Bradley Marquez facts for kids

Bradley Jerrill Marquez (born December 14, 1992) is an American athlete who played both professional football and baseball. He was a wide receiver in football. Bradley played college football at Texas Tech. He also played minor league baseball for the New York Mets team from 2012 to 2013 and again in 2019.

Early Life and High School Sports

Bradley Marquez grew up in Odessa, Texas. He was a talented athlete from a young age. At Odessa High School, he played three different sports. He was a star in football, track, and baseball.

Football and Baseball Skills

In football, Bradley played as a running back. In baseball, he was a shortstop. Experts like Scout.com thought he was a top player. They even called him a "4-star prospect." His father, Brad Givens, also played football for Odessa High.

As a high school sophomore, Bradley had an amazing football season. He ran for over 1,700 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. This earned him a special honor from the Associated Press. During his senior year, he ran for over 2,200 yards. This made him the school's all-time leading rusher.

College and Professional Choices

After high school, Bradley had a big decision. He accepted a scholarship to play football at Texas Tech. But he was also drafted by the New York Mets to play baseball. This showed how good he was at both sports!

College Football and Baseball Career

Bradley Marquez made a special deal to play both sports in college. He went to Texas Tech for football. At the same time, he played baseball for the Kingsport Mets during the spring. He even gave up a large part of his baseball signing bonus. This showed how much he wanted to play football too.

Football Highlights at Texas Tech

In his first year (2011), Bradley played in all 12 football games. He even started in four of them. He caught his first touchdown pass in the very first game. This was a special moment. He was the first freshman wide receiver to do that for Texas Tech in 17 years! He finished the season with 25 catches and one touchdown.

During the 2012 season, Bradley played in six games. Sadly, he got a knee injury that ended his season early. Even with the injury, he was a great student. He earned "Academic All-Big 12 Conference 1st Team" honors.

In 2013, Bradley had a fantastic junior year. He started in all 13 games. He had his first game where he caught over 100 yards in passes. He ended the season with 49 catches, 633 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. He again earned "Academic All-Big 12 Conference 1st Team" honors.

Before his senior year in 2014, Bradley decided to focus only on football. He stopped playing minor league baseball that summer.

Return to Baseball

In 2019, Bradley went back to playing baseball for the Mets. He joined their minor league spring training camp. He was assigned to the Columbia Fireflies team. This was his first time playing professional baseball since 2013.

Professional Football Career

After college, Bradley Marquez was not chosen in the 2015 NFL draft. But he still got a chance to play in the NFL.

St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams

Bradley signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2015. He played in all 16 games during his first year. He caught 13 passes and also helped out on special teams. He made 11 tackles.

In 2016, he played in 14 games. He caught 3 passes before getting injured. He was placed on the injured reserve list in December 2016. He was later released by the Rams in November 2017.

Detroit Lions

In November 2017, Bradley joined the Detroit Lions' practice squad. A practice squad is where players train with the team but aren't on the main roster yet. Later that month, he was moved to the active roster. This meant he could play in games. He was waived by the Lions in September 2018.

Personal Life

Bradley Marquez was born to Veronica Marquez and Brad Givens. He studied exercise and sports science in college.