Ryan Winterswyk
Encyclopedia
Ryan Winterswyk is an American football
tight end
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons
as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football
at Boise State
. Despite beginning his college football careers as a walk on, he was selected as a first-team All-WAC
player three consecutive years and was selected as the Most Valuable Defensive Player for the 2008 and 2009 Boise State teams that were undefeated in the regular season.
. Despite having 150 tackles as a senior at La Habra High School, Winterswyk "got little love from recruiters." He considered playing in junior college when the secondary coach from Boise State University
suggested he enroll there, but as a walk on with no scholarship. He followed that suggestion and enrolled at Boise State in 2007. He was a walk on at the safety position in January 2007. He was a four-year starter on defense for the Boise State Broncos football
team from 2007 to 2010. He was selected as a first-team All-WAC player three consecutive years (2008, 2009, and 2010) and was a key defensive player for Boise State teams that compiled an overall record of 38–2 from 2008 to 2010, including an undefeated 14–0 record in 2009. He was a defensive starter in 43 games for Boise State from 2007 to 2010. Despite his original walk-on status, Winterswyk is acknowledged as "one of the best defensive ends in school history."
.
player and was named the Co-Most Valuable Defensive Player on a Boise State team that compiled a 12-0 record in the regular season and was ranked third in the country in scoring defense (allowing only 12.6 points per game).
picked Boise State as a contender for the national championship. In the August 2010 issue announcing its pre-season picks, a photograph of Winterswyk and two other players appeared on the magazine's cover. In its feature story on the rise of Boise State, Sports Illustrated devoted four paragraphs to Winterswyk. The article noted:
The Orange County Register
took note of Winterswyk's fame: "Ryan Winterswyk, a 2005 La Habra High School grad, graces the cover of the Aug. 16 Sports Illustrated, and is also featured in an article on the inside pages." In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
, Winterswyk credited the players who laid the foundation for Boise State's development and noted his desire to meet expectations: "You don't want to be on the cover of SI and then go blow it all." In an on-line edition in October 2010, SI.com again published a photograph of Winterswyk with the caption: "Ryan Winterswyk and Boise State rank No. 1 nationally in total defense, rushing defense and pass-efficiency defense."
, given to outstanding college football players who began their careers as a walk-on. He was also invited to play in the annual East-West Shrine Game
in January 2011 in Orlando, Florida
.
as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft
on July 27, 2011. The Falcons converted him to tight end after playing defensive end
at Boise State
. He was released during final cuts on September 3, 2011.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who is currently a free agent
Free 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 signed by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2011. 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 Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
. Despite beginning his college football careers as a walk on, he was selected as a first-team All-WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
player three consecutive years and was selected as the Most Valuable Defensive Player for the 2008 and 2009 Boise State teams that were undefeated in the regular season.
From walk on to All-Decade Team
Winterswyk attended high school in La Habra, CaliforniaLa Habra, California
La Habra is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. Its related city, La Habra Heights is located to the north of La Habra, and is in Los Angeles County.-Origin of name:...
. Despite having 150 tackles as a senior at La Habra High School, Winterswyk "got little love from recruiters." He considered playing in junior college when the secondary coach from Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
suggested he enroll there, but as a walk on with no scholarship. He followed that suggestion and enrolled at Boise State in 2007. He was a walk on at the safety position in January 2007. He was a four-year starter on defense for the Boise State Broncos football
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
team from 2007 to 2010. He was selected as a first-team All-WAC player three consecutive years (2008, 2009, and 2010) and was a key defensive player for Boise State teams that compiled an overall record of 38–2 from 2008 to 2010, including an undefeated 14–0 record in 2009. He was a defensive starter in 43 games for Boise State from 2007 to 2010. Despite his original walk-on status, Winterswyk is acknowledged as "one of the best defensive ends in school history."
2007 season
As a red-shirt freshman in 2007, he led the team with nine tackles for loss and was selected as an honorable mention Freshman All-American by The Sporting NewsThe Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
.
2008 season
As a sophomore in 2008, he was selected as a first-team All-WACWestern Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
player and was named the Co-Most Valuable Defensive Player on a Boise State team that compiled a 12-0 record in the regular season and was ranked third in the country in scoring defense (allowing only 12.6 points per game).
2009 season
As a junior in 2009, Winterswyk was placed on both the Lott and Lombardi Award watch lists. He received his second consecutive first-team All-WAC honor and was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player on a Boise State team that compiled a perfect 14-0 record. In January 2011, he was named to the WAC All-Decade Team for the 2000s.Cover of Sports Illustrated
After its 14-0 finish in 2009, Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
picked Boise State as a contender for the national championship. In the August 2010 issue announcing its pre-season picks, a photograph of Winterswyk and two other players appeared on the magazine's cover. In its feature story on the rise of Boise State, Sports Illustrated devoted four paragraphs to Winterswyk. The article noted:
Winterswyk has gone from walk-on to four-year starter. His 19 career sacks include a clutch fourth-quarter takedown of Dalton in the Fiesta Bowl. Once a clueless freshman who struggled to master a three-point stance, he's now the star of a defense returning 10 starters. His rapid ascent embodies the Boise State program, which in 15 seasons has risen from I-AA to serial BCS buster.
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
took note of Winterswyk's fame: "Ryan Winterswyk, a 2005 La Habra High School grad, graces the cover of the Aug. 16 Sports Illustrated, and is also featured in an article on the inside pages." In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Winterswyk credited the players who laid the foundation for Boise State's development and noted his desire to meet expectations: "You don't want to be on the cover of SI and then go blow it all." In an on-line edition in October 2010, SI.com again published a photograph of Winterswyk with the caption: "Ryan Winterswyk and Boise State rank No. 1 nationally in total defense, rushing defense and pass-efficiency defense."
2010 season
As a senior in 2010, Winterswyk was slowed early in the season by a knee injury that required him to undergo surgery. However, he remained such a dominant defensive player that opposing coaches regularly assigned two players to block him. He started all 12 games at defensive end for Boise State and received his third consecutive first-team All-WAC honor. Winterswyk was also a finalist for the Burlsworth TrophyBurlsworth Trophy
The Burlsworth Trophy is an award given annually by the Rotary Club of Springdale, Arkansas to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.-Eponym:...
, given to outstanding college football players who began their careers as a walk-on. He was also invited to play in the annual East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
in January 2011 in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Atlanta Falcons
Winterswyk was signed by the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent following the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
on July 27, 2011. The Falcons converted him to tight end after playing defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
at Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
. He was released during final cuts on September 3, 2011.