PISCATAWAY — Marco Battaglia thought all along that he was fundraising to improve the future for the beloved football program where he blossomed into an All-American tight end.
Battaglia had no idea until recently that his assistance securing the largest private gift in Rutgers athletics history also would result in a project that will bear his name.
Rutgers booster Jeff Towers (center) and 1995 All-American tight end Marco Mattaglia engage in a conversation at a football practice. John Munson | NJ Advance Media
Rutgers boosters Jeff and Amy Towers announced to a crowd of donors Wednesday night that the new football practice complex with an August completion date will be named after Battaglia, who returned to his alma mater in May 2014 to take a job in athletics development.
“Your practice facility is your athletic sanctuary where you work on your craft all day every day,” Battaglia told NJ Advance Media. “To have Jeff and Amy give me this opportunity and recognize me in this way is mind-blowing, amazing, humbling. It’s all those adjectives that you hear everybody say when they are being honored, but you never really listen until it happens to you. It’s exciting because we are at an exciting time in our athletics world.”
With their donation to the Big Ten Build campaign, the Towers acquired naming rights for the complex, which will include two new practice fields and complete aesthetic makeover.
Named a consensus First-Team All-American by seven different organizations in 1995, Battaglia’s name was the first to come to come up in private conversations about honoring Rutgers’ history. Battaglia and Bill Austin (1958) are Rutgers’ only Associated Press First-Team All-Americans.
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“We thought, ‘We want to use this opportunity to recognize someone who achieved something that had never been done before or since with Rutgers football, and someone who is without controversy and represents everything that Rutgers football should stand for,'” Jeff Towers said.
“I’m of the opinion that Marco Battaglia should be treated by Rutgers University, Rutgers alumni and Rutgers fans for who he was and who he is. He’s one of the best of the best in the country.”
Initially reluctant to step into the spotlight ahead of other Rutgers greats, Battaglia, who is responsible for reconnecting many Rutgers football letterwinners with the program, was persuaded to accept the honor by his wife and others.
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Battaglia ranks fifth in program history in receptions (171), sixth in receiving yards (2,221) and tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns (16) but was first or second in all three categories when his college career (1992-95) ended. He played eight NFL seasons as second-round draft pick and was named Sports Illustrated’s college football’s tight end of the decade for the 1990s.
“As you are living it every day, you are just trying to be the best you can be,” Battaglia said of his playing career. “I always had a chip on my shoulder. I always just wanted to be the best. This place gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams.
“Looking at back at that you say, ‘Hey, maybe I was the guy who broke through at a time when it was almost impossible to get national recognition,’ but Kenny Britt, Brian Leonard, Alex Kroll, Bill Austin, all these great guys, we’ve all had the same process. You work hard and try to be the best. You seize opportunities. These kids coming in are going to have the same opportunities.”
Towers said the response from other Rutgers donors was “overwhelming” because of “how deserving Marco is” of the recognition.
“It’s not about us,” Towers said. “It’s about advancing causes that matter. In this case, it’s Rutgers University, which is uniquely positioned in its place in the Big Ten.
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“Giving the new coach tools to train athletes to compete at the most elite level in the country is part of advancing that cause. That’s why we did what we did and hope others will join us, especially with this opportunity to honor one of the most remarkable athletes in Rutgers history and one of the most remarkable people we’ve come to know.”
The remodeled practice facility adjacent to the Hale Center will be in the same place where Battaglia practiced under then-coach Doug Graber.
“Look at these two selfless people that came together to support us and get us kickstarted,” Battaglia said of the Towers. “This is a game-changer for the whole program because people are going to see that Rutgers is making a commitment to being great, and it starts with the alumni base, it starts with the donor base.”
For Towers, it started two decades ago.
“2006 was not the first time that Rutgers football captured my attention,” Towers said. “It was 1995. I was living in the region and all of a sudden everybody is talking about this tight end from Rutgers named Marco Battaglia. You couldn’t help but, out of curiosity, find out who the guy was. Marco Battaglia was ahead of his time as a tight end.”
Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.
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