Gilchrist (5-10, 193) is 2nd-year cornerback. The Chargers selected him in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
It didn’t take long for 2011 second-round pick Marcus Gilchrist to make an impression in San Diego. Almost immediately he earned the job as the team’s nickel cornerback and just four games into the season, Gilchrist earned his first NFL start when starter Quentin Jammer was injured. As expected the Miami Dolphins went right after the rookie corner, but Gilchrist intercepted the first pass thrown in his direction and his defense helped the Chargers to victory.
Gilchrist played in 14 games for the Chargers during his rookie season and he started four times. He finished the year with two interceptions, tied for second on the team.
Gilchrist came to the Chargers from Clemson University where he was a star among stars. Four of his defensive teammates were selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. According to the Tigers’ coaches though, it was Marcus’ football IQ that made him stand out, along with an impressive showing at the NFL combine where he posted a 38-inch vertical leap and put up 26 bench-press repetitions at 225 pounds, second-most among all defensive backs.
Gilchrist had toughness and discipline instilled at home at an early age from his father, Ronny, a retired United States Marine. Ronny played sports and boxed in the service. He had Marcus doing push-ups and sit-ups at an early age, 200 a day when he started playing youth sports, and more as he got older. Marcus’ mother, LaJeune, was also the daughter of a coach.
The Chargers used their first of two picks in the second round to select Gilchrist, a versatile, durable and strong athlete who is adept at covering receivers both outside and in the slot, and one who is also a legitimate return threat in the kicking game. Gilchrist put up 26 bench-press repetitions at the 2011 NFL Combine, second-most among all defensive backs. It wasn’t a surprise as Gilchrist won CU’s Strength Training Award during the Spring of 2010 as the Tigers’ strongest player pound-for-pound. Gilchrist may have inherited some of his strength and toughness from his father, Ronny, a retired United States Marine.
As a senior at Clemson, Gilchrist earned honorable mention All-ACC honors after leading the Tigers with 10 passes defensed and averaging just under 24 yards per kickoff return and more than 10 yards per punt return. Gilchrist’s durability is a plus as the young corner tied Clemson’s school record by playing in 53 career games.
TRANSACTION HISTORY: Second-round pick (50), April 29, 2011.
2011: Saw his first-career regular-season action at cornerback in place of Quentin Jammer in Week 3 against Kansas City...Started his first-ever game in Week 4 against Miami and recorded his first career NFL interception on the first pass thrown in his direction in the first quarter…Gilchrist later broke up a pass in the end zone in the third quarter that prevented a Dolphins touchdown and forced a field goal try...Helped put the Chargers on the board early in the game in Week 10 against Oakland with a 40-yard return following a throwback from Patrick Crayton on a punt return...Gilchrist sealed the win Week 14 against Buffalo with a late fourth-quarter interception.
COLLEGE: Started at CB as senior and FS as junior...school-record 50 returns (PR and KOR) as senior in 2010...finished career with 211 TTs, including 142 solos, three FFs, one INT, 19 PBUs, five TFLs, one sack and six QB pressures...career avg. of 25.1 yards on 32 career KORs with long of 76 and 9.7 avg. on 27 PRs with long of 37....played at Clemson from 2007-10...management major.
PERSONAL: Born in High Point, N.C....USA Today All-America as senior CB at Wingate Andrews HS in High Point, N.C....all-state and all-conference CB and WR as junior...played in 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl as senior and Shrine Bowl as junior...Piedmont-Triad AAA Defensive POY and Scholar- Athlete by N.C. HS Athletic Association as junior after 10 INTs and eight TD returns (four KOR, two PR and two INT)...four-year letterman and conference POY in basketball as senior...three-year letterwinner in track where he competed on state-champion 4x200 team.
