Texas Tech University Athletics
More Than A Game
December 12, 2014 | Academics
Bradley Marquez reads to a group of students at a Lubbock elementary school. He is one of 26 student-athletes earning a degree from Texas Tech this weekend as part of Fall commencement exercises.
Dec. 12, 2014
Editor's Note: Texas Tech Athletics celebrates the academic achievements of 26 student-athletes that will earn degrees from the university during Fall commencement. Today, we highlight one individual, Bradley Marquez, who exemplifies the model student-athlete and the true meaning of a FEARLESS CHAMPION!
BY BRITTON DROWN
Special to TexasTech.com
It was just a supermarket parking lot. Not necessarily the setting one would expect a Big 12 wide receiver to creating a lasting memory.
But there it came, that unforgettable smile.
It was the grin on the child's face as he sprinted toward Bradley Marquez that meant so much. As the young boy finally reached the well-known football player, he fumbled for a cell phone and proudly displayed a photo. The image on the small screen was that of Marquez and the young fan inside a classroom, one where Marquez had recently volunteered.
"Do you remember me?" the child asked. "Remember reading that book?"
A pause.
"Oh, yes!" Marquez replied.
In the moment, Marquez had just been reunited with one of the countless young Lubbock children impacted by his tireless work throughout the community - and not just by his stellar play on the field. As he emphasizes, it's moments like this that mean just as much to Marquez as they do the children he volunteers with.
"He was so glad to see me and remembered me," Marquez said. "That meant a lot to me. It's fun to see the young kids. I may not make a huge impact on them, but I at least try to make them smile."
Marquez has been the centerpiece to quite a few smiles during his Red Raider career - both at Jones AT&T Stadium, where he has caught more than 140 passes during his decorated career, and perhaps more importantly in the Lubbock community.
It's that remarkable commitment and balance between athletics, academics and community service that earned Marquez a spot among five Big 12 candidates and 30 nationally for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award.
The Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award is one of the distinguished awards in collegiate athletics honoring the complete student-athlete.
Though the receiver and community service leader has been so busy with his obligations, the award itself is something he hasn't placed much emphasis on.
"Anything I do is just me striving to give back," Marquez said. "Whether I'm recognized or not is definitely not something that runs through my mind...It's definitely never been about the awards but to be recognized and nominated for such a prestigious award like that means a lot. It just shows that someone is always watching."
Off the football field and outside of the classroom, it seems Marquez is everywhere representing the Double-T - and for the right reasons. Speak to the receiver about his community service projects and it takes the Odessa native more than a few minutes just to name off the organizations and projects he's had his hands in.
YMCA. Ronald McDonald House. Local elementary schools.
They've all been touched in some way by Bradley Marquez.
For him, it's just as rewarding as anything he's experienced on the football field.
"It's a different kind of joy," he says. "Just seeing the smiles on the kids faces."
Those smiles aren't just in Lubbock. They're back in his hometown of Odessa, Texas too. There, he sees himself as both an advocate for college and the avenue athletics can provide to where he is today.
"It's always fun to be able to go back and share some of my successes and how I got to college." Marquez said. "I just like to help these young guys that are not aware of college. Just being a college football player and being from the area helps them to know that anything is possible."
While Marquez has extended his impact far outside the walls of Jones AT&T Stadium, he has never lost touch with his role as a true teammate either.
Last year, as the Red Raiders prepared to play in the National University Holiday Bowl, quarterback Davis Webb and teammates struggled to find a place to spend their Christmas Eve. The team flight departed Lubbock for San Diego Christmas Day, and with many players family far away from the South Plains, Marquez knew he could step in and help.
And so he did, offering to host Webb and others at his family's home in Odessa on Christmas Eve prior on the evening before the long trip to San Diego.
"It's just a testament to who he is and how he was raised," Webb said. "That was probably one of the most fun Christmases I've ever had. We met his family and got to see how that tradition takes place in Odessa, Texas. That's just the kind of guy Bradley is to invite me when he knows I couldn't get home for Christmas. He didn't want me spending that time alone. It just showed what a great friend he is.
The act of compassion didn't surprise Webb.
"He just really cares about people," Webb said. "He does such a great job with the platform he has as a Texas Tech student-athlete. He is using it to the best of his ability to really maximize his reach."
Marquez has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in back-to-back seasons and is on pace to graduate in December with a degree in Exercise Sports Science. He will be the first in his immediate family to earn a college degree.
"It is something that definitely means a lot," he said. "It's something that I hope continues to run in my family. For me, to be the first to get that degree, I hope there is just more to come for my family."
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