Anthony Alridge
Encyclopedia
Anthony E. Alridge is a professional gridiron football
running back
who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
at Houston
.
Alridge has also been a member of the Houston Texans
, the Washington Redskins
and the Toronto Argonauts
.
, where he grew up. He is the oldest son with two sisters and a younger brother. His dad is the pastor of Friendly Fellowship Church of God In Christ in Fort Worth, Texas where Anthony grew up playing the drums for his church.
Alridge played for the Denton High School football team as an all-purpose back. During his time at Denton, Alridge was named Honorable Mention AP
4A All-State, selected to the Max Emfinger Texas Super All-State Team, picked Texas Sports Writers Association Third-Team, All-State and named District 6-4A
Offensive Player-of-the-Year.
as a freshman; he was initially recruited as a wide receiver
.
He was not enrolled at the university for the 2004 season and sat out the year. In 2005, as a wide receiver, he appeared in all 12 games, starting
six games. He was the Cougars leading receiver at yards per catch with an average of 22.7. During this season, the Cougars played in the Fort Worth Bowl.
Alridge was approached after the 2005 season and asked if he would be interested in playing significant time at running back
. Alridge agreed and finished the 2006 season with 959 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on only 95 attempts for an NCAA Division 1-A leading rushing average of 10.1 yards per attempt. The Cougars went on to earn a Conference USA
championship, and played against the SEC's
South Carolina Gamecocks
in the 2006 Liberty Bowl
.
As a junior, Alridge shared time at running back with the Cougars' senior Jackie Battle
. Battle and Alridge combined for 1,762 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns during the 2006 regular season. After Battle graduated and signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs
, Alridge assumed the bulk of the running back duties for Houston in 2007 and rushed for 1,597 yards on 259 carries (a 6.2 per-carry average) and scored 14 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 274 yards (a 14.4 average) and five touchdowns.
. He was put on the injured reserve
by the Broncos following the 53-man cut, ending his season. The Broncos waived him on February 11, 2009.
on February 12, 2009. He was waived on September 5.
practice squad on September 16, 2009.
from the Houston Texans
' practice squad on September 22, 2009 after offensive lineman Randy Thomas
was placed on injured reserve
. He was released on October 20, 2009. On December 9, 2009 he was re-signed to the practice squad.
After his contract expired following the 2009 season, Alridge was re-signed to a future contract on January 6, 2010.
On May 3, 2010, Alridge was waived by the Redskins for the third time.
of the Canadian Football League
to a practice roster agreement. On November 22, 2010, he was released by the Argonauts.
in 2003. He majored in sociology
at University of Houston
and graduated in 2007.
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Houston
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
.
Alridge has also been a member of the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
.
Early years
Alridge was born to Vincent and Lisa Aldridge in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, where he grew up. He is the oldest son with two sisters and a younger brother. His dad is the pastor of Friendly Fellowship Church of God In Christ in Fort Worth, Texas where Anthony grew up playing the drums for his church.
Alridge played for the Denton High School football team as an all-purpose back. During his time at Denton, Alridge was named Honorable Mention AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
4A All-State, selected to the Max Emfinger Texas Super All-State Team, picked Texas Sports Writers Association Third-Team, All-State and named District 6-4A
University Interscholastic League
The University Interscholastic League is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, music, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the American state of Texas....
Offensive Player-of-the-Year.
College career
Alridge chose to attend the University of Houston where he was redshirtedRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
as a freshman; he was initially recruited as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
.
He was not enrolled at the university for the 2004 season and sat out the year. In 2005, as a wide receiver, he appeared in all 12 games, starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
six games. He was the Cougars leading receiver at yards per catch with an average of 22.7. During this season, the Cougars played in the Fort Worth Bowl.
Alridge was approached after the 2005 season and asked if he would be interested in playing significant time at running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. Alridge agreed and finished the 2006 season with 959 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on only 95 attempts for an NCAA Division 1-A leading rushing average of 10.1 yards per attempt. The Cougars went on to earn a Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
championship, and played against the SEC's
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
in the 2006 Liberty Bowl
2006 Liberty Bowl
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls06/bowls?game=liberty...
.
As a junior, Alridge shared time at running back with the Cougars' senior Jackie Battle
Jackie Battle
Jackie Battle is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2007...
. Battle and Alridge combined for 1,762 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns during the 2006 regular season. After Battle graduated and signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, Alridge assumed the bulk of the running back duties for Houston in 2007 and rushed for 1,597 yards on 259 carries (a 6.2 per-carry average) and scored 14 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 274 yards (a 14.4 average) and five touchdowns.
Denver Broncos
On April 27, 2008, Alridge signed a contract with the Denver Broncos as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was put on the injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
by the Broncos following the 53-man cut, ending his season. The Broncos waived him on February 11, 2009.
First stint with Redskins
Alridge was claimed off waivers by the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on February 12, 2009. He was waived on September 5.
Houston Texans
Alridge was signed to the Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad on September 16, 2009.
Second stint with Redskins
Alridge was re-signed by the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
from the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' practice squad on September 22, 2009 after offensive lineman Randy Thomas
Randy Thomas (American football)
Randy Thomas is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
. He was released on October 20, 2009. On December 9, 2009 he was re-signed to the practice squad.
After his contract expired following the 2009 season, Alridge was re-signed to a future contract on January 6, 2010.
On May 3, 2010, Alridge was waived by the Redskins for the third time.
Toronto Argonauts
On September 16, 2010, Alridge was signed by the Toronto ArgonautsToronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
to a practice roster agreement. On November 22, 2010, he was released by the Argonauts.
Personal
Alridge graduated from Denton High SchoolDenton High School
Denton High School is a high school located in Denton, Texas. Denton High was the first high school to open in Denton. It has since moved three times. DHS was established in 1884. In 1910 Denton High School moved to what is now Calhoun Middle School...
in 2003. He majored in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
and graduated in 2007.