BULGER RETIRES
August 03, 2011 09:50 AM | General
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that former Mountaineer quarterback Marc Bulger has decided to retire after 11 NFL seasons, mostly with the St. Louis Rams.
He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection at St. Louis who finished his career with 22,814 yards passing and 122 touchdowns.
Bulger was drafted in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2000, was released during training camp, and was also with the Atlanta Falcons briefly before catching on with the Rams in 2001 where he eventually replaced Kurt Warner.
Bulger teamed with Rams coach Mike Martz to have his best passing season in 2006 when he threw for 4,301 yards and 24 touchdowns to make his second Pro Bowl appearance. Bulger was also selected for the 2004 game after throwing for 3,845 yards and 22 touchdowns; he was named MVP of that game.
At West Virginia, Bulger owns most of the school passing records, including a brilliant 1998 campaign that saw him throw for 3,607 yards and 31 touchdowns in leading the Mountaineers to an Insight.com Bowl appearance against Missouri.
Against Missouri, Bulger passed for a school-record 429 yards with four touchdowns in a 34-31 loss to the Tigers.
However, Bulger’s best performances came against Pitt, his hometown team. In 1997, Bulger passed for 348 yards and a touchdown in an overtime loss to the Panthers. A year later at Three Rivers Stadium, Bulger carved up the Panther defense for a school-record six touchdown passes to go along with 409 yards through the air.
And in 1999, playing against Pitt in his final game for the Mountaineers, Bulger threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-21 West Virginia victory. It was a bittersweet performance for Bulger, who spent the majority of his senior season nursing a variety of injuries.
Former Mountaineer coach Don Nehlen said it was Bulger’s accurate arm that led him to change his offensive approach in the late 1990s. Prior to Bulger, Nehlen’s teams relied more on the running game and power football.
“What pushed us really was Marc Bulger,” Nehlen once said. “I had never seen a kid as accurate as Marc Bulger. He could hit you in either eye. He is an unbelievable quarterback.”
Bulger spent his final season in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens where he backed up starter Joe Flacco. He was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection at St. Louis who finished his career with 22,814 yards passing and 122 touchdowns.
Bulger was drafted in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2000, was released during training camp, and was also with the Atlanta Falcons briefly before catching on with the Rams in 2001 where he eventually replaced Kurt Warner.
Bulger teamed with Rams coach Mike Martz to have his best passing season in 2006 when he threw for 4,301 yards and 24 touchdowns to make his second Pro Bowl appearance. Bulger was also selected for the 2004 game after throwing for 3,845 yards and 22 touchdowns; he was named MVP of that game.
At West Virginia, Bulger owns most of the school passing records, including a brilliant 1998 campaign that saw him throw for 3,607 yards and 31 touchdowns in leading the Mountaineers to an Insight.com Bowl appearance against Missouri.
Against Missouri, Bulger passed for a school-record 429 yards with four touchdowns in a 34-31 loss to the Tigers.
However, Bulger’s best performances came against Pitt, his hometown team. In 1997, Bulger passed for 348 yards and a touchdown in an overtime loss to the Panthers. A year later at Three Rivers Stadium, Bulger carved up the Panther defense for a school-record six touchdown passes to go along with 409 yards through the air.
And in 1999, playing against Pitt in his final game for the Mountaineers, Bulger threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-21 West Virginia victory. It was a bittersweet performance for Bulger, who spent the majority of his senior season nursing a variety of injuries.
Former Mountaineer coach Don Nehlen said it was Bulger’s accurate arm that led him to change his offensive approach in the late 1990s. Prior to Bulger, Nehlen’s teams relied more on the running game and power football.
“What pushed us really was Marc Bulger,” Nehlen once said. “I had never seen a kid as accurate as Marc Bulger. He could hit you in either eye. He is an unbelievable quarterback.”
Bulger spent his final season in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens where he backed up starter Joe Flacco. He was inducted into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
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