Lives of Consequence
Ali Marpet '15
NFL Center with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ali Marpet ’15 made history on May 1, 2015, becoming the highest Division III student ever drafted in the National Football League (NFL). Marpet, an All-American offensive lineman, was selected in the second round with the 61st pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making him the first Division III student drafted since 2012 and the first Division III offensive lineman drafted since 1996, according to D3football.com.
In the fall of 2015, Marpet made his NFL debut as a right guard for the Buccaneers. That season, the team ranked fifth in the league in total offense, fifth in rushing and tied for first in the league in rushing average.
Marpet’s steady play and development over his first two seasons in the NFL hasn’t gone unnoticed. He started 13 games as a rookie in 2015, earning a spot on Mel Kiper’s All-Rookie Team. In his second season in the league, Marpet was one of only two Buccaneer offensive linemen to play every offensive down. In addition to playing all 1,089 offensive snaps, he also played on the extra point and field goal units, adding 65 more plays.
In 2017, Marpet was recognized by NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison with a spot on his All-Under 25 Team. According to Pro Football Focus, Marpet was Tampa Bay’s most effective offensive lineman and was the league’s fifth-best run blocking guard during the previous season.
Also in 2017, he was nominated for and voted by his teammates to serve as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ team representative to the NFL Players’ Association. At the NFLPA annual meeting, he became one of 11 players on the union’s finance committee, a fitting role for Marpet, who studied economics at HWS.
Marpet, who began playing center during the 2017-18 season, has been featured on the NFL Network, ESPN and CBS Sports Network, national publications like Sports Illustrated and USA Today as well as newspapers in every NFL market. The HBO documentary series “Hard Knocks” featured the Buccaneers during the show’s 2017 season.
During his four years as a Statesman, Marpet and his classmates led Hobart football to a 41-5 record, the most wins for a graduating class in program history. Marpet, who served as a team captain as a junior and senior, helped the team capture four Liberty League Championships and appear in four NCAA Division III Football Championships, reaching the quarterfinals in 2012 and 2014.
During his senior season at Hobart, Marpet led one of the most effective offensive lines in the nation and didn’t allow a sack for a line that ranked sixth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed. He was named a 2014 All-American by the AFCA, the Associated Press, and D3football.com. He was also the 2014 Liberty League Co-Offensive Player of the Year, the first offensive lineman to ever win the award.