Ryan Riddle (born July 5, 1981) is a former professional American, Canadian and
Arena football
Indoor American football, or arena football, is a variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
in the sixth round, with the 38th pick (212th overall) of the
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also he ...
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
,
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers were an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California, from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.
History
The Los Angeles Avengers played their home games at the Staples Center, which is also th ...
and
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 ...
.
Ryan Riddle is the grandson of former USC Trojan fullback John RIddle and Helen Wheeler. John Riddle was the first Trojan to score four touchdowns in one game, and in 1924 he and Bryce Taylor of USC were the first African Americans to play against a southern college team. Helen Wheeler graduated from USC Law School in 1927, making her the school's first African American woman to do so.
Early years
Ryan Riddle attended
Culver City High School
Culver City High School is the main public high school of the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) in Culver City, California. It was established in 1951. The school's colors are blue and silver, and the mascot is the centaur. As of 2021, it ...
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. As a junior, he was Culver City's Most Improved Player, an All-Area second team honoree, and led the Bay League with 17 sacks. As a senior, he was the team Most Valuable Player, and an All-Bay League first team honoree and he finished his senior season with seven sacks, three blocked field goals, and 125 tackles. Ryan Riddle graduated from Culver City High School in 1999. He decided to go on to
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also he ...
by the Oakland Raiders. In September 2006, Riddle was cut by the Raiders. He signed with the New York Jets' active roster on September 27, 2006. He was released on December 16, 2006, and later signed on with the Atlanta Falcons. In August 2007, Riddle signed with the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
, but was waived prior to the beginning of the 2007 regular season, despite a 2 sack performance against the Falcons.
After being waived by the Ravens, Riddle signed with the
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers were an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California, from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.
History
The Los Angeles Avengers played their home games at the Staples Center, which is also th ...
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 ...
on a two-year contract. In his first and only season with the Avengers he set a franchise rookie sack record with 3.5. The next year the arena league opted to cancel their season.
Riddle was signed by 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 ...
on February 27, 2009, but was released shortly after.
Post-football
Riddle wrote for the sports website Bleacher Report. He continues to evaluate NFL draft classes at the website he founded draftmetric.com .
NFL.com
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 major ...