Why medical school is Plan B for this Seahawks lineman
SEATTLE – It’s not most people’s fallback plan to go to medical school and become a surgeon, but Federico Maranges isn’t like most people.
The 6-foot-3, 302-pound center signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in early May, just three months before he was scheduled to sit for the Medical College Admission Test.
Maranges had been preparing for the medical admissions exam for the past two years, ramping up his studies last season as a redshirt senior at Florida Atlantic University while completing a master’s degree in biomedical sciences.
He completed his undergraduate degree with majors in neuroscience and biology and a minor in psychology.
“Once I graduated my master’s, I ended up not taking the MCAT, since I ended up getting signed up here,” Maranges said last week.
Maranges, a two-time captain at FAU, started 21 games at center, after beginning his college career at guard.
The 23-year-old Puerto Rican joins the Seahawks as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which is an initiative established in 2017 to increase the number of international players in the league and grow the sport globally. The IPP allows an additional roster spot for an international player during training camp and preseason games, which is why the Seahawks have 91 on their roster as opposed to 90.
“The main reason I left Puerto Rico was to play football in the United States, or just have a chance to play football, but my parents always taught me to have a plan B,” Maranges added. “I shot for the stars with my plan B, trying to apply for medical school to become an orthopedic doctor, but (my) dreams came true, and I was able to come over here to Seattle.”
Maranges and his family moved to Miami from Dorado, Puerto Rico, following Hurricane Maria’s impact on the island in 2017. Maranges, just 16 years-old at the time, attended his junior and senior years of high school at Christopher Columbus High, where he was recruited to FAU.
If Maranges does not make the Seahawks’ 53-man roster, which does not grant an extra spot for an international player, he could join the practice squad. An NFL team can use an extra spot on the practice squad during the season for an international player. A team is allowed to elevate its international practice player to the active roster up to three times throughout the season.
“One, I love the (IPP) program,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said last week. “It’s awesome. … Federico is doing a great job. We’re really excited about him. I feel like he’s got a good future. There are plays being made out there as well. Really sharp, makes calls quickly, he’s decisive. The athleticism you can feel, getting to the second level, so promising start.”
Maranges had other teams interested in signing him, but he wanted to be with the Seahawks.
“I spoke to my agent and I spoke to my family, and Seattle was the best spot for me to fit in, so I ended up choosing up here,” Maranges said.
All UDFAs sign a standard three-year contract with a base value of an unguaranteed $2.965 million. Maranges has a fully guaranteed $250,000 and a potential 2025 cash payout of $856,000, according to the website Over the Cap.
Maranges was at a friend’s house in Miami when he signed on May 2, jumping into the pool to celebrate and throwing his parents into the water with him. His sister made them all tres leches, a traditional Puerto Rican dessert.
His mom and dad have plans to fly to Seattle for the team’s first preseason scrimmage against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, and he anticipates his sister will come out for the second game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 15.
The offensive lineman still has plans to go to medical school, but he hopes it’s not until the “late, late future” after a long career in the NFL.