Alan Cardell Ricard (born January 17, 1977) is a former
American football fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to:
Sports
* A position in various kinds of football, including:
** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position
** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
in the
National Football League (NFL) for the
Baltimore Ravens and
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at the
University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Early years
Ricard attended
Amite High Magnet School. As a senior, he played
linebacker, registering 117 tackles and 14 sacks, while helping the team finish with a 15-0 record and win the class 4-A title. He received All-district honors.
He accepted a football scholarship from the
University of Louisiana at Monroe. He did not have any playing time as a freshman. As a sophomore, he was the team's second leading rusher with 52 carries for 189 yards and one touchdown, while making 6 catches for 42 yards.
As a junior, he collected 62 carries for 183 yards, 3 rushing touchdowns and 9 receptions for 42 yards. As a senior, he led the team with 100 carries for 399 yards and seven touchdowns. He was fourth on the team with 9 catches for 82 yards and one touchdown.
Professional career
Ricard was signed as an
undrafted free agent by the
Dallas Cowboys after the
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 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 17–18, 1999, at the Theater at M ...
on April 23. On August 3, he was waived before the start of the season.
In 2000, he signed with the
Baltimore Ravens. On August 26, 2000, he was released and later re-signed to the
practice squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
on August 29. In 2001, he was a backup
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to:
Sports
* A position in various kinds of football, including:
** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position
** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
behind
Sam Gash
Samuel Lee Gash Jr. (born March 7, 1969) is an American former football fullback in the National Football League (NFL).
Professional career
He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. A two time Pro ...
and
Obafemi Ayanbadejo.
In 2002, he became a starter at
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to:
Sports
* A position in various kinds of football, including:
** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position
** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
, helping
Jamal Lewis rush for 1,327 yards. In 2003, he was a key contributor for the offense, helping Lewis achieve his 2,066 yard rushing season, while being named to the
Pro Bowl as an alternate.
In 55 career games with the Ravens, including 32
starts, Ricard carried just 43 times for 172 yards and two touchdowns and posted 32 receptions for 179 yards. However, he was a dominant blocker at times in the running game and was solid in pass protection.
In 2005, he was passed on the depth chart by
Ovie Mughelli and only played in 2 games, while being limited with injuries. On October 28, 2005, he was placed on the
injured reserve list with calf injuries on both legs. On July 17, 2006, he was released.
On August 1, 2006, he was signed as
free agent by the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. On September 2, 2006, he was released after being limited with a quad injury.
On April 16, 2007, he signed as a
free agent with the
Cleveland Browns, reuniting with
running back Jamal Lewis. On June 15, 2007, his contract was terminated.
On July 30, 2007, he signed as a
free agent with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. On August 15, 2007, he was placed on the
injured reserve list. He wasn't re-signed after the season.
Coaching career
In 2013, he was a student assistant coach at the
University of Louisiana-Monroe. In 2015, Ricard was an assistant coach for the
Nicholls State University
Nicholls State University is a public university in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Founded in 1948, Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System. Originally named Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nicholl ...
team.
In 2016, he was hired as an assistant coach at the
University of Louisiana-Monroe. In 2020, he was hired as the
special teams coach at
Jackson State University.
References
External links
Ricard's coaching profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricard, Alan
American football fullbacks
Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football players
Nicholls Colonels football coaches
Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football coaches
Jackson State Tigers football coaches
Buffalo Bills players
Baltimore Ravens players
Detroit Lions players
1977 births
Living people
People from Independence, Louisiana
Players of American football from Louisiana