Ken-Yon Rambo
Encyclopedia
Ken-Yon Rambo is a professional American
and Canadian football
wide receiver
, currently with the Canadian Football League
team Calgary Stampeders
.
, playing football
and sprinting
. In 1997 he won the CIF California State Meet
in the 300 meter hurdles. In his senior year (1997) he caught a school record 79 passes for 1,098 yards and 17 touchdowns. He later attended the Ohio State University
, where he continued to excel as a wide receiver
and kick returner. He received All-Big Ten honorable mention honors and the Paul Warfield Award as Ohio State's top receiver in 1998. In 1999, he set a new school record for average yards on kickoff returns with 22.9. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
in the 2001 NFL Draft
in the 7th round, 229th overall.
. He moved on to play for the Dallas Cowboys
. He played for two years with the Cowboys as a receiver and kick returner. In 2003, he saw no playing time with the Cowboys and was released mid-season. The New York Jets
signed him to a contract in December 2003, but again he was not utilized in games. This did not change in 2004.
Rather than spend more time on the bench, Rambo took his services to the Canadian Football League
. He signed a contract with the Calgary Stampeders
in 2005 and has remained with the team ever since. He finished third on the team in receiving with 789 yards in his first year.
He performed admirably in 2006 for the Stampeders; finishing fourth on the team in receiving with 704 yards. In 2007, he finished third on the team with 983 yards receiving and tied with teammate Jeremaine Copeland
and D.J. Flick for first in the league in receiving touchdowns with 10. The 2008 season saw Rambo lead the league in the regular season in total receiving yards with 1,473, helping his team reach the Western Final playoff game. The Calgary Stampeders
would go on to win the 96th Grey Cup
22-14 over the Montreal Alouettes
. On January 29, 2010, Rambo signed a contract extension to remain with the Stampeders.
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...
and Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, currently with 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....
team Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
.
Early life
Rambo attended Long Beach Polytechnic High SchoolLong Beach Polytechnic High School
Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a High school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States....
, playing football
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...
and sprinting
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
. In 1997 he won the CIF California State Meet
CIF California State Meet
The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direct qualification path that can reach the state meet...
in the 300 meter hurdles. In his senior year (1997) he caught a school record 79 passes for 1,098 yards and 17 touchdowns. He later attended the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where he continued to excel as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and kick returner. He received All-Big Ten honorable mention honors and the Paul Warfield Award as Ohio State's top receiver in 1998. In 1999, he set a new school record for average yards on kickoff returns with 22.9. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
in the 7th round, 229th overall.
Professional career
Rambo did not make the final 53-man roster with the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He moved on to play for 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...
. He played for two years with the Cowboys as a receiver and kick returner. In 2003, he saw no playing time with the Cowboys and was released mid-season. The New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed him to a contract in December 2003, but again he was not utilized in games. This did not change in 2004.
Rather than spend more time on the bench, Rambo took his services to 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....
. He signed a contract with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
in 2005 and has remained with the team ever since. He finished third on the team in receiving with 789 yards in his first year.
He performed admirably in 2006 for the Stampeders; finishing fourth on the team in receiving with 704 yards. In 2007, he finished third on the team with 983 yards receiving and tied with teammate Jeremaine Copeland
Jeremaine Copeland
Jeremaine Copeland is a Canadian Football League wide receiver playing for the Toronto Argonauts. He has also played with the Montreal Alouettes and the Calgary Stampeders, as well as in the XFL and NFL Europe football player.-College career:Copeland attended the University of Tennessee...
and D.J. Flick for first in the league in receiving touchdowns with 10. The 2008 season saw Rambo lead the league in the regular season in total receiving yards with 1,473, helping his team reach the Western Final playoff game. The Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
would go on to win the 96th Grey Cup
96th Grey Cup
The 96th Grey Cup was held in Montreal, Quebec at Olympic Stadium on November 23, 2008. The Eastern Division Champion Montreal Alouettes hosted the Western Division Champion Calgary Stampeders. The Stampeders won the game 22-14, with quarterback Henry Burris winning the MVP award...
22-14 over the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
. On January 29, 2010, Rambo signed a contract extension to remain with the Stampeders.