marquez announced that he would forgo playing minor league baseball in the summer to concentrate on football for his senior season.
In March 2019, Marquez returned to the Mets at their minor league spring training camp. He was assigned to the
Columbia Fireflies of the
Class A South Atlantic League on April 8 and made his first appearance since July 28, 2013 that night.
Professional career
St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams
Marquez signed with the
St. Louis Rams after going undrafted in the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. He played in all 16 games as a rookie with one start recording 13 receptions for 88 yards as well as contributing on special teams with 11 tackles.
In 2016, Marquez played in 14 games recording 3 receptions for 37 yards before being placed on injured reserve on December 23, 2016.
On August 7, 2017, Marquez was waived/injured by the Rams and placed on injured reserve. He was released by the Rams on November 6, 2017.
Detroit Lions
On November 10, 2017, Marquez was signed to the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 27, 2017.
On September 11, 2018, Marquez was waived by the Lions.
Personal life
Marquez was born to Veronica Marquez and Brad Givens. He is an exercise and sports science major.
References
External links
Los Angeles Rams bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marquez, Bradley
1992 births
Living people
People from Odessa, Texas
African-American players of American football
Players of American football from Texas
American sportspeople of Mexican descent
American football running backs
American football wide receivers
Odessa High School (Texas) alumni
American baseball players of Mexican descent
Baseball outfielders
Kingsport Mets players
Texas Tech Red Raiders football players
St. Louis Rams players
Los Angeles Rams players
Detroit Lions players
Columbia Fireflies players
21st-century African-American sportspeople