Rocky Ryan (American football)

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Rocky Ryan
No. 45
Position:Defensive Back, End
Personal information
Born: (1932-07-05) July 5, 1932 (age 89)
Tolono, Illinois
Died:(2011-11-03)November 3, 2011
Urbana, Illinois
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:Unity (Tolono, IL)
College:Illinois
NFL Draft:1954 / Round: 2 / Pick: 21
Career history

John "Rocky" Ryan (July 5, 1932 – November 3, 2011) is a former American professional football player who was a Defensive Back in the National Football League (NFL) in the late 1950s. Ryan played college football for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was selected in the second round of the 1954 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears of the NFL.

Early years[]

Ryan was born in Tolono, Illinois.[1] He attended Unity High School in Tolono, Illinois from 1946 to 1950 and played both football and basketball. In addition, he won the Illinois State Pole Vault Title during the 1947-1948 school year.[2] Ryan's pole vault championship assisted the high school track and field team in finishing tenth overall at the state meet.[3]

College career[]

After graduating from high school, Ryan attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he joined the football team. His style of play lead to him being referred to as a "daring young Irishman".[4] Perhaps the highlight of his collegiate football career was playing in the 1952 Rose Bowl, the first nationally televised college football game, where he caught a touchdown pass.[1] Ryan's touchdown was Illinois' final score of the game and was part of a dominant Rose Bowl performance by the team that the University of Illinois Alumni Association would go on to name one of the top ten moments in Illini football history.[5]

In addition to his performance on the field, Ryan became known for one significant off-field incident during his collegiate career, referred to as "The Apple Bowl." After the University of Illinois defeated the University of Iowa 33-13 in a game held on November 8, 1952, Iowa fans began to throw apples and other fruit at Illinois players as the players exited the field.[6] Shortly thereafter, Ryan was approached by a University of Iowa fan named Richard Wolfe, and, after an exchange between the two men, Ryan punched Wolfe in the face, breaking his jaw.[6] The incident resulted in the two schools not playing a football game against each other for fifteen years.[6]

Professional career[]

In 1954, he was selected in the second round of the 1954 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.[7] However, his entry into the NFL was delayed as he enlisted in the United States Army and served from 1954 to 1956.[1] Ryan ultimately played for the Eagles during the 1956 and 1957 seasons but, partway through the 1958 season, left the team for the Chicago Bears.[8] It was rumored for a period of time that Ryan was originally placed on waivers by the Eagles for a situation in which his temper "flared up" in an exchange with coach Buck Shaw.[9] The 1958 season would be his last with the NFL, at which point he returned to Champaign, Illinois and worked a variety of jobs prior to his retirement.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "John Ryan Obituary". The News-Gazette. November 5, 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Records & History - Boys Track & Field Medalists". IHSA.org. October 7, 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  3. ^ "The History of Tolono High School". IllinoisHSGloryDays.com. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  4. ^ "5 O' Connell Touchdown Passes Spark Conquest of Washington". The Chicago Tribune. October 12, 1952. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  5. ^ Asmussen, Bob (October 2, 2014). "Gridiron Greatness: Illinois Alumni compiles the 10 greatest moments in Illini Football". IllinoisAlumni.org. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Dochterman, Scott (April 2, 2014). "Special report: How pass interference, a jawbreaker and tossed apples nearly canned the Iowa-Illinois football rivalry". The Gazette. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Rocky Ryan". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  8. ^ "John Raymond "Rocky" Ryan". OldestLivingProFootball.com. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Eagles' Shakeup Drops Rocky Ryan". The Milwaukee Sentinel. October 16, 1958. Retrieved 22 November 2015.

External links[]

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