Sean Ryan (football player)
Encyclopedia
Sean P. Ryan born March 27, 1980) is an American football
tight end
in the National Football League
, and is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Boston College
, and at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
for High School.
Ryan most recently played for the Washington Redskins
. He has also played for the New York Jets
, Miami Dolphins
, New Orleans Saints
, San Francisco 49ers
and Kansas City Chiefs
.
, he was originally a defensive end
, but switched to tight end
as a sophomore. Called the "most competitive player in the Big East
" by USA Today
, he excelled in both blocking and receiving and received All-Big East second team honors (2002). His 12 touchdown receptions rank second in school history among tight ends.
by the Dallas Cowboys
and signed to the practice squad. In 2004, with Dan Campbell
going on injured reserve
, he appeared in 6 games as the blocking tight end. He fractured his foot in training camp and missed all of the 2005 preseason, but was still signed to the practice squad. In November 2005, with 3rd-string TE Brett Pierce
injured, Ryan was promoted to the main squad again.
. http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id=6574D23B-FCA0-34DD-5D60E972A3E5BFEC Ryan was expected to fill the role of #2 tight end for the Jets, behind Chris Baker.
After 16 regular season games of the 2006 NFL regular season
, Ryan had 3 starts and 6 catches for a combined 44 yards. He also had a lot of key blocks for the Jets offense.
signed Ryan to a one-year contract. He was released on September 12, 2008.
on September 24, 2008 after starting tight end Jeremy Shockey
suffered a sports hernia. Quarterback
Joey Harrington
was released to make room for Ryan on the roster. The Saints waived him prior to their next game on September 28 in order to activate fullback
Olaniyi Sobomehin
from their practice squad.
Ryan was re-signed by the Saints on October 8 after the team waived tight end
Buck Ortega
. He was released again on October 16.
signed Ryan on November 3, 2008 after releasing fullback
David Kirtman
.
on April 21, 2009. Ryan scored his first touchdown on September 13, 2009 in the regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens
.
on March 10, 2010. He was released on June 9, 2010.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted 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...
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. 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 Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
, and at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, founded in 1861, is an independent Roman Catholic college preparatory school for young men. Established by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, SJCI is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges...
for High School.
Ryan most recently played for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He has also played for 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...
, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
College career
At Boston CollegeBoston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, he was originally a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
, but switched to tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
as a sophomore. Called the "most competitive player in the Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
" by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, he excelled in both blocking and receiving and received All-Big East second team honors (2002). His 12 touchdown receptions rank second in school history among tight ends.
Dallas Cowboys
He was selected in the 5th round (144th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 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 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
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...
and signed to the practice squad. In 2004, with Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell
Daniel Allen Campbell is a former American football tight end and currently a tight ends coach for the Miami Dolphins. He played tight end for four teams in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at...
going on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
, he appeared in 6 games as the blocking tight end. He fractured his foot in training camp and missed all of the 2005 preseason, but was still signed to the practice squad. In November 2005, with 3rd-string TE Brett Pierce
Brett Pierce
Brett Clayton Pierce is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2004 and has also played for the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys. Pierce played college football at Stanford....
injured, Ryan was promoted to the main squad again.
New York Jets
On 31 August 2006, Ryan was traded to the New York Jets for a seventh-round draft choice in the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id=6574D23B-FCA0-34DD-5D60E972A3E5BFEC Ryan was expected to fill the role of #2 tight end for the Jets, behind Chris Baker.
After 16 regular season games of the 2006 NFL regular season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, Ryan had 3 starts and 6 catches for a combined 44 yards. He also had a lot of key blocks for the Jets offense.
Miami Dolphins
On February 29, 2008, the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed Ryan to a one-year contract. He was released on September 12, 2008.
New Orleans Saints
Ryan was signed by the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on September 24, 2008 after starting tight end Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Charles Shockey is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants 14th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
suffered a sports hernia. Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
was released to make room for Ryan on the roster. The Saints waived him prior to their next game on September 28 in order to activate fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Olaniyi Sobomehin
Olaniyi Sobomehin
Olaniyi "Nee" Sobomehin [OH-la-nee-yee Shuh-BO-muh-heen] is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Portland State...
from their practice squad.
Ryan was re-signed by the Saints on October 8 after the team waived tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Buck Ortega
Buck Ortega
Buck Ortega is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at the University of Miami....
. He was released again on October 16.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
signed Ryan on November 3, 2008 after releasing fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
David Kirtman
David Kirtman
David Kirtman is an American football fullback free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
.
Kansas City Chiefs
Ryan signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
on April 21, 2009. Ryan scored his first touchdown on September 13, 2009 in the regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
.
Washington Redskins
Ryan signed a one-year contract with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on March 10, 2010. He was released on June 9, 2010.