Marcus Stroud

Marcus LaVar Stroud (born June 25, 1978) spent a decade in the NFL as a defensive tackle, suiting up for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots. He played college ball at the University of Georgia and was taken 13th overall by the Jaguars in the 2001 draft.

Growing up in Georgia, Stroud helped Brooks County High School win a state title in 1994. In 1996, while still in high school, he landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated for a story about National Signing Day. At the time, the 6'6", 266-pound defensive end had verbally committed to Florida, but after Bulldogs coach Ray Goff was fired in November 1995, new Georgia coach Jim Donnan pursued him hard, and Stroud flipped his commitment to Georgia on Signing Day.

At Georgia, Stroud played during a major rebuilding period under Donnan, who lifted the program from mediocrity to an average of eight wins per season, including four straight bowl victories. While an undergraduate, he was initiated into the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

The 2001 NFL draft is widely considered one of the best ever for defensive tackles, and Stroud was among the top-rated prospects in that class, which also included future Pro Bowlers Richard Seymour, Casey Hampton, and Kris Jenkins. In Jacksonville, he formed a dominant defensive tackle duo with John Henderson. Over his first five seasons, Stroud didn’t miss a single game. In total, he appeared in 100 games for the Jaguars, racking up 22 sacks and 256 tackles. He earned Pro Bowl selections after the 2003, 2004, and 2005 seasons. In 2007, he was suspended for four games without pay for violating the league’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances.

On March 1, 2008, the Jaguars traded Stroud to the Buffalo Bills for third- and fifth-round picks in the 2008 draft (the third-rounder had come from Baltimore in the Willis McGahee trade). He was immediately seen as a key piece for Buffalo’s defense. The Bills had ranked 31st in total defense the year before, but jumped to 14th in Stroud’s first season. Buffalo started strong at 5–1, but faded later and finished 7–9. On April 7, 2009, Stroud signed a two-year extension worth $16 million, with $12 million guaranteed. Combined with his existing deal, he could have earned an additional $28 million over the next four seasons. He was released on February 16, 2011.

On March 1, 2011, the New England Patriots signed Stroud to a two-year contract, but released him less than five months later, on July 28.

In June 2012, Stroud signed a one-day contract with the Jaguars and retired, becoming the fifth player to do so with Jacksonville, following Tony Boselli, Fred Taylor, Paul Spicer, and Donovin Darius.

Off the field, Stroud founded the Marcus Stroud Charitable Foundation, which, according to its website, helps underprivileged youth from low-income, single-parent homes by providing academic and athletic programs they otherwise wouldn’t have. He also hosts an annual football camp aimed at fighting childhood obesity. In May 2009, he held the Marcus Stroud 99 Pro Bowl Football Camp For Kids at Brooks County’s Veterans Stadium, with help from NFL players like Mike Peterson, Verron Haynes, George Wilson, Donte Whitner, Kavika Mitchell, Marcus Buggs, and Drayton Florence.

Stroud has a passion for classic cars and later started his own auto body business, DeciBels Auto Creations, in Jacksonville. In 2005, he escaped injury after rolling his SUV on Interstate 10 outside of Jacksonville.