Jonathan Ruffin
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Ruffin is an American football
placekicker
for the New Orleans VooDoo
of the Arena Football League
. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
at Cincinnati
.
Ruffin has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
, Berlin Thunder
and Hamilton Tiger-Cats
.
in 2000 during his college career with the Cincinnati Bearcats
.
as an undrafted free agent following the 2003 NFL Draft
on April 29, 2003. He was waived on August 22. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
on January 8, 2004, and was allocated to NFL Europe
to play for Berlin Thunder
on January 30. After returning to the Cowboys, he was released on August 13, 2004. He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
of the Canadian Football League
on June 28, 2006 before being released.
Ruffin was signed by the New Orleans VooDoo
on May 25, 2007. He made 39-of-41 extra point attempts in 2007
, and was re-signed on August 15, 2007. After the 2008 season
, the VooDoo franchise folded. The franchise was revived in time for the 2011 season
, and Ruffin re-signed with the team on September 27, 2010, after not playing football for two years. Due to a contract conflict with a new job, Ruffin was placed on team suspension in July 2011.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
for the New Orleans VooDoo
New Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
.
Ruffin has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
and Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
.
College career
Ruffin won the Lou Groza AwardLou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
in 2000 during his college career with the Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
.
Professional career
Ruffin was signed by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as an undrafted free agent following the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
on April 29, 2003. He was waived on August 22. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
on January 8, 2004, and was allocated to NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
to play for Berlin Thunder
Berlin Thunder
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
on January 30. After returning to the Cowboys, he was released on August 13, 2004. He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
on June 28, 2006 before being released.
Ruffin was signed by the New Orleans VooDoo
New Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....
on May 25, 2007. He made 39-of-41 extra point attempts in 2007
2007 AFL season
The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia...
, and was re-signed on August 15, 2007. After the 2008 season
2008 Arena Football League season
The 2008 Arena Football League season was the 22nd season of the Arena Football League and final season before the 2009 cancellation. The regular season began play on February 29, 2008 and concluded on June 22...
, the VooDoo franchise folded. The franchise was revived in time for the 2011 season
2011 Arena Football League season
The 2011 Arena Football League season was the twenty-fourth season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 11, 2011 and ended on July 23, 2011...
, and Ruffin re-signed with the team on September 27, 2010, after not playing football for two years. Due to a contract conflict with a new job, Ruffin was placed on team suspension in July 2011.