CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Blue Bombers Ink Super Bowl Champion

April 22, 2002 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers News Release


WINNIPEG, MB - The Winnipeg Blue Bombers may have made their most important wide receiver signing since they welcomed Milt Stegall to the football club in 1995.

The football club today announced that Marcus Nash - a former NFL 1st Round draft choice who owns two Super Bowl rings - will suit up for the Blue & Gold in 2002.

Nash (6-3, 195, Tennessee '97, DOB: Feb. 1, 1976) joined the NFL after being taken in the 1st Round (30th Overall) by the Denver Broncos in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played on Denver's 1998 Super Bowl Championship Team and Baltimore's 2000 Super Bowl Championship Team. He was quarterback Peyton Manning's favorite receiver for four years at the University of Tennessee.

"I'm extremely excited to sign Marcus," said the normally composed Brendan Taman, the club's vice-president of player personnel. "Unless something unforeseen happens, he will be on our team this year. We feel that he will be one of our first-year players that will make an impact in the CFL."

Nash has excellent size and is a fluid wideout with good speed, balance, body control and excellent leaping ability. He's very quick with his cuts, runs good routes, gets separation on the deep pass and makes acrobatic catches. Add to these attributes the fact that he is a fairly elusive runner after the catch that also has the knack to make clutch catches in meaningful games.

"You're not a 1st Round pick in the NFL unless you have a lot of talent," Taman added. "I can't wait to see him play in our training camp."

Nash played eight regular-season and three post-season contests for the Broncos in 1998. He recorded a professional career-long 31-yard reception against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football that season (Denver vs. Kansas City, Nov. 16, 1998).

Nash was on the Broncos roster for Super Bowl XXXIII - a game Denver won 34-19 over the Atlanta Falcons (Denver vs. Atlanta @ Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida, Jan. 31, 1999). He was also a member of the Baltimore Ravens for their 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV (Baltimore vs. New York @ Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida, Jan. 28, 2001).

Nash returned to Denver in 1999 and played the club's first two games. Then on Sept. 21, 1999, the Broncos traded him to the Miami Dolphins for another 1st Round choice (29th Overall - 1998), runningback John Avery after runningback Tyrell Davis blew his knee out. The Dolphins released him only a week later (Sept. 28, 1999), however, after Nash refused to take a pay cut.

The Ravens snapped him up not long afterwards (Oct. 25, 1999) and he remained with the squad through the conclusion of the 1999 season. He returned to Baltimore's camp for the 2000 season but was released Aug. 27, 2000. The team re-signed him Nov. 9, 2000 and he stayed with the team for the rest of its Super Bowl Championship season.

Though Nash was on an active NFL roster, the Memphis Maniax of the XFL liked Nash enough to make him their Territorial Draft Pick prior to the inaugural XFL Draft, Oct. 28, 2000.

He remained on the Ravens roster during that time and never played in the XFL. Baltimore eventually released Nash, May 8, 2001. He did not play in the NFL in 2001.

Nash was an incredible college player with the Tennessee Volunteers. He finished his college career as the Volunteers 2nd All-Time leading receiver with 177 receptions for 2,447 yards.

Nash is the only receiver in Tennessee history to record a 1,000-yard season. As a senior he set the school's single-season record for receptions (76), receiving yards (1,170) and touchdowns (13).

His six 100-yard regular-season receiving efforts as a senior read like a Top-25 ranked hit list: Texas Tech (7 catches, 112 yards, 2 touchdowns), UCLA (8-117-1), Mississippi (9-127-1), Southern Mississippi (10-110-2), Arkansas (5-126-2) and Kentucky (7-195-3). He led all players in receptions with in the 1997 Orange Bowl - a game Tennessee lost 42-17 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Tennessee vs. Nebraska, Jan. 2, 1998).

Nash had knee scope injury following the Orange Bowl and had to miss both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Draft Combine.

Arguably the finest catch of his college career came late in the 4th Quarter of the 1997 SEC Championship Game, when Manning hit Nash in full stride for a 73-yard game-winning touchdown score. Nash recorded nine catches for 126 yards as the Vols defeated the Auburn Tigers 30-29 in front of 74,896 fans - the largest crowd to ever witness a sporting event at the Georgia Dome.

Industry publication The Poor Man's Guide to the NFL Draft named Nash to its All-American Team. The Associated Press placed Nash on its Southeastern Conference First-Team squad and the SEC coaches put him on their SEC Second-Team. He was a member of media's All-SEC Pre-Season All-Star Team.

Nash had a solid junior season in 1996, placing 2nd on the team in receiving yards and moving into 9th spot on the school's all-time receiving charts. Starting all 12 Tennessee games, he had three 100-yard receiving games that year. He notched three catches in his team's 48-28 victory over Northwestern in the 1996 Citrus Bowl.

As a sophomore, Nash impressed all by finishing 2nd in Volunteers receiving. He stared all of the school's nine contests including the 1995 Citrus Bowl - a 20-14 Tennessee win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Nash had the rare opportunity to play extensively as a freshman, appearing in every Volunteers game except for the season opener. He had three catches in Tennessee's 45-23 win over Virginia Tech in the 1994 Gator Bowl (Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech, Dec. 30, 1994). One of those grabs was a 36-yard touchdown pass from Manning.

Nash attended Edmond Memorial High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He tallied 81 receptions for 1,121 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. He completed his high-school career with 132 receptions for 1,971 yards - both of which were school records.

USA Today, SuperPrep and Blue Chip Illustrated all named Nash to their High-School All-American teams. SuperPrep rated him the nation's best receiver. He was the Gatorade Circle of Champions Player of the Year in Oklahoma. Needless to say, Nash was an All-State and All-City All-Star selection. He was also Tulsa City Player of the Year.

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