Dante Ridgeway
Encyclopedia
National Football League
Ridgeway was selected in the sixth round (192nd overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
by the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
and on July 27, 2005, he signed a three-year contract with the Rams. However, on August 30, he was waived by the Rams. He was claimed off of waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
the next day, however, he was waived just four days later. He was then claimed off of waivers by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on September 4, 2005.
Ridgeway was on the Jets' practice squad until he was signed to the active roster on November 8. In his professional debut, Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, he did not record any carries or receptions. During the Jets' Week 11 lost to 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...
he played on special teams recording one assisted tackle. He also recorded his first career reception, nine yards, and finished the game with two receptions for 26 yards, the second being of 17 yards. During the Jets' Week 14 win over the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
he recorded an assisted special teams tackle. After the season on January 3, 2006, he signed a contract extension as an Exclusive rights free agent.
Ridgeway was waived by the Jets on September 6, 2006. However he was later signed by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in November, 2006. However, he was released by the Saints on August 7, 2007. Then on August 12, He was then re-signed by the Jets, only to be released on August 27, 2007. Then on October 9, 2007, he was signed to the Saints' practice squad. On December 26, 2007, he was placed on the practice squad's injured list.
af2
After not playing in a NFL game for three seasons, Ridgeway joined the af2Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
. Later he was assigned to the Peoria Pirates
Peoria Pirates
The Peoria Pirates were a professional arena football team that last played in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They played their home games at Carver Arena, part of the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, and were coached by Mike Hohensee...
. However, on March 10, he was placed on the teams Refused-to-Report list. After reporting, he 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...
on May 6. In his af2 debut, he recorded nine receptions for 99 yards.
Personal
At the 2005 St. Louis Race for the Cure, a marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
to help support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US....
, Rams players Alex Barron, Zach Bray, Jeremy Calahan, Jerome Carter
Jerome Carter
Jerome Carter is an American football safety for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Jeremy Carter, Jerome Collins
Jerome Collins
-St. Louis Rams:Collins was the 144th pick of the 2005 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams from the University of Notre Dame. He was on the Rams practice squad and also the 53-man roster before beging released.-Dallas Cowboys:...
, Clifford Dukes
Clifford Dukes
Clifford Dukes is an American arena football defensive lineman who is currently a free agent of the Arena Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams in 2005. He played college football at Michigan State.Dukes has also been a member of the New Orleans...
, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
, Madison Hedgecock
Madison Hedgecock
Madison Smith Hedgecock is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina....
, Reggie Hodges
Reggie Hodges
Reginald Aaron "Reggie" Hodges is an American football punter for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Jamison Vontrell, Matt McChesney
Matt McChesney
Matthew McChesney is a former American football guard in the National Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Colorado....
, Duvol Thompson, and Ridgeway presented rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s to the breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
survivors at the finish line.
On November 20, 2007, Ridgeway, along with teammates Mike McKenzie, Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem
Robert Meachem is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Saints 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
, Lance Moore
Lance Moore
Lance Andrew Moore is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
, Usama Young
Usama Young
Usama Young is an American football free safety in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Kent State University.-Early years:...
, Pierre Thomas
Pierre Thomas (American football)
Charles Pierre Thomas Jr. is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League.- Early years :...
, Ronnie Ghent
Ronnie Ghent
Ronnie Jerome Ghent is an American football tight end for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
, Jermon Bushrod
Jermon Bushrod
Jermon Bushrod is an American football offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League . He was the Saints' starting left tackle in the team's successful run to the Super Bowl XLIV Championship...
, Billy Miller
Billy Miller
Billy RoShawn Miller is a retired American football tight end won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
, Kevin Houser
Kevin Houser
Kevin J. Houser is an American football long snapper for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, Josh Cooper
Josh Cooper (American football)
Joshua Martez Cooper is an American football defensive end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2004...
, Zach Strief
Zach Strief
Zachary David Strief is an American football offensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He lived in Milford, Ohio where he played for his varsity football team, the Milford Eagles...
and Jon Stinchcomb
Jon Stinchcomb
Jon Stinchcomb is a former American football offensive tackle who played eight seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints...
volunteered to help hand out frozen turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
s, stuffing, vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s and corn bread mix to a thousand low-income New Orleans families for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
.