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Venric Mark
Venric Emeka-Wococha Mark is an American former football running back, return specialist and wide receiver. Mark attended 2014 West Texas A&M Buffaloes after previously playing for Northwestern. He has completed his redshirt junior season for the 2013 Northwestern Wildcats team. He was a 2012 College Football All-America Team first team punt returner selection and a 2012 All-Big Ten team second team running back for the 2012 Wildcats. He holds Northwestern records for single-game, single-season and career kickoff return yards as well as the single-game punt return yards record.
In high school, he was a five-time Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state champion in track and field and an All-State football player. He was recruited by many Division I college football programs.
Mark spent his freshman year at Klein Forest High School in Greater Houston. When the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina brought many troubled students to his public high school, he transferred to St. Pius X High School, which is a private one 45 minutes away. As a sophomore at St. Pius, Mark competed in the most events and scored the most points for his high school when it placed fifth in the 2008 Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) Class 6A Track and Field Championship. That year, he placed second in the long jump (21 feet 0.25 inches (6.41 m)); third in the triple jump (42 feet 11.5 inches (13.09 m)) and participated on medal winning 4 × 100 metres relay and 4 × 200 metres relay teams.
As a junior, he was described as a "gifted player" who was expected to be a "future star" for the two-time defending state champion football team. Going into the 2008 state playoffs, Mark had 10 touchdowns as a return specialist and 20 receptions for 504 yards for the 7–2 St. Pius Panthers. By the end of his junior year, he had been timed at 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had at least six Division I scholarship offers. Interested programs included Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Rice and Arizona. During the summer prior to his senior year, he increased the bodyweight of his 5-foot-8-inch (1.73 m) frame from 160 pounds (72.6 kg) to 175 pounds (79.4 kg).
As a senior, he mostly played running back. In the 2009 TAPPS Division I football semifinals, Mark had 102 yards on 16 carries, including two rushing touchdowns and a 33-yard receiving touchdown. However, he was stopped on fourth and goal to go from the 2-yard-line with 11 seconds left as the team lost to Nolan Catholic High School 36–28. Mark's senior season statistics were 23 receptions for 242 yards, 92 rushes for 772 yards and 20 total touchdowns (four on punt and kickoff returns). He also had seven touchdowns called back due to penalties. He was honored as a first team All-state selection. As a senior, he had 18 offers from schools including his five finalists: Northwestern, Arizona, Iowa State, Vanderbilt and Colorado as well as Houston, Baylor, UTEP, Virginia and Penn State. He was one of three major Division I National Letter of Intent signees from St. Pius along with Kirk Poston (defensive end, Colorado) and Greg Daniels (defensive end, Texas).
After committing to Northwestern, Mark went on to win five gold medals in the 2010 TAPPS Class 5A State Track and Field Championships. He won the 100 meters (10.96 seconds), 200 meters (22.26), long jump (23 feet 1 inch (7.04 m)-state record) and triple jump (44 feet 0.25 inches (13.42 m)). He was the anchor of the winning 4 × 100 metres relay (43.36). Mark was the state championship meet's elite athlete, scoring 45 of St. Pius' 86 points. The school finished as runner-up to St. Michael's Catholic Academy (88 points) in the state championships even though St. Pius' 4 × 200 metres relay team, which was a favorite, had been disqualified in earlier competition.
Mark was one of two true freshmen to play in every game for the 2010 Wildcats. On October 23, he had a 29-yard end-around run against Michigan State. On November 27, Mark recorded 273 return yards on nine kickoffs against Wisconsin. This established a Wildcat single-game kickoff return yard record (10 shy of a Big Ten Conference record) and tied the Big Ten record for single-game kickoff returns. It also earned Mark recognition as the Big Ten Special Teams and Freshman co-Player of the Week on November 29. Rivals.com recognized Mark with selection to its Freshman All-American second team as a punt returner.
As a sophomore for the 2011 team, Mark switched from wide receiver to running back during the season. However, during the game against Michigan, he also played linebacker in order to shadow Denard Robinson. The season ended at the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas against Texas A&M. In the game, Mark recorded 7 kickoff returns for 141 yards. This gave him Northwestern record-setting single-season totals of 40 returns and 915 return yards, surpassing records both set by Jim Pooler in 1974 (38 for 807). Mark also scored his first rushing touchdown in the game.
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Venric Mark
Venric Emeka-Wococha Mark is an American former football running back, return specialist and wide receiver. Mark attended 2014 West Texas A&M Buffaloes after previously playing for Northwestern. He has completed his redshirt junior season for the 2013 Northwestern Wildcats team. He was a 2012 College Football All-America Team first team punt returner selection and a 2012 All-Big Ten team second team running back for the 2012 Wildcats. He holds Northwestern records for single-game, single-season and career kickoff return yards as well as the single-game punt return yards record.
In high school, he was a five-time Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state champion in track and field and an All-State football player. He was recruited by many Division I college football programs.
Mark spent his freshman year at Klein Forest High School in Greater Houston. When the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina brought many troubled students to his public high school, he transferred to St. Pius X High School, which is a private one 45 minutes away. As a sophomore at St. Pius, Mark competed in the most events and scored the most points for his high school when it placed fifth in the 2008 Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) Class 6A Track and Field Championship. That year, he placed second in the long jump (21 feet 0.25 inches (6.41 m)); third in the triple jump (42 feet 11.5 inches (13.09 m)) and participated on medal winning 4 × 100 metres relay and 4 × 200 metres relay teams.
As a junior, he was described as a "gifted player" who was expected to be a "future star" for the two-time defending state champion football team. Going into the 2008 state playoffs, Mark had 10 touchdowns as a return specialist and 20 receptions for 504 yards for the 7–2 St. Pius Panthers. By the end of his junior year, he had been timed at 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had at least six Division I scholarship offers. Interested programs included Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Rice and Arizona. During the summer prior to his senior year, he increased the bodyweight of his 5-foot-8-inch (1.73 m) frame from 160 pounds (72.6 kg) to 175 pounds (79.4 kg).
As a senior, he mostly played running back. In the 2009 TAPPS Division I football semifinals, Mark had 102 yards on 16 carries, including two rushing touchdowns and a 33-yard receiving touchdown. However, he was stopped on fourth and goal to go from the 2-yard-line with 11 seconds left as the team lost to Nolan Catholic High School 36–28. Mark's senior season statistics were 23 receptions for 242 yards, 92 rushes for 772 yards and 20 total touchdowns (four on punt and kickoff returns). He also had seven touchdowns called back due to penalties. He was honored as a first team All-state selection. As a senior, he had 18 offers from schools including his five finalists: Northwestern, Arizona, Iowa State, Vanderbilt and Colorado as well as Houston, Baylor, UTEP, Virginia and Penn State. He was one of three major Division I National Letter of Intent signees from St. Pius along with Kirk Poston (defensive end, Colorado) and Greg Daniels (defensive end, Texas).
After committing to Northwestern, Mark went on to win five gold medals in the 2010 TAPPS Class 5A State Track and Field Championships. He won the 100 meters (10.96 seconds), 200 meters (22.26), long jump (23 feet 1 inch (7.04 m)-state record) and triple jump (44 feet 0.25 inches (13.42 m)). He was the anchor of the winning 4 × 100 metres relay (43.36). Mark was the state championship meet's elite athlete, scoring 45 of St. Pius' 86 points. The school finished as runner-up to St. Michael's Catholic Academy (88 points) in the state championships even though St. Pius' 4 × 200 metres relay team, which was a favorite, had been disqualified in earlier competition.
Mark was one of two true freshmen to play in every game for the 2010 Wildcats. On October 23, he had a 29-yard end-around run against Michigan State. On November 27, Mark recorded 273 return yards on nine kickoffs against Wisconsin. This established a Wildcat single-game kickoff return yard record (10 shy of a Big Ten Conference record) and tied the Big Ten record for single-game kickoff returns. It also earned Mark recognition as the Big Ten Special Teams and Freshman co-Player of the Week on November 29. Rivals.com recognized Mark with selection to its Freshman All-American second team as a punt returner.
As a sophomore for the 2011 team, Mark switched from wide receiver to running back during the season. However, during the game against Michigan, he also played linebacker in order to shadow Denard Robinson. The season ended at the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas against Texas A&M. In the game, Mark recorded 7 kickoff returns for 141 yards. This gave him Northwestern record-setting single-season totals of 40 returns and 915 return yards, surpassing records both set by Jim Pooler in 1974 (38 for 807). Mark also scored his first rushing touchdown in the game.