Marcus Arnette Thigpen (born May 15, 1986) is a former American professional

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

and

kick returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...

. 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 ...

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

and signed with the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2009. Thigpen has also been a member of the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

, and

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...

Early years

Thigpen attended

Mumford High School Samuel C. Mumford High School is a public high school located on the near-northwest side of Detroit, Michigan. It was operated by the Detroit Public Schools, and had been operated by the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan (EAA). DPS r ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and was a

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and

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 ...

. During his high school career, he was one of the top sprinters in the state of

. During his senior year (2004), he won the MHSAA Division I 100-meter dash with a time of 10.82 and led Mumford to its third consecutive outdoor state track and field title in as many years. He also led the Detroit Public School League with 1,785 yards and twenty touchdowns. In 2011, Mumford won its 11th state track and field championship in the school's history.

College career

After high school, Thigpen enrolled at

but was redshirted his freshman year. During his four years of competition (2005-2008), he finished his career as the third best kick returner (2,009 yards) in the school's history. He also ranks third in all-purpose yards with 4,655 and scored 21 touchdowns. He was the first IU player to get more than 1,000 yards in rushing (1,621), receiving (1,028) and kick returning (2,009). He was selected as one of the team's captains as a fifth-year senior and was named IU's offensive player of the year in 2008. He graduated in 2009 with a major in social/behavioral science and criminal justice.

Track and field

Thigpen led the Hoosiers with a 2006 season-best time of 10.65 in the

100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...

, which he clocked at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, good for sixth place. He also ran the first leg of IU's 4 x 100 meter relay team that clocked 40.13 seconds, which is the third fastest time in IU history at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship. In 2006, he took seventh in the

60 meters 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior ath ...

, with a time of 6.89 seconds and sixth in the 200 meters, with a time of 21.94 seconds at the Big Ten indoor meet, and he placed seventh in the

at the Big Ten outdoor meet, with a time of 10.75 seconds. His personal bests are 6.77 seconds in the

, 10.34 seconds in the

and 21.27 seconds in the 200 meters.

Personal bests

Professional career

2009 Indiana's Pro Day Combine

Philadelphia Eagles

After going

undrafted In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in the

2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...

, Thigpen was signed as an

by the

on April 27, 2009. He was waived on August 4.

Denver Broncos

Thigpen signed with the

on August 16, 2009. He was waived on August 26.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Thigpen signed a

practice roster In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

agreement with the

on October 2, 2009. He was removed from the practice roster and signed to the active roster on November 7. He was part of the final cuts following the 2010 training camp.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Thigpen was signed to the

' active roster on June 26, 2010. He returned the team's first kickoff of the 2010 season for a touchdown against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was named the CFL Special Teams Player of Week 1. In week 2, he returned a Burke Dales punt for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass. On August 13, 2010, after rushing for a touchdown, Thigpen became the first player in CFL history to score a touchdown five different ways in one season. In total, he had scored on a kickoff return, punt return, missed field goal return, a running play and a reception.

Miami Dolphins

Thigpen was signed to a reserve/future contract by the Dolphins on January 12, 2012. On September 9, 2012, Thigpen returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown in his first NFL game versus the Houston Texans. This was the first punt return touchdown by the Miami Dolphins since 2007, when Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt for a TD versus the Philadelphia Eagles. On November 15, 2012, Thigpen returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown against the

. On December 15, 2013, he caught a 14-yard touchdown strike from

Ryan Tannehill Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, where he was a wide receiver until his junior year, an ...

with 1:15 left in the 4th quarter to provide the winning margin over the

, which put an end to the Patriots' string of three come-from-behind victories in 2013 and also snapped the Dolphins' seven-game losing streak to New England. Thigpen was released by Miami during their final cuts on August 30, 2014.

New England Patriots

On September 3, 2014, Thigpen was signed by the

to their practice squad and released a week later on September 10, 2014.

Miami Dolphins (II)

On September 23, 2014, Thigpen was re-signed by the Miami Dolphins to their practice squad. His position was changed from running back to wide receiver, and he changed from uniform number 34 to 19.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Thigpen signed with the

practice squad on October 21, 2014. He was promoted to the active roster on October 31, 2014, after

Trindon Holliday Trindon Jerard Holliday (born April 27, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football at LSU. At 5'5", Hollid ...

was waived/injured.

Buffalo Bills

Due to an injury to starter

Leodis McKelvin Leodis Anquan McKelvin (born September 4, 1985) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist. He played college football for Troy Trojans football, Troy University and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 11th overall in the 2008 NF ...

, Thigpen was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills on November 26, 2014. In the Bills game against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

, Thigpen took a

Tim Masthay Timothy James Masthay (born March 16, 1987) is a former American football punter. He played college football at Kentucky. Masthay was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He has also played for the Green Bay P ...

punt at the Buffalo 25, sprinted to the left hash mark and then to the left sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. This play gave Buffalo a 7–3 lead and was vital to the 21-13 Buffalo win. It also earned Thigpen Peter King's MMQB Special Teams Player of the Week Award. Thigpen was released from the Bills on October 7 in favor of wide receiver Denarius Moore.

Indianapolis Colts

Thigpen signed with

on October 12, 2015, but was released several days later on October 17, never playing a game with the team.

Oakland Raiders

Thigpen signed with the

on November 4, 2015. Thigpen was waived by the Raiders on November 14, 2015.

Buffalo Bills (II)

On November 25, 2015, Thigpen re-signed with the

. On December 22, 2015, the Bills waived Thigpen.

Saskatchewan Roughriders (II)

On September 12, 2017, the

announced that they had signed Thigpen to their practice roster as a kick returner. Thigpen played in only two regular season games for the Riders in 2017, carrying the ball seven times for 32 yards, and catching two passes for 31 yards. He also returned two punts and one kick return. Playing mainly as a running back in the 2017 Eastern Semi-final game in Ottawa, he amassed 169 rushing yards, including a 75-yard touchdown, placing him third all-time for a Saskatchewan player in a playoff game. He also had 38 yards on two kickoff returns to help defeat the

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) ( French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Startin ...

31–20. On March 12, 2018, Thigpen was suspended two-games by the CFL for violating the leagues drug policy; Thigpen tested positive for the banned substance

dehydrochloromethyltestosterone Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone (CDMT; brand name Oral Turinabol), also known as 4-chloro-17β-hydroxy17α-methylandrosta-1,4-dien-3-one, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS). It is the 4-chloro-substituted derivative of metandienone (dehy ...

. Thigpen set CFL career highs in rushing attempts (48) and yards (408) and rushing touchdowns (4) in 13 games with the Riders in the 2018 season. He also caught 24 passes for 233 yards, and returned 21 kickoffs, and 13 punts. Following the season he was re-signed by the Riders. The Roughriders released Thigpen on February 5, 2020.

Toronto Argonauts

On February 10, 2020, Thigpen signed with the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

. After the CFL canceled the 2020 season due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, Thigpen chose to opt-out of his contract with the Argonauts on September 3, 2020.

References

External links

Toronto Argonauts bio

Hamilton Tiger-Cats bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thigpen, Marcus 1986 births Living people American football return specialists American football running backs American football wide receivers American players of Canadian football Canadian football running backs Denver Broncos players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Indiana Hoosiers football players Mumford High School alumni Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Detroit Saskatchewan Roughriders players Canadian Football League Rookie of the Year Award winners Miami Dolphins players New England Patriots players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Buffalo Bills players African-American players of American football African-American players of Canadian football Indianapolis Colts players Oakland Raiders players Toronto Argonauts players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people