2014 Football Roster
Roster
Marcus Rush
- Position:
- DE
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 251
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- High School:
- Archbishop Moeller
• 2013, 2014 HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG TEN (COACHES, MEDIA)
• MSU'S ALL-TIME STARTS LEADER (53) CAREER NOTES: Four-year letterwinner started a school-record 53 games at defensive end (previous record: 49, held by OG Joel Foreman and LB Eric Gordon) . . . recorded 163 career tackles, including 37.5 for losses (183 yards) and 18.5 sacks (131 yards) . . . finished his career ranked among MSU's all-time leaders in forced fumbles (tied for sixth with five), tackles for loss yardage (seventh with 183 yards), tackles for loss (seventh with 37.5), sacks (seventh with 18.5) and sack yardage (eighth with 131) . . . also had 16 career pass break-ups and two blocked kicks . . . received his bachelor's degree in advertising in December 2014. 2014 SEASON (SENIOR): Honorable mention All-Big Ten selection (coaches, media) . . . co-recipient of MSU's Downtown Coaches Club Award (outstanding senior on defense) . . . also received the President's Award (senior lineman: defense) for perseverance . . . started all 13 games at defensive end . . . had 37 tackles, including career bests in tackles for losses (10.5 for 66 yards) and sacks (7.5 for 60 yards) . . . ranked second on the team in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss . . . listed among the Big Ten leaders in sacks (tied for eighth with 0.58 per game) and tackles for loss (20th at 0.81 per game) . . . finished second among Spartan defensive linemen and eighth on the team with 37 overall tackles . . . also was credited with four QB hurries, three pass break-ups and two forced fumbles . . . played for the National team in the National Football League Players Association Collegiate Bowl at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on Jan. 17, 2015 . . . closed out his collegiate career by blocking Chris Callahan's 43-yard field-goal attempt that RJ Williamson returned 36 yards to the Baylor 45-yard line with 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, setting up MSU's game-winning touchdown drive in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic; also posted with one tackle, including a half sack (4 yards) on Baylor's final possession . . . ranked fifth on the team during the regular season with 140 production points . . . in the regular-season finale at Penn State, recorded 1.5 sacks (10 yards), including a 5-yard sack and forced fumble in the third quarter that led to a Spartan touchdown; had three tackles overall and led the team with 31 production points against the Nittany Lions. . . tied a career high with two sacks (12 sacks), recorded 20 production points, and set MSU's career starts record with his 50th start at Maryland . . . had three tackles and a pass break-up vs. No. 14 Ohio State . . . named fourth game captain against the Buckeyes . . . led Spartan defensive lineman in win over No. 19 Nebraska with 21 production points; had four tackles, including two for losses (11 yards) . . . sacked quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. and forced a fumble on the Husker 2-yard line that led to a Spartan field goal in the third quarter . . . delivered three tackles, including a 12-yard sack, and had a pass break-up against Wyoming . . . tied career highs with 11 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss (14 yards) at No. 3 Oregon, including an 11-yard sack of Marcus Mariota . . . recorded two tackles, including a half tackle for loss, in the season opener vs. Jacksonville State. 2013 SEASON (JUNIOR): Started 13 of 14 games at defensive end . . . recorded 30 tackles, including 7.5 for losses (38 yards) and a career-high five sacks (27 yards) . . . ranked third on the team in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten pick by the coaches and media . . . ranked ninth on the defense with 129 production points . . . had three tackles in the 100th Rose Bowl Game against fifth-ranked Stanford . . . tied career highs with 2.5 tackles for loss (13 yards) and two sacks (12 yards) and had four tackles overall against Minnesota . . . collected four stops, including a 7-yard loss, in victory over No. 23 Michigan . . . compiled a team-high 22 production points at Illinois with three tackles, including two for losses with a 4-yard sack, while also recovering a fumble and breaking up a pass . . . had his streak of 31 consecutive starts snapped at Iowa . . . tied a career high with two sacks (11 yards) in the season opener vs. Western Michigan; had four tackles total and recorded 37 production points, including four quarterback hits, against the Broncos. 2012 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Started all 13 games at defensive end . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media . . . ranked second among MSU defensive linemen with 38 tackles . . . ranked fourth on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss (34 yards), including 2.0 sacks (21 yards) . . . tied for team lead with five quarterback hurries . . . also had five pass break-ups . . . posted three stops, including a half tackle for loss (1 yard), in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl victory over TCU . . . collected four tackles, including a 10-yard sack, vs. No. 21 Nebraska (season-high 28 production points) . . . tallied five tackles, including a half tackle for loss, and blocked a punt in win at Wisconsin . . . produced an 11-yard sack and had four tackles overall in the win at Indiana . . . recorded five tackles, broke up a pass and forced a fumble vs. No. 14 Ohio State . . . posted three tackles, including a 3-yard loss, and broke up a pass against Eastern Michigan . . . tied for team lead in tackles (6) and tackles for loss (2.0 for 3 yards) vs. No. 20 Notre Dame . . . broke up a pass and had two quarterback hurries at Central Michigan. 2011 SEASON (RED-SHIRT FRESHMAN): Started all 14 games at defensive end . . . named Big Ten Freshman Defensive MVP by ESPN.com . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches and media) . . . named Freshman All-American by FWAA (first team), Sporting News (first team), Yahoo! Sports (second team), Phil Steele (second team) and CollegeFootballNews.com (second team) . . . named to ESPN.com, Yahoo! Sports and BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman Team . . . ranked second among MSU defensive linemen with 58 tackles (4.1 avg.) . . . ranked first among Big Ten freshmen in sacks (4.0 for 23 yards) and tackles for loss (12.0 for 45 yards) . . . tied for second on the team with five pass break-ups . . . helped MSU to a win over No. 18 Georgia in the 2012 Outback Bowl after tying for the team lead with seven tackles, including two for losses (4 yards), while also breaking up a pass against the Bulldogs . . . excellent all-around game in win at Northwestern: collected five tackles, including a career-high two sacks (6 yards), forced a fumble, and broke up a pass . . . had three tackles, including a 2-yard tackle for loss, and broke up a pass in win at Iowa . . . collected three tackles against Minnesota . . . earned honorable mention College Football Performance Awards Defensive Lineman of the Week accolades after recording a career-high 11 tackles, including 2.5 for losses (4 yards), at No. 13 Nebraska . . . compiled five stops and had a quarterback hurry in victory against No. 4 Wisconsin . . . had three tackles, including a 10-yard sack of Denard Robinson, and three QB hurries in MSU's 28-14 win over No. 11 Michigan . . . earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after collecting four tackles, including a 7-yard sack, in MSU's 10-7 win at Ohio State . . . named Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after registering one tackle, two quarterback hurries and a pass break-up vs. Central Michigan . . . had seven tackles, including two for losses (10 yards), along with two quarterback hurries at Notre Dame . . . made his first career start against Youngstown State and recorded four tackles, including a half tackle for loss, and also had two quarterback hurries. 2010 SEASON: Redshirted. HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Rated among the nation's top defensive ends by Scouts, Inc. (No. 55), Scout.com (No. 60) and Max Emfinger (No. 74) . . . named to SuperPrep's and PrepStar's All-Midwest Teams . . . ranked among Ohio's top seniors by Rivals.com (No. 36) and Scout.com (No. 44) . . . two-year starter for Coach John Rodenberg at Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio . . . selected Great Catholic League South Co-Athlete of the Year after leading the conference in sacks (11 for 73 yards) as a senior while helping the Crusaders to a 9-2 record . . . finished second on the team in tackles with 70 (35 solos, 35 assists) in 2009, including 15.5 for losses (103 yards) . . . had two interceptions as a senior, returning one 10 yards for a touchdown in the season opener vs. Winton Woods . . . also credited with four quarterback hurries, four passes defended and two blocked kicks in 2009 . . . posted a season-best three sacks vs. LaSalle . . . earned second-team All-GCL South honors as a junior . . . registered 75 tackles, including nine sacks, and recovered two fumbles in 2008 . . . recorded a career-high four sacks vs. Findlay . . . intercepted a pass in back-to-back games vs. Elder (55-yard return) and Indianapolis Cathedral (60-yard return) . . . appeared in eight games as a sophomore and made 16 tackles (8 solos, 8 assists) . . . . . . son of John and Ginny Rush . . . born June 19, 1991.
CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 11, twice
Tackles for loss: 2.5, three times
Sacks: 2.0, twice
CAREER STATS
TACKLES G UA A Total TFL-Yds PD FF FR Blkd2009................ 0 0 0 0 0.0-0 0 0 0 02010................ 0 0 0 0 0.0-0 0 0 0 02011................ 14 31 27 58 12.0-45 5 1 0 02012................ 13 19 19 38 7.5-34 5 1 0 12013................ 14 13 17 30 7.5-38 3 1 1 02014................ 13 22 15 37 10.5-66 3 2 0 1TOTAL............... 54 85 78 163 37.5-183 16 5 1 2SACKS G UA A Total Yds2009................ 0 0 0 0.0 02010................ 0 0 0 0.0 02011................ 14 4 0 4.0 232012................ 13 2 0 2.0 212013................ 14 5 0 5.0 272014................ 13 6 3 7.5 60TOTAL............... 54 17 3 18.5 131
