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 chosen in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, and he played professionally 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. As a senior in 1995, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American at tight end for the Scarlet Knights.

Professional career

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Battaglia in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played for the Bengals from 1996 to 2001. He joined the Washington Redskins mid-season in 2001, and also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, and the Carolina Panthers in 2003. In eight NFL seasons, Battaglia played in ninety-six games and started eleven of them, and compiled seventy-one receptions, 660 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions.

Personal life

Battaglia currently lives in Middle Village, New York, with his family. He is a friend and occasional personal trainer of radio host Howard Stern. In March 2002, he broke Howard's thumb when he accidentally dropped some weights on it.