Texas Tech University Athletics
RRC Scholar-Athlete: Bradley Marquez
November 04, 2014 | Football
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Nov. 4, 2014
By Daniel Steffy
Texas Tech Athletics Communications
Texas Tech senior wide receiver Bradley Marquez has captured the attention of Red Raider football fans plenty of times over the past four seasons with his athletic ability. But now his athleticism and hard work in the classroom has captured attention far beyond Raiderland.
Marquez isn't just a standout on the football field, where he's been a starter since his sophomore year. He's a talented dual sports athlete, and his skills as a baseball player caught the attention of the New York Mets. The Mets offered him a contract in the team's farm system - the sort of offer most young athletes dream of. But for Marquez, it created a dilemma that forced him to choose between his degree and his dream of playing sports professionally.
"I'll be the first one in my immediate family to graduate from college, so that is something that is going to be very special to me and my family," he said. "It's something that will make my mom proud and something I knew I had to get for her. The first thing she told me before football and everything was that academics come first."
Despite his athletic ability and success, he listened to his mother's advice and returned to Lubbock for his senior football season and to complete his Exercise Sports Science degree. In both 2012 and 2013 Marquez was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team, and he maintains a 3.47 grade-point average.
He credits the resources at the Marsha Sharp Center For Student Athletes with helping him maintain his GPA.
"The Marsha Sharp is huge," he said. "We get the opportunity to have tutors whenever we need them at any point throughout a semester, so I just try to take full advantage of that."
As Marquez completes his senior season, his career and performance in the classroom make him a role model for the freshmen and young members of the football team. He has built his legacy as the kind of player coaches love, and rely on in key situations.
"I just wanted to take advantage of every year here, because you always hear how it fast it will fly by," Marquez said. "Being a senior now it has definitely flown by."
Marquez was named one of just 182 nominees for the AFCA Good Works Team this season. The award, which was established in 1992, is meant to honor a college football athlete for charitable work outside of their sport.
He is one of nine students from the Big 12 Conference named for this award. According to the Texas Tech Athletics Department, Marquez spends his free time at charities like the Ronald McDonald House and the YWCA.
Marquez said he isn't sure what he wants to do after he's finished playing sports, but just as he credits the help he received at the Martha Sharp and from his advisers, he wants to a resource for others as well.
In the meantime, he's looking ahead to graduation.
His offer from the New York Mets still stands, and he's planning to accept it - once he has his degree firmly in hand.
"I definitely want to give back and help others, especially the young people," he said. "I want to teach them some of the things that I have learned in my life, and just want to continue to grow as a person and see wherever that leads me down the road."
