Ryan Anthony Perrilloux (born January 1, 1987) is an
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 ...
that played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one 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 ...
,
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
and
Ligue Élite de Football Américain
The Championnat Élite Division 1 () is the top-level American football league of France. The league was founded in 1982.
History
American football was introduced to France in the early 20th century, but for decades it remained an infrequent ac ...
in France. He played
college football at
LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
and
Jacksonville State.
Early years
Perrilloux had one of the most dominating prep careers in state history at
East St. John High School in
Reserve, Louisiana
Reserve is an unincorporated community in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 9,111 at the 2000 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Ce ...
, totaling 12,705 yards of offense (9,025 passing; 3,680 rushing), which ranks second all-time for total offense.
His 9,025 passing are fourth on the state's all-time passing list.
In his four years at East St. John, Perrilloux had a total of 155 touchdowns (84 passing, 71 rushing).
He racked up a Louisiana high school record 5,006 total yards of offense as a senior, including 3,546 yards passing and 1,460 yards rushing.
In his final high school game in the state playoffs versus
Evangel Christian Academy, Perrilloux accounted for 495 yards of offense.
Perrilloux was considered the top quarterback prospect of the 2005 high school class alongside
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
of
Mission Viejo High School
Mission Viejo High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Mission Viejo, California, United States, as part of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. The school has served the area since 1966. Students within ...
.
Some recruiting experts called him the most dangerous offensive weapon in the nation, noting his strong arm, quick release and pinpoint accuracy. He won the 2004
Hall Trophy
The All-American Bowl Player of the Year Award (formerly known as the Hall Trophy and U.S. Army Player of the Year Award) has been awarded annually since 2000 to the most outstanding high school football player in the United States, comparable to t ...
as the nation's most outstanding high school football player and was named "Offensive Player of the Year" by ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
''. He was also named National Offensive Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of
Columbus, Ohio,
Louisiana's Mr. Football and Louisiana ''
Gatorade'' Player of the Year as well as a ''
PARADE'' All-American. Perrilloux got invited to the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp as well as to the
U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
A three-sport athlete at East St. John, Perrilloux also played
small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger ...
for the
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team and
centerfield for the
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
team.
Recruitment
As one of the nation's top football prospects, Perrilloux was heavily recruited during his high school career.
Very early,
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
and the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...
emerged as the frontrunners for his commitment.
On July 26, 2004, Perrilloux verbally committed to Texas, pairing with
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas, where he won several awards and honors as a senior in 2009. McC ...
as Texas's quarterback recruit. Texas head coach
Mack Brown had not been able to recruit quarterbacks in his past two recruiting classes, since some of the best Texas prep QBs – like
Rhett Bomar
Rhett Matthew Bomar (born July 2, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and Sam Houston State. He w ...
and
Kirby Freeman
Kirby Lyn Freeman (born March 28, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Miami and Baylor.
Early years
Kirby Freeman played hig ...
– committed to out-of-state colleges, which is why Brown was particularly interested in signing Perrilloux. After remaining committed to Texas up to signing day, Perrilloux caved to local pressure publicly announced he would attend Louisiana State to much pomp and circumstance.
New LSU head coach
Les Miles
Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...
only had the job for a few weeks, and Perrilloux was considered the cornerstone of a relatively small recruiting class.
Perrilloux held a news conference on signing day and proclaimed he would win the Heisman Trophy as a true freshman.
A reporter asked him, "What about Jamarcus Russell?" Russell was the current LSU starting QB at the time. Perrilloux made the famous quip "Jamarcus Who?"
College career
LSU
Freshman season
Despite claims of competing for the
Heisman Trophy as a
true freshman
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
, Perrilloux
redshirted
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
the
2005 season in order to learn the complex
Jimbo Fisher offense.
As the third-string quarterback for the
2006 Tigers behind juniors
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell (born August 9, 1985) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Oakland Raiders. Highly successful at LSU, where he was MVP of the 2007 Sugar ...
and
Matt Flynn
Matthew Clayton Flynn (born June 20, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was a member of the Packers when they won Super Bowl XLV over the Pitts ...
, Perrilloux saw only limited playing time in 2006.
In a game versus
Louisiana-Lafayette on September 2, he completed his only pass of the
2006 season.
It was reported by a
Baton Rouge TV station on May 23, 2006, that Perrilloux desired to transfer to a
junior college or
Grambling State University
Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African American Herita ...
.
[LSU Sport]
Ryan Perrilloux responds to earlier report, he is not transferring
. Retrieved September 3, 2006. The story was quickly refuted by Perrilloux and his family, as well as LSU coach
Les Miles
Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...
.
The ''
Times-Picayune
''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...
'' reported on January 11, 2007, that Perrilloux was a "person of interest" in a Federal investigation being conducted in
.
[Federal Investigatio]
Tigers' Perrilloux under investigation
Retrieved January 11, 2007. However, Federal representatives could neither confirm nor deny this story.
[Federal Investigatio]
Retrieved January 13, 2007. Although he had not been accused of any crime, Perrilloux retained the services of
Baton Rouge attorney Nathan Fisher.
[Nathan Fishe]
Attorney says he did not confirm Perrilloux investigation – 1/10/07
. Retrieved January 16, 2007.
Sophomore season
On May 22, 2007, LSU head coach
Les Miles
Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...
suspended Perrilloux from the football team indefinitely after the player was issued a misdemeanor summons by police when he allegedly tried to use his brother's driver's license to get onto the Hollywood Casino gambling boat. Further, Miles told reporters they would not be permitted to talk to Perrilloux until he did something in a game that was worth discussing. However, Miles reinstated Perrilloux in time for preseason practice. Perrilloux was one of the candidates to replace
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell (born August 9, 1985) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons with the Oakland Raiders. Highly successful at LSU, where he was MVP of the 2007 Sugar ...
as LSU starting quarterback, but lost out to the more experienced Matt Flynn, a senior.
On September 15, Perrilloux had his first start at quarterback for LSU, because Miles decided to rest regular starter Matt Flynn, who had sprained his right ankle a week earlier and whose participation in practice had been limited since. In a 44–0 rout against
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...
Perrilloux threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 20 of 25 attempts.
On October 25, Perrilloux, teammate Derrick Odom and others were involved in a fight at The Varsity, a Baton Rouge nightclub. On October 31, 2007, Odom and Jeremy Benton were dismissed from the team. Perrilloux remained on the squad, but was suspended for LSU's game against Alabama. Perrilloux was not charged at the conclusion of the investigation.
On December 1, Perrilloux made his second start, this time in the SEC Championship Game versus Tennessee, replacing an injured Matt Flynn. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also scored on a two-point conversion run. Perrilloux led the Tigers to a 21–14 win over the Volunteers, and was named the player of the game by CBS Sports. The victory helped propel the Tigers to the BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State, after #1 Missouri and #2 West Virginia lost later that night. It was the second time since 2001 that a backup quarterback led LSU to the SEC Championship Game victory (
Matt Mauck
Matthew Ryan Mauck (born February 12, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. He played college football at Louisiana State Uni ...
did it in 2001 versus Tennessee). He finished the season with 694 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Suspension and dismissal
On February 18, 2008, Coach Miles indefinitely suspended Perrilloux for violating team rules. The rules which he violated are unknown, but an LSU associate athletic director stated "it's nothing outside the football program". The ''
New Orleans Times-Picayune
''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...
'' reported that Perrilloux's transgressions included missing classes, workouts and at least one team meeting.
On May 2, 2008, LSU head coach Les Miles kicked Perrilloux off the team for "not fulfilling his obligation" as an LSU student-athlete. He is reported to have a failed a drug test due to
marijuana, missed a team meeting, skipped classes and was late for a handful of conditioning workouts.
Jacksonville State
On May 14, 2008, Perrilloux transferred to
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's, master's, education specialist, and doctorate degr ...
and was eligible to play immediately. He played his first game with
Jacksonville State against
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
on August 28, 2008, in the starting
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 ...
position. Jacksonville State lost that game 41–14.
After an opening loss to Georgia Tech, Perrilloux led JSU to an 8–3 season, completing 174 of 276 passes for 2,199 yards and 19 touchdowns. He was also named OVC Newcomer of the Week and OVC Offensive Player of the Week during the season.
On January 13, 2009, Perrilloux announced that he would return for his senior season after being told by the NFL Advisory Board that he would not likely be drafted in the first three rounds.
Perrilloux was suspended again at the beginning of the 2009 season for violating undisclosed team rules.
[Jacksonville State Suspends Perrilloux](_blank)
. Retrieved October 10, 2009. However, through the next five games of the 2009 season, Perrilloux had the best passer rating of all eligible quarterbacks in D1-AA (FCS) and D1-A with a 199.22 rating, having thrown for 961 yards, 12 Touchdowns and 1 interception. He had also rushed for 125 yards and three more scores on 40 attempts. Jacksonville State coach
Jack Crowe
Jack Crowe (born May 2, 1947) is a former American football coach. He played quarterback at West End High School in Birmingham, Alabama. He was most recently the head coach at Jacksonville State University in Alabama, a position he held from 2000 ...
said earlier that year, following Perrilloux's suspension, "We have not made a different set of rules for Ryan," Crowe said. "He has the same consequences as any one of our players and there is very little room for error. I do not think this is a reflection of his accountability since he has been here. Our fans do not need to assume more than it is, which is a team rule. Since the incident, Ryan has demonstrated his responsibility to this team and this university. I expect this to just be a one-time incident."
Perilloux was named Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.
Professional career
After going undrafted in the
2010 NFL Draft, the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
invited Perrilloux for a tryout, but did not sign him. He signed and played for the
Hartford Colonials
The Hartford Colonials, originally the New York Sentinels, were a professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons. A charter member of the UFL, the Sentinels began play in 2009 nominally ...
of the
United Football League in 2010.
On January 13, 2011, Perrilloux was signed to a reserve/future contract with the
New York Giants. On September 3, 2011, he was cut from the Giants' roster.
He was re-signed the same day to the practice squad, released from the practice squad on September 17 and was once more re-signed on September 23.
Perrilloux was waived again on September 28.
He was re-signed to the practice squad on October 8, but released again on October 12, only to be re-signed once more on October 17.
He was released from the practice squad again on November 2, 2011 and then signed to the practice squad again on November 11, 2011, before being released once again on November 26, 2011.
He was re-signed during the 2012 offseason and was released for the final time by the Giants during the final cut of the 2012 preseason.
Following his stint in the NFL, Perrilloux signed with the
Florida Tarpons
The Florida Tarpons were a professional indoor football team based in Lakeland, Florida, out of the RP Funding Center. Originally established in Estero, Florida, and playing out of Germain Arena, they began play in 2012 as an expansion team of t ...
in the
Ultimate Indoor Football League
The Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) was a regional professional indoor football league that began its inaugural season on February 18, 2011 as the Ultimate Indoor Football League before playing as the United Indoor Football League in 2012 ...
which folded in 2013.
On May 27, 2013, he signed with the
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...
in 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 ...
and was released on September 5, 2013. On January 22, 2014, Perrilloux was assigned to the
New Orleans VooDoo of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
.
He threw for 936 yards and thirteen touchdowns while also rushing for nine scores for the VooDoo in the 2014 season.
In 2016, Perrilloux played for the
Aix-en-Provence Argonautes in the
Ligue Élite de Football Américain
The Championnat Élite Division 1 () is the top-level American football league of France. The league was founded in 1982.
History
American football was introduced to France in the early 20th century, but for decades it remained an infrequent ac ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
with the team reaching the league semifinal game. . In 2019, he was signed by the Baton Rouge RedSticks of the
National Gridiron League (NGL), who were scheduled to begin league play in April 2020 before the season was postponed.
References
External links
LSU Tigers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perrilloux, Ryan
1987 births
Living people
People from LaPlace, Louisiana
Players of American football from Louisiana
African-American basketball players
American football quarterbacks
LSU Tigers football players
Jacksonville State Gamecocks football players
Hartford Colonials players
New York Giants players
Florida Tarpons players
African-American players of American football
New Orleans VooDoo players
American expatriate sportspeople in France
American expatriate players of American football
American men's basketball players
Small forwards
21st-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century African-American people