Marcel Spears Jr.

Scene from Iowa State vs Oklahoma State football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa on October 26, 2019. Photo © Wesley Winterink.

WVU, West Virginia, FB, Football, 2018-19

Photo by: Athletics Communications

Position:
Linebacker
Height:
6-1
Weight:
218
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Olathe, Kan.
High School:
North

Awards and Honors
HM All-Big 12 – Coaches (2017, 2018, 2019)
Second-Team All-Big 12 – AP (2019)
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl (2019)
Nagurski Trophy Watch List (2019)
Alamo Bowl Sportsmanship Award (2018)
Liberty Bowl Defensive Player of the Game (2017)
Second Team Academic All-Big 12 (2017)
Al and Dean Knudson Outstanding Defensive Skill Player Award (2017)

2019
Second-Team All-Big 12 (AP) and Honorable Mention All-Big 12 by the Coaches … NFLPA Collegiate Bowl participant … Co-Captain … started all 13 games and the final 39 games of his career … led the team and was eighth in the Big 12 in tackles with 92 (7.1 tpg) … third on the team in TFL (8.0) and pass breakups (7) … also had 2.5 sacks … tallied nine tackles, 1.5 TFL, a sack and three QB hurries vs. UNI … tallied a sack and six tackles vs. Baylor … posted a season-high 12 tackles, including a career-high 11 solo stops, vs. Texas Tech … had 10 tackles and a sack vs. Oklahoma … had seven tackles and two pass breakups vs. Notre Dame … ended career with 39 starts, 272 tackles, 24.5 TFL, 13 pass breakups, 6.0 sacks, four interceptions, two “pick-sixes”, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery … had six double-digit tackle games and led the team in tackles eight times in his career.

2018
Honorable Mention All-Big 12 … started all 13 games, ranking fifth on the team in tackles with 69 … fourth on the team in TFL (8.0) and second in interceptions (2) … recorded 2.5 sacks and tied for the team lead in takeaways with three … had seven tackles and 0.5 TFL vs. TCU … posted six tackles, 1.5 TFL and a fumble recovery at Oklahoma State … recorded a sack and three tackles vs. West Virginia … against Texas Tech, picked off two passes, including his second “pick-six,” to earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors … had a season-high 10 tackles vs. Baylor … tallied 2.0 TFL and six solo tackles vs. Texas … won the Sportsmanship Award at the Alamo Bowl by leading the team with nine tackles and 1.5 TFL vs. Washington State.

2017
Honorable Mention All-Big 12 … Second Team Academic All-Big 12 … Al and Dean Knudson Outstanding Defensive Skill Player Award ... Defensive Player of the Game in the Liberty Bowl … was outstanding in his first season as a starter at linebacker, starting all 13 games … was the back-to-back winner of the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week award (Texas Tech, TCU) behind interceptions that sealed victories … was second on the team, sixth in the Big 12 and 61^st nationally in tackles per game (8.2) … second on the team with three double-digit tackle games … had 8.5 TFL and one sack … tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and tied for second on the team in interceptions with two … posted a career-high 17 tackles and forced a fumble against Iowa … had 14 tackles against Texas … tallied seven tackles and returned his first career interception 61 yards for a TD to seal the victory over Texas Tech … had nine tackles and picked off a pass with 1:16 remaining to clinch the victory over No. 4 TCU … had eight-tackle games vs. West Virginia and Baylor … was named the Defensive Player of the Game in the Liberty Bowl with 11 tackles, 2.5 TFL and a sack.

2016
Appeared in 11 games, primarily on special teams.

2015
Redshirted initial collegiate season.

High School
Chose Iowa State over Kansas State, Kansas and Missouri … three-star recruit by ESPN and Scout … ranked as the 72nd-best outside linebacker nationally and the top OLB in Kansas by Scout … three-year starter who earned all-Sunflower League honors twice … named second-team all-state by the Wichita Eagle as a senior … ended career with 337 tackles, 21.0 TFL, seven sacks and four interceptions … recorded 86 tackles, 7.0 TFL, two sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble to lead his team to sub-state in senior season … also had 20 rushes for 206 yards and three touchdowns … as a junior, recorded 119 tackles, three forced fumbles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and two blocked kicks … named to the all-state non-senior team … had 132 tackles and 10.0 TFL as a sophomore … also participated in wrestling and track & field … finished second at state in the shot put as a junior … coached by Gene Weir.

Personal
Born May 29, 1997 … son of Marcel and Rachelle Spears … has three siblings … father played football at Hutchinson Community College … member of the National Honor Society … earned his degree in kinesiology and health in the Spring of 2019.