Perry Riley
Encyclopedia
Perry Alphonso Riley is an American football
linebacker
for the Washington Redskins
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Redskins in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Louisiana State
.
in Stone Mountain, Georgia
, where he, besides occasionally lining up at running back and strong safety, was part of a highly talented linebacker corps with teammate Kelvin Sheppard
, Marcus Ball and Jermaine Cunningham
. In his junior year, he registered 96 tackles, eight sacks and five forced fumbles. As a senior, Riley recorded 131 tackles, four interceptions, two sacks, five tackles for loss and one defensive touchdown.
Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Riley was listed as the No. 27 outside linebackers prospect in the nation. He chose LSU over Tennessee
, among others.
. Riley recorded two solo tackles in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game
versus Ohio State
.
A starter in his junior year for the Tigers, Riley ranked among the team leaders in total tackles with 60, including 7.0 for losses and 1.5 sacks. He was also credited with an interception, three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. Riley was named Defensive MVP of the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl
and a finalist for the 2008 Butkus Award.
in the fourth round (103rd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was signed to a contract on June 18, 2010. He was inactive most of the 2010 season. He played very well during times that he was on the field, but also made costly penalties, most notably he committed a 15 yard block in the back penalty against the Minnesota Vikings, nullifying Brandon Banks' punt return touchdown that would have won the game.
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...
for 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,...
of the National Football League
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...
. He was drafted by the Redskins in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. 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 Louisiana State
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
.
Early years
Riley attended Stephenson High SchoolStephenson High School
Stephenson High School is a public school located in DeKalb County, Georgia. The school is located in the city of Stone Mountain, Georgia.Stephenson High School, located in historic Stone Mountain, opened in 1996. The campus consists of a beautiful five-acre facility, located on forty acres...
in Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
, where he, besides occasionally lining up at running back and strong safety, was part of a highly talented linebacker corps with teammate Kelvin Sheppard
Kelvin Sheppard
Kelvin Anthony Sheppard is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills drafted him with the 68th pick in the 3rd round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU....
, Marcus Ball and Jermaine Cunningham
Jermaine Cunningham
-New England Patriots:Cunningham was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 24, 2010. Cunningham made his first career start in the third game of his rookie season, surpassing former starter Tully Banta-Cain, and...
. In his junior year, he registered 96 tackles, eight sacks and five forced fumbles. As a senior, Riley recorded 131 tackles, four interceptions, two sacks, five tackles for loss and one defensive touchdown.
Regarded as 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...
, Riley was listed as the No. 27 outside linebackers prospect in the nation. He chose LSU over Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, among others.
College career
In his true freshman year at LSU, Riley saw action in seven games and was credited with four tackles. As a sophomore, he played all 14 season games for the Tigers and tallied 24 tackles, including 1.5 for losses and a half quarterback sackQuarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. Riley recorded two solo tackles in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game
2008 BCS National Championship Game
The 2008 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 7, 2008, and featured the #1 and #2 college football teams in the United States as determined by the BCS Poll to decide the BCS National Championship for the 2007...
versus Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
.
A starter in his junior year for the Tigers, Riley ranked among the team leaders in total tackles with 60, including 7.0 for losses and 1.5 sacks. He was also credited with an interception, three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. Riley was named Defensive MVP of the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl
2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl was the 41st annual edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It pitted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against the Louisiana State Tigers in a postseason American college football game in Atlanta, Georgia...
and a finalist for the 2008 Butkus Award.
Washington Redskins
Riley was selected 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,...
in the fourth round (103rd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was signed to a contract on June 18, 2010. He was inactive most of the 2010 season. He played very well during times that he was on the field, but also made costly penalties, most notably he committed a 15 yard block in the back penalty against the Minnesota Vikings, nullifying Brandon Banks' punt return touchdown that would have won the game.