The 2021 Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame Banquet & Induction Ceremony will be held Tuesday, April 20 at 6 p.m.
Among the inductees include Daniel Cormier, Jake Delhomme, Elvin Hayes, Bert Jones, brothers Eli and Peyton Manning, Willis Reed, Ed Reed, Ashley Tapping, and LSU’s own former defensive end Marcus Spears.
Spears attended Southern University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge, and was one of the most highly sought after two-sport athletes in the country. On the field, he was rated as the No.1 tight end prospect in America.
Following his senior season, he was named first-team Class 1A all-state selection on both offense and defense, becoming the first player to be honored on both in Louisiana since 1991.
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After high school, Spears went on to play for the LSU Tigers from 2001 to 2004 under Nick Saban.
Over his four years at LSU, Spears accumulated 141 tackles, 16 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 14 passes deflected.
In his 2004 senior season, Spears earned first-team All American honors from the Walter Camp Foundation, American Football Coaches Association, and AP. He also earned second-team All-American honors from Sports illustrated, first-team All-SEC honors, and was a semifinalist for the highly regarded Bednarik and Lombardi awards.
Spears was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft to the Dallas Cowboys and later went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens.
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He racked up a total of nine seasons as a DE in the league.
These days, you may recognize him from ESPN working as an NFL analyst, and appearing daily on NFL Live.
You may also recognize him for his hilarious Twitter presence and nickname “The Big Swagu” compounded from the words “swag” and “ragu.”
When someone such as Spears himself is dripping with swag, they may be referred to as Swagu. The “Big” part is pretty self-explanatory given Spears burly dimensions and larger-than-life personality.
Overall, The Big Swagu has made a BIG impact in the Baton Rouge community and continues to make his alma mater proud in all of his endeavors.
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