Marco Battaglia

Marco Antonio Battaglia (born January 25, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Battaglia played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, earning unanimous All-American honors in 1995. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft, and played for the Bengals, Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers of the NFL.

Early life Battaglia was born in Howard Beach, New York. He attended St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, New York, and played high school football for the St. Francis Terriers.

College career He attended Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team from 1992 to 1995. Battaglia became the first tight end in NCAA history to be named a conference player of the year and is the only tight end to do so from a power conference. As a senior in 1995, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American at tight end for the Scarlet Knights. The BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, Battaglia was recognized by Sports Illustrated as being the top tight end in the decade of the 90's in their publication of The College Football Book.

Professional career The Cincinnati Bengals selected Battaglia in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. He played for the Bengals from to . He joined the Washington Redskins mid-season in 2001, and also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in , and the Carolina Panthers in .