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Catching Up With Marques Hagans
By Julia Faron
Football and Family. For many pro athletes, and anyone that can relate to the struggle of finding a flush work/life balance amidst a life-consuming career can assimilate with how the two forces can counter each other at times. For former St. Louis Rams wide receiver and fifth-round draft pick out of Virginia, Marques Hagans, the two have combined to form an easy synergy of his two lifelong passions.
Hagans was a four-year letter winner at UVa and currently sits at No. 7 all-time in passing with 4,877 yards. Despite his collegiate success at quarterback, Hagans was drafted in 2006 by the Rams to play receiver and punt returner. Humbled at the chance to compete in the NFL, albeit at a position he hadn’t played in two years, he was ushered into a room coached by former Rams’ great receiver Henry Ellard, along with coveted veterans Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Dane Looker.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys that really took me under their wing to help teach me to make the transition,” said Hagans. “Those guys would take turns, like T. Holt would stay after practice with me one day, ‘This is what you have to work on,’ then Isaac Bruce the next day, ‘This is what you have to work on,’ Coach Ellard the next day, Dane Looker one day.”
Hagans recognized the challenge that laid ahead of him in his transition to a new league along with a new position, but didn’t disregard the notion that not everyone gets the opportunity to compete in the pros, let alone get a call on draft day. Hagans spent his rookie year on the practice squad, and saw his first NFL action during the 2007 season. He played in four games, earned one start and caught eight passes for 101 yards and returned seven kickoffs for 130 yards.
That one start, which came at Baltimore (10/14/07), carries more significance than getting the tap for a starting role. His grandmother was able to see him play that game, before she passed away. That day, Hagans led the team in receiving and was asked to lead the offense, getting some action at quarterback for an injured Gus Frerotte.
“I may not have the stats that I wanted as a quarterback in the NFL, but at least I can say that I took a couple snaps as a quarterback in the NFL,” said Hagans. “It’s little things that you remember.”
Hagans relishes in the genuine bonds and friendships formed through sports and has made an effort to carry those relationships through his playing days and into retirement. Hagans stays in touch fellow Rams alumni like Steven Jackson, Oshiomogho Atogwe, Alex Barron and Eric Moore to name a few.
“It’s such a fickle league because the door is always revolving, people are always coming and going,” said Hagans. “To have some friendships that I’ve been able to sustain after my playing days - those are the things that you can’t take for granted.”
One relationship in particular has evolved from football to friendship to family. The 2008 NFL Draft sent Hagans’ best friend to the Rams in Chris Long. Hagans was released by the Rams following training camp that year, and went on to spend time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and Washington Redskins before leaving his playing days behind him in 2010.
Hagans and his wife, Lauren Swierczek - a former Cavalier women’s basketball player – had their first son, Christopher Dex, in 2012 and chose Long as his godfather and namesake. They also have a second son, Jackson Watford.
“My relationship with Chris, it couldn’t be better,” said Hagans. “I felt like he embodied everything I would want if something was to happen to me.”
Christopher Dex didn’t have the opportunity to see his father play, but Hagans takes much pride that his son is able to see Long suit up and play in the pros.
“Now, full-circle, he’s getting a chance to see his godfather play on Sundays,” said Hagans. “To have the opportunity to go out there and watch him play – that makes me just as happy as if he would have had the opportunity to watch me play as well. Because that’s somebody I love and care about, it’s family.”
“Just to see how happy he is to watch his uncle run out of the tunnel and to play and get a sack and to watch little Christopher emulate him and try to do the same things,” said Hagans. “Like I said, he didn’t get a chance to see me play, it’s almost like the same feeling. It just brings a smile to my heart.”
Hagans’ sons may not have been able to see him play, but football remains a big part of his life as well as his family’s life. Hagans received a phone call from University of Virginia’s Head Football Coach Mike London to come back to his alma mater and try out coaching. Hagan’s wife encouraged him to give it a try after a couple months of hanging out at home on the couch trying to figure out what was next for him. To his surprise, he tried it out and felt right back at home on day one.
“It was a match made,” said Hagans. “I fell in love with it and just started pursuing it. I was a graduate assistant for a year and a half and then Coach promoted me fulltime to coach the receivers and just been moving forward ever since.”
Hagans is leading a young corps of receivers in 2015 led by Canaan Severin who led the Cavaliers last season with 42 catches for 578 yards and University of North Carolina transfer T.J. Thorpe. Hagans says he draws a lot from his experience with the Rams and learning from the veterans and tries incorporate those lessons learned into his program.
“A lot of the things that I learned not only on the field but off the field as well, I try to give to the players at a younger age in hopes that they have a better chance to succeed than I did,” said Hagans.
At the collegiate level, coaches also take on the responsibility of recruiting and making sure their players are attending class. So it takes a lot of time, commitment and passion to succeed year-round.
For Hagans and his family, they have a worked out a system to make sure family time doesn’t suffer from the demands of football. Often times, his wife and boys visit during lunch breaks and run around on the football fields or he and his wife will take a walk around campus when the weather cooperates. Hagans noted how thankful he is for his wife and her support and understanding of his career path and taking care of everything at home to make his job easy.
“Sacrifices have to be made,” said Hagans. “So just trying to find little ways in each and every day to make sure we carve out time for each other and family time.”
For Hagans football and family have intertwined to create a central driving force for the passions in his life.
By Julia Faron
Football and Family. For many pro athletes, and anyone that can relate to the struggle of finding a flush work/life balance amidst a life-consuming career can assimilate with how the two forces can counter each other at times. For former St. Louis Rams wide receiver and fifth-round draft pick out of Virginia, Marques Hagans, the two have combined to form an easy synergy of his two lifelong passions.
Hagans was a four-year letter winner at UVa and currently sits at No. 7 all-time in passing with 4,877 yards. Despite his collegiate success at quarterback, Hagans was drafted in 2006 by the Rams to play receiver and punt returner. Humbled at the chance to compete in the NFL, albeit at a position he hadn’t played in two years, he was ushered into a room coached by former Rams’ great receiver Henry Ellard, along with coveted veterans Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Dane Looker.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys that really took me under their wing to help teach me to make the transition,” said Hagans. “Those guys would take turns, like T. Holt would stay after practice with me one day, ‘This is what you have to work on,’ then Isaac Bruce the next day, ‘This is what you have to work on,’ Coach Ellard the next day, Dane Looker one day.”
Hagans recognized the challenge that laid ahead of him in his transition to a new league along with a new position, but didn’t disregard the notion that not everyone gets the opportunity to compete in the pros, let alone get a call on draft day. Hagans spent his rookie year on the practice squad, and saw his first NFL action during the 2007 season. He played in four games, earned one start and caught eight passes for 101 yards and returned seven kickoffs for 130 yards.
That one start, which came at Baltimore (10/14/07), carries more significance than getting the tap for a starting role. His grandmother was able to see him play that game, before she passed away. That day, Hagans led the team in receiving and was asked to lead the offense, getting some action at quarterback for an injured Gus Frerotte.
“I may not have the stats that I wanted as a quarterback in the NFL, but at least I can say that I took a couple snaps as a quarterback in the NFL,” said Hagans. “It’s little things that you remember.”
Hagans relishes in the genuine bonds and friendships formed through sports and has made an effort to carry those relationships through his playing days and into retirement. Hagans stays in touch fellow Rams alumni like Steven Jackson, Oshiomogho Atogwe, Alex Barron and Eric Moore to name a few.
“It’s such a fickle league because the door is always revolving, people are always coming and going,” said Hagans. “To have some friendships that I’ve been able to sustain after my playing days - those are the things that you can’t take for granted.”
One relationship in particular has evolved from football to friendship to family. The 2008 NFL Draft sent Hagans’ best friend to the Rams in Chris Long. Hagans was released by the Rams following training camp that year, and went on to spend time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and Washington Redskins before leaving his playing days behind him in 2010.
Hagans and his wife, Lauren Swierczek - a former Cavalier women’s basketball player – had their first son, Christopher Dex, in 2012 and chose Long as his godfather and namesake. They also have a second son, Jackson Watford.
“My relationship with Chris, it couldn’t be better,” said Hagans. “I felt like he embodied everything I would want if something was to happen to me.”
Christopher Dex didn’t have the opportunity to see his father play, but Hagans takes much pride that his son is able to see Long suit up and play in the pros.
“Now, full-circle, he’s getting a chance to see his godfather play on Sundays,” said Hagans. “To have the opportunity to go out there and watch him play – that makes me just as happy as if he would have had the opportunity to watch me play as well. Because that’s somebody I love and care about, it’s family.”
“Just to see how happy he is to watch his uncle run out of the tunnel and to play and get a sack and to watch little Christopher emulate him and try to do the same things,” said Hagans. “Like I said, he didn’t get a chance to see me play, it’s almost like the same feeling. It just brings a smile to my heart.”
Hagans’ sons may not have been able to see him play, but football remains a big part of his life as well as his family’s life. Hagans received a phone call from University of Virginia’s Head Football Coach Mike London to come back to his alma mater and try out coaching. Hagan’s wife encouraged him to give it a try after a couple months of hanging out at home on the couch trying to figure out what was next for him. To his surprise, he tried it out and felt right back at home on day one.
“It was a match made,” said Hagans. “I fell in love with it and just started pursuing it. I was a graduate assistant for a year and a half and then Coach promoted me fulltime to coach the receivers and just been moving forward ever since.”
Hagans is leading a young corps of receivers in 2015 led by Canaan Severin who led the Cavaliers last season with 42 catches for 578 yards and University of North Carolina transfer T.J. Thorpe. Hagans says he draws a lot from his experience with the Rams and learning from the veterans and tries incorporate those lessons learned into his program.
“A lot of the things that I learned not only on the field but off the field as well, I try to give to the players at a younger age in hopes that they have a better chance to succeed than I did,” said Hagans.
At the collegiate level, coaches also take on the responsibility of recruiting and making sure their players are attending class. So it takes a lot of time, commitment and passion to succeed year-round.
For Hagans and his family, they have a worked out a system to make sure family time doesn’t suffer from the demands of football. Often times, his wife and boys visit during lunch breaks and run around on the football fields or he and his wife will take a walk around campus when the weather cooperates. Hagans noted how thankful he is for his wife and her support and understanding of his career path and taking care of everything at home to make his job easy.
“Sacrifices have to be made,” said Hagans. “So just trying to find little ways in each and every day to make sure we carve out time for each other and family time.”
For Hagans football and family have intertwined to create a central driving force for the passions in his life.
