Former Rutgers standout Marco Battaglia added another line to a résumé already packed with honors on Tuesday, when The Sporting News named him to its 1990s All-Decade All-America Team.
Battaglia, one of the most accomplished Scarlet Knights ever and a force at tight end, is already in the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame. He finished his college career as a consensus All-American, and his senior season in 1995 put him in a class of his own.
That year, Battaglia led the nation’s tight ends with 69 catches, 894 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. Those numbers also earned him Big East Offensive Player of the Year recognition. In the process, he became the first tight end in NCAA history to win conference player of the year and remains the only tight end to do it from a power conference.
His 1995 run was big enough to turn heads across the sport. Battaglia led all Big East players in receptions and delivered one of his best performances against No.
6 Penn State, when he caught 13 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns. That season brought unanimous All-America recognition from a long list of outlets: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp, Football Coaches Association, Football News, Pro and College Football News Weekly and UPI.
Battaglia was no one-year wonder, either. In 1994, UPI gave him honorable mention All-America honors after he paced the Big East with 58 receptions for 779 receiving yards. Over his Rutgers career, he totaled 171 catches for 2,221 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 44 games.
The Queens, New York, native went on to the NFL after Rutgers, going to the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft with the 39th overall pick. He played for Cincinnati from 1996 to 2001 and spent eight years in the league overall.
Rutgers later honored him in another lasting way, unveiling the Marco Battaglia Football Practice Complex in 2017.
In Other News...
Rutgers Defense Is Taking Shape Around One Crucial Camp Trend
Rutgers has spent camp sorting through the pieces of a defense that is still coming together under Travis Johansen, and two newcomers are already starting to matter in that process. Linebacker Ty Morris got to campus in January, which gave him a head start on learning the new scheme, while defensive back Mikey Munn arrived this summer with the added benefit of having played for Johansen before at South Dakota.
For a unit trying to build chemistry quickly, that kind of familiarity can be valuable, especially when the details of a new system are still being installed. Morris and Munn give the Scarlet Knights a couple of players who can help bridge the gap between what Johansen wants to see and what the rest of the roster is still absorbing, which is the kind of camp trend that can shape a defense long before the first snap counts. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Schiano Sees A New Way For Rutgers To Build Depth
The NCAAs new five-for-five rule is changing how coaches think about roster management, and Greg Schiano sees a practical benefit for Rutgers in particular. The policy replaces the old patchwork of redshirt and waiver rules with one five-year eligibility window that begins after an athletes 19th birthday, giving programs a simpler framework and, in Schianos view, more flexibility to get younger players into games without sacrificing a season of eligibility.
For a program trying to keep building depth, that matters. Schiano pointed to the chance to use younger players more often, especially in games that get out of hand, as a way to create more real experience on the field. It is the kind of structural change that does not grab headlines on its own, but could help Rutgers develop a deeper bench over time if the opportunity is used well. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Just Changed A Part Of SHI Stadium Fans Know Well
Rutgers football is giving SHI Stadium a noticeable upgrade in a spot plenty of fans already know well. The school announced Touchdown Terrace, a new premium seating area set in the middle of the student section, in the space that used to house the recruiting lounge.
The new area is designed as an outdoor viewing experience with private restrooms, upscale food options, a cash bar and pregame access, and it can be used by one large group or split among several smaller groups. Rutgers did not disclose pricing in the announcement, leaving one of the biggest questions about the new offering still unanswered. [Read more 🡒]