DeMeco Ryans
Encyclopedia
DeMeco Ryans is an American football
linebacker
in the NFL
for the Houston Texans
. He played college football
at the University of Alabama
.
, where he was coached by Willie T. Ford. In his senior season, he had over 135 tackles, 11 sacks, two caused fumbles and two interceptions.
Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Ryans was listed as the No. 39 inside linebacker prospect in the nation from the class of 2002. He picked Alabama over Mississippi State
.
. Ryans started out his career by earning a role on special teams and back up linebacker in his first season. By making great improvements every year in his college career, Ryans went on to become the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year for his performance in 2005. Later on, Ryans attributed much of his college success to his defensive coordinator at Alabama, Joe Kines
. He was named the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic defensive MVP in their 13-10 win over Texas Tech. Ryans also received the 2005 Lott Trophy
for his combination of athletic excellence and off-the-field achievements.
by the Texans.
(* represents NFL Combine
)
On January 3, 2007, Ryans was awarded the NFL
Defensive Rookie of the Year Award after finishing second in the league with 155 total tackles (Zach Thomas
165), 31 more tackles than the next rookie (Detroit Lions
linebacker Ernie Sims
). He received 36 of 50 votes by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Chicago Bears
defensive end Mark Anderson
, who was Ryan's teammate at Alabama, finished second with five votes. On December 18, 2007 DeMeco Ryans was selected to the Pro Bowl
for the first time. Ryans wore the Texans' defensive transmitter to relay plays from the sideline into the huddle. This meant he was an every down player. On March 30, 2010, Ryans signed a 6 year $48 million extension, including $21.75 million guaranteed.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for 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...
. 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 the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
.
High school career
Ryans attended Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer, AlabamaBessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
, where he was coached by Willie T. Ford. In his senior season, he had over 135 tackles, 11 sacks, two caused fumbles and two interceptions.
Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Ryans was listed as the No. 39 inside linebacker prospect in the nation from the class of 2002. He picked Alabama over Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
.
College career
Ryans played outside linebacker at the University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. Ryans started out his career by earning a role on special teams and back up linebacker in his first season. By making great improvements every year in his college career, Ryans went on to become the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year for his performance in 2005. Later on, Ryans attributed much of his college success to his defensive coordinator at Alabama, Joe Kines
Joe Kines
-External links:...
. He was named the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic defensive MVP in their 13-10 win over Texas Tech. Ryans also received the 2005 Lott Trophy
Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
for his combination of athletic excellence and off-the-field achievements.
College awards and honors
- 2006 NCAA Top Eight Award (Class of 2006)
- 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic – Defensive MVP
- 2005 Consensus All-America2005 College Football All-America TeamThe 2005 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
- 2005 SECSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
– Defensive Player of the Year - 2005 First Team All-SEC
- 2005 Lott TrophyLott TrophyThe Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
- 2005 Bednarik Trophy Semifinalist
- 2005 Butkus Award Finalist
- 2005 Draddy Award Finalist
- 2005 Nagurski Award Finalist
- 2005 Lombardi AwardLombardi AwardThe Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
Semifinalist
2006 NFL Draft
Ryans was selected with the first pick of the 2nd round (33rd overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
by the Texans.
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||||||
| Ht | Wt | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-1¼ * | 236 lb * | 4.65 * | 1.64 * | 2.74 * | 4.18 * | 7.19 * | 39 in * | 10′9″ * | 23 * |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
Houston Texans
Ryans began his NFL career in 2006 with the Houston Texans. Though he had been an outside linebacker in college, he earned the starting middle linebacker position due to his excellent performance in the preseason. In his first game he recorded a league-high 12 solo tackles. Ryans had an overwhelming impact as a rookie linebacker for the Texans, leading the team in tackles in the first half of the 2006 season. Many Texans fans began nicknaming him “D-Wreck” for his toughness and hard hits; another popular nickname is D-ROY, intended to promote Ryans for the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Today, most fans refer to him affectionately as "Cap'n Meco," due to his status as a Texans team Captain and in reverence of his tremendous professionalism and leadership both on and off the field.On January 3, 2007, Ryans was awarded the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Defensive Rookie of the Year Award after finishing second in the league with 155 total tackles (Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
165), 31 more tackles than the next rookie (Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
linebacker Ernie Sims
Ernie Sims
-Detroit Lions:Sims was selected as ninth overall in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Sims was targeted by Lions general manager Matt Millen to bolster the Lions' defense at weakside linebacker. On July 30, 2006, he signed a 5-year, $15.735 million contract with $12.1...
). He received 36 of 50 votes by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive end Mark Anderson
Mark Anderson (football)
Mark Anderson is an American football defensive end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Alabama....
, who was Ryan's teammate at Alabama, finished second with five votes. On December 18, 2007 DeMeco Ryans was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
for the first time. Ryans wore the Texans' defensive transmitter to relay plays from the sideline into the huddle. This meant he was an every down player. On March 30, 2010, Ryans signed a 6 year $48 million extension, including $21.75 million guaranteed.
Career statistics
| Season | |Team | |GP–GS | |Tackles | |Interceptions | |Fumbles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Solo | Ast | Sack | Safety | Pass Def. | Int | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Forced | |||
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... ^ |
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... |
16–16 | 156 | 126 | 30 | 3.5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... †‡ |
16–16 | 128 | 99 | 29 | 2.0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
16–16 | 112 | 86 | 26 | 1.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... † |
16–16 | 123 | 93 | 30 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Career Total | 519 | 404 | 115 | 7.5 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 16 | 0 | 5 | ||
| ^ Named Rookie of the Year. † Named to the Pro Bowl Pro Bowl In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those... . ‡ Named to the All-Pro All-Pro All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s... team. |
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