Marquis Spruill facts for kids
Spruill with the Atlanta Falcons in 2014
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| No. 35 | |
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| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 14, 1991 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 231 lb (105 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Hillside (NJ) |
| College: | Syracuse |
| NFL Draft: | 2014 / Round: 5 / Pick: 168 |
| Career history | |
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| CFL status: | International |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Marquis Spruill (born May 14, 1991) is a former American football player. He played as a linebacker, a position important for stopping opponents. He was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2014 NFL Draft. Before playing professionally, he played college football at Syracuse University. He also played for the Toronto Argonauts in Canada.
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Growing Up and High School Football
Marquis Spruill grew up in Hillside, New Jersey. He played football at Hillside High School. After high school, he spent an extra year at Fork Union Military Academy. This helped him get ready for college football.
College Football Career
Spruill went to Syracuse University. He played Division 1 college football there. His team was part of the Big East and later the ACC.
During his four years in college, Spruill made 243 tackles. A tackle is when a player stops an opponent with the ball. He also made 41 tackles for a loss, which means he stopped the opponent behind their starting line. This was the second-highest in his school's history. He also caused three fumbles and recovered one. He defended four passes, meaning he stopped the ball from reaching an opponent.
Because of his great play, he was chosen for the All-Big East Second-team in 2011. In 2013, he received an All-ACC Honorable mention.
Professional Football Journey
Playing for the Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons were very interested in Spruill. They wanted to add more strong players to their inside linebacker position. In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Falcons traded some of their later picks to move up. They chose Spruill in the fifth round as the 168th overall pick.
Sadly, Spruill got a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) on August 6, 2014. This injury meant he could not play during his first year. He had surgery to fix his knee. This surgery was even shown on the TV show Hard Knocks. On August 24, 2015, the Falcons decided to release Spruill from the team.
Time with the Toronto Argonauts
On April 4, 2016, the Toronto Argonauts announced they had signed Spruill. This team plays in the Canadian Football League. However, Spruill was released by the Argonauts on June 14, 2016.
