Kevin Riley (born January 27, 1987) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
for the
California Golden Bears. He played for California from 2007 to 2010.
High school
Riley was born on January 27, 1987, to parents Faustin and Rhonda Riley in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
. He attended
Beaverton High School
Beaverton High School (often referred to as The Beaverton High School) is a public high school located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States. The original schoolhouse, called Beaverton Public School, opened in 1875 on land between Canyon Road and Br ...
, where he played
football. Riley was considered the top player in Oregon as a senior by Rivals.com and SuperPrep magazine. He was named Portland metro area player of the year after passing for 2,580 yards with just six interceptions on 239 attempts. He was team MVP and vice president of his class as a junior and senior.
College career
2007
Riley made his first career start for the injured
Nate Longshore in California's homecoming game against
Oregon State
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
. Riley passed for 294 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown but California lost the game when he scrambled instead of throwing the ball away to set up a field goal to tie the game. Riley did get credit for putting Cal in a situation to win after being down 31-21 late in the fourth quarter.
Riley took over for Longshore in the second quarter of the
2007 Armed Forces Bowl
The 2007 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the California Golden Bears and the Air Force Falcons played on December 31, 2007, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. T ...
. He passed for 269 yard, 3 touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown, helping the Bears turn a 21-0 deficit into a victory. Riley was the game's MVP.
2008
Riley competed with Longshore for the starting quarterback job, winning the position for the first four games. He led the Bears to wins over
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
at home, throwing for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He only played during the first half of the Bears' 66-3 rout of
Washington State
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
, which allowed the backup players to get some starting time. The win resulted in the Bears breaking into the Top 25 at #23, but they were upset in
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and is approximately four miles (6.4 km) from the northeast border of Washington, D.C. The population was 34,740 at the 2020 United States Census. It is best known ...
on September 13 by the unranked
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...
. With the Bears' offense stifled by the Terrapins' defense for three quarters, Riley threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter for 423 yards on 58 attempts, a school record for the most pass attempts.
![Cal on offense at 2008 Big Game 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Cal_on_offense_at_2008_Big_Game_1.JPG)
Two weeks later, he started against
Colorado State at home on September 27, during which he threw for 59 yards and one touchdown pass. With Cal up 21-0, Nate Longshore stepped in at quarterback in the third quarter and threw for two touchdowns in the fourth. This resulted in the starting quarterback position being reopened by head coach
Jeff Tedford
Jeffrey Raye Tedford (born November 2, 1961) is an American football coach and former player who is currently serving as the head coach at Fresno State, a position which he also previously held from 2017 to 2019. From 2002 to 2012, Tedford was t ...
for the following week against
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
on October 4. Longshore was picked as the starter and led the Bears to a 24-14 victory. On October 18, Riley stepped in at quarterback in the fourth quarter during an away game against the Arizona Wildcats. He was unable to lead a comeback, throwing for 97 yards and one interception, and the Bears fell to the Wildcats 42-27. Riley got the start the following week against the UCLA Bruins, his first since Colorado State nearly a month prior. He threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, in the 41-20 victory.
Riley also got the start the following week against the
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. ...
. He sustained a concussion after being hit in the first quarter when he failed to slide while trying to gain a first down and did not return to the game.
Longshore stepped in and led the Bears to a 26-16 upset over #23 Oregon. The following week against
USC, Riley took over in the second half but was unable to lead the Bears to an upset of the #6 Trojans. Riley got the start the following week against
Stanford for the 111th
Big Game. He threw for 101 yards, including three touchdown passes, in the Bears' 37-16 victory over the Cardinal and reclaiming of the
Stanford Axe
The Stanford Axe is a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Big Game, a college football match-up between the University of California Golden Bears and the Stanford University Cardinal. The trophy consists of an axe-head mounted on a larg ...
. Riley's three start run ended when Longshore was picked over him to start the
2008 Emerald Bowl
The 2008 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2008–09 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2008, at AT&T Park, the home field of the Giants in San Francisco, California. The Miami Hurricanes of the ACC were matched against the Ca ...
against the
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
, which the Bears won 24-17. Riley was expected to compete for the starting quarterback position in 2009 with redshirt freshman Brock Mansion.
2009
Riley was named the starter for the 2009 season a week before the team's season opener against
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, a contrast to 2008 when head coach Jeff Tedford alternated between him and
Nate Longshore. On September 5, Riley threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns against the Terrapins, each to a different receiver. The following week against
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanf ...
he threw for 151 yards and a score, also getting his first rushing touchdown of the season. At Cal's first away game on September 19 against
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, he passed for 252 yards. Riley struggled the following week against
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
, being sacked four times and held to 123 passing yards. Although was replaced in the fourth quarter by Beau Sweeney, the Bears could only muster a field goal to Oregon's 42 points. Riley fared slightly better against
USC on October 3, throwing for 198 yards and an interception. However, the Bears were again blown out in a 30-3 loss.
Two weeks later against
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
, Riley bounced back, leading the Bears to a 45-26 victory in which he threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He followed this up with a 229-yard and three touchdown performance against
Washington State
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
, the worst team in the conference. Riley played perhaps his best game of the season against
Arizona State
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
in
Tempe. Cal narrowly defeated the Sun Devils 23-21, with Riley throwing for 351 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On November 7, despite passing for 200 yards and a touchdown, Cal sustained its fifth straight loss to
Oregon State
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
. In Cal's final home game against #18
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, the Bears upset the Wildcats 24-16. Riley threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, being intercepted twice. Cal entered the
Big Game against
Stanford as the underdog on November 21, hanging on to pull off a 34-28 upset in which Riley threw for 235 yards and a touchdown. The regular season ended for Riley on a sour note, with an upset by
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
in which he was sacked five times, despite throwing for a score and 215 yards. Against
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
in the
Poinsettia Bowl
The Poinsettia Bowl was a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played in San Diego, California, United States from 2005 to 2016. The game was originally played from 1952 to 1955 between military service ...
, Riley passed for 214 yards in the 37-27 loss. He accounted for all three of Cal's turnovers and was sacked four times.
2010
Riley entered the 2010 season as the Pac-10 Conference leader in wins and touchdown passes. He was named to the watch list for the
Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that incl ...
on July 22. Despite an inconsistent performance in 2009, he retained the starting quarterback job. In the season opener against
UC Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...
on September 4, Riley threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, following this up with 197 yards and four scores, all to different receivers, the following week against
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
. On September 17 he had 277 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions in a loss to
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
in
Reno
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
, while throwing for 116 yards and an interception in a narrow loss to
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
on September 25. On October 9 against
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
, he threw for 83 yards and a touchdown, while scoring himself on a rushing touchdown.
Riley sustained a season-ending injury to his left knee when he was hit low during an October 30 road game against
Oregon State
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
and had to be helped from the field. He did not return to the game. Junior redshirt Brock Mansion was the starter for the remainder of the season.
Post college career
Riley was invited to participate in the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
' Local Pro Day in April 2011. He also tried out for the
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place.
The Lions played their first seas ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
. Riley signed with the Lions on May 27, but was later cut by the team on June 5. Riley now works in medical sales in San Francisco.
Awards and honors
*
2007 Armed Forces Bowl
The 2007 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the California Golden Bears and the Air Force Falcons played on December 31, 2007, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. T ...
MVP
* Named
Pac-10 offensive player of the week, September 5, 2009
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Kevin
1987 births
Living people
American football quarterbacks
California Golden Bears football players
Beaverton High School alumni
Sportspeople from Beaverton, Oregon
Players of American football from Oregon