DeMeco Ryans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
DeMeco Ryans

Ryans in 2010
Houston Texans
Position:	Head coach
Personal information
Born:	(1984-07-28) July 28, 1984 (age 40) Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	247 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school:	Jess Lanier (Bessemer)
College:	Alabama (2002–2005)
NFL Draft:	2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33
Career history
As player:
Houston Texans (2006–2011) Philadelphia Eagles (2012–2015)
As coach:
San Francisco 49ers (2017) Defensive quality control coach San Francisco 49ers (2018–2020) Inside linebackers coach San Francisco 49ers (2021–2022) Defensive coordinator Houston Texans (2023–present) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
As a player: NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2006) Second-team All-Pro (2007) 2× Pro Bowl (2007, 2009) NFL solo tackles leader (2006) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2006) Lott Trophy (2005) SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2005) Unanimous All-American (2005) First-team All-SEC (2005) 2× Second-team All-SEC (2003, 2004) As a coach: Assistant coach of the Year (2022)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 971 Sacks: 13.5 Forced fumbles: 7 Fumble recoveries: 10 Interceptions: 7
Head coaching record
Regular season:	20–14 (.588)
Postseason:	2–2 (.500)
Career:	22–16 (.579)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR

DeMeco Ryans (born July 28, 1984) is an American football coach and former player. He used to play as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). Today, he is the head coach for the Houston Texans.

Ryans played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was recognized as an All-American for his amazing skills. The Texans picked him in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was even named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season.

DeMeco Ryans played for the Texans and was chosen for two Pro Bowls. Later, he moved to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012 and played there for four seasons before he stopped playing. In 2017, he started his coaching career with the San Francisco 49ers. He became their defensive coordinator in 2021. In 2023, the Houston Texans hired him as their head coach. He led the team to the playoffs in his very first year!

Early Life and High School Football

DeMeco Ryans was born in Bessemer, Alabama. He went to Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer. There, he played high school football. In his final year of high school, Ryans made 135 tackles. He also had 11 sacks, forced two fumbles, and caught two interceptions.

Experts thought he was a top player. He was ranked as the 39th best inside linebacker in the country for his age group. He chose to play college football at the University of Alabama.

College Football Career

Ryans went to the University of Alabama. He played as an outside linebacker for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 2002 to 2005. When he first started, he played on special teams and as a backup linebacker.

He got better every year in college. In 2005, he became the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He said his defensive coordinator, Joe Kines, helped him a lot. Ryans was also named the defensive MVP of the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic. This was after Alabama won 13–10 against Texas Tech. After his senior year, he won the Lott Trophy. This award is for players who are great athletes and also do well off the field. He was also recognized as a unanimous All-American.

Playing in the National Football League

Houston Texans Years

The Houston Texans picked Ryans as the 33rd player overall in the 2006 NFL draft. This was the first pick of the second round. He was the highest-picked linebacker from Alabama since 1997. Even though he played outside linebacker in college, he became the starting middle linebacker for the Texans. This was because he played so well in the preseason.

In his very first game, Ryans made 12 solo tackles. This was the most in the league that week. He had a huge impact as a rookie. He led the Texans in tackles during the first half of the 2006 season. He was even named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 13. In that game, he had 15 tackles, a sack, and an interception.

Ryans was named the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He finished second in the league with 155 total tackles. He was also chosen for the NFL All-Rookie Team. In 2007 and 2009, Ryans was selected for the Pro Bowl. On March 30, 2010, he signed a big contract extension with the Texans.

Philadelphia Eagles Years

Ryans celebrating during a game in 2012.

On March 20, 2012, Ryans was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He immediately became the team's starting middle linebacker. Even though the Eagles had a tough season, Ryans still played well. He led the team with 113 tackles. He also had a sack and an interception.

In 2013, Ryans played even better. He led the team in tackles again with 127. He also had his best year for sacks (4.0) and interceptions (2). On January 4, 2014, he made 10 tackles and got his first playoff interception. This was during a close game against the New Orleans Saints.

Sadly, on November 3, 2014, Ryans got a serious injury. He tore his Achilles tendon and was placed on injured reserve. The Eagles released him on February 24, 2016.

NFL Career Statistics

DeMeco Ryans played in 140 regular season games during his NFL career. He had 970 total tackles, 13.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and 7 interceptions.

Coaching Career

San Francisco 49ers

On February 28, 2017, Ryans started his coaching career with the San Francisco 49ers. He was hired as a defensive quality control coach. In 2018, he was promoted to coach the inside linebackers. On January 18, 2021, Ryans became the team's defensive coordinator. This meant he was in charge of the entire defense.

After the 49ers defense played very well in the 2021 playoffs, other teams noticed Ryans. He was interviewed for the head coach job at the Minnesota Vikings. However, he decided to stay with the 49ers. In 2022, Ryans' defense was one of the best in football. Because of his great work, Ryans was named the PFWA Assistant Coach of the Year.

Houston Texans

On January 31, 2023, Ryans was hired as the head coach of the Houston Texans. This was the same team he started his playing career with! He signed a six-year contract.

The Texans started the 2023 season by losing their first two games. But under Ryans' leadership, the team improved a lot. They finished the season with a 10–7 record. They won their division, the AFC South, and made it to the playoffs. The Texans beat the Cleveland Browns 45–14 in the Wild Card Round. This was their first playoff win since 2019.

In 2024, Ryans became one of three former Pro Bowl linebackers to be a head coach in the NFL. The other two are Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders) and Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots). After a win in Week 18 of 2024, Ryans became the fastest coach in Texans history to win 20 games. He achieved this in just 34 games.

Head Coaching Record

Personal Life

DeMeco Ryans is married to Jamila. They have three children named MJ, Micah, and Xia. He is a Christian and goes to the Bessemer 24th church of Christ.