Rudy Sylvan (born December 23, 1984) 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 with ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...

. He was originally signed by 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 ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2007. 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 ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

College career

In 2004, Sylvan played in all 11 games for the

Ohio Bobcats The Ohio Bobcats are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio University, located in Athens, Ohio, United States. Ohio University is a charter member (1946) of the Mid-Amer ...

and turned his first catch into a 25-yard touchdown in the season opener against VMI. His second catch produced similar results, an eight-yard touchdown pass versus Buffalo. He kept the streak alive with a 17-yard touchdown catch against Marshall on his third reception of the season. His string was broken, however, when he caught a pass for 11 yards versus Bowling Green that did not result in points. In his senior season, Sylvan played in all 11 games. He finished second among Ohio tight ends with five catches for 24 yards and had career highs in catches with two during three occasions. Also during his senior season, Sylvan helped lead the Bobcats to a MAC East Division title, a MAC Championship Game appearance, and a 2007 GMAC Bowl appearance. However, Sylvan was academically ineligible for the GMAC bowl game and was forced to sit out.

Junior college career

Sylvan attended Solano College in Fairfield, California. While there, he had 18 catches for 350 yards as a freshman prior to transferring to Ohio.

High school career

Sylvan attended Armijo and Vanden High Schools, earning all-conference, all-county and all-city honors on the defensive line during his senior season. He led Vanden his senior year with 115 total tackles, adding 1.5 sacks and an interception. Sylvan was voted a share of the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player Award and helped the Vikings to a 9-3 record and their ninth straight playoff appearance as a senior.

External links

Sylvan signs with the Lions
1984 births American football tight ends Detroit Lions players Living people Ohio Bobcats football players Ohio University alumni {{Tightend-1980s-stub