Ricky Powers facts for kids

Ricky Powers getting ready for a game with the San Antonio Matadors.

Richard Powers, born on November 30, 1970, is a former professional football player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns. Before joining the NFL, he was a co-captain for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team.

Powers had a short career with the Browns. His time with the team ended when the Browns moved and became the Baltimore Ravens. In college, he set a rushing record for freshmen at Michigan. This record stood for fourteen years. As a sophomore, he was the team's top rusher. This was during the season when Desmond Howard won the Heisman Trophy. Powers was part of three championship teams in the Big Ten Conference. In high school, he was a star running back. He helped his team win two state championships in Ohio. He later returned to his high school to coach both baseball and football.

Ricky Powers: High School Football Star

Powers grew up in Akron, Ohio. He led the Buchtel High School football team to two state championships. He was also named a high school All-American. Powers graduated from Buchtel in 1990. He helped his team win the Ohio Division II state championships in 1987 and 1988.

As a sophomore in 1987, Powers ran for 1,600 yards. He gained 600 of those yards in four playoff games. His success helped his coach win the Summit County Coach of the Year award. In his junior year, he rushed for 1,741 yards and scored 28 touchdowns. He even ran for 289 yards in one playoff game. As a senior, he gained 2,014 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

Powers was recognized as one of the best high school players. He was named the Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year twice. He was also a Parade All-American and earned first-team All-USA honors from USA Today. Many sports publications listed him among the top players in the country. Powers was recruited by both the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

College Football Journey at Michigan

Powers and the Michigan Wolverines played in the Rose Bowl in both 1991 and 1992.

Powers wore jersey number 12 for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1990 to 1993. He shared the running back position with other talented players. As a freshman in 1990, he set a new Michigan freshman rushing record with 789 yards. This record was later broken in 2004. That season, he helped the Wolverines win their third straight Big Ten Conference Championship. He also had 100-yard rushing games in their last four victories.

In 1991, as a sophomore, Powers started most of the games. He was named to the All-Big Ten Conference team. He led the team in rushing with 1,251 yards. This was the same year that Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard was also on the team. The 1991 team won another Big Ten Conference Championship. Many players from that team later went on to play in the NFL.

In 1992 and 1993, Powers shared playing time with Tyrone Wheatley. This meant his total yards were lower than in 1991. However, in 1993, he was named a co-captain for the Michigan football team. Powers is currently 13th on Michigan's all-time rushing yards list with 2,680 career yards. He earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology. The Michigan teams he played on in 1991 and 1992 both went to the famous Rose Bowl game.

Professional Career and Coaching

After college, Powers joined the NFL. He was signed by the Detroit Lions in 1994 as a free agent. However, he was released before the season began. Later that year, he signed with the Cleveland Browns and joined their practice squad. He was promoted to the main team for the last three games of the 1995 season. During those games, he rushed for 51 yards and had one pass reception.

When the Browns moved and became the Baltimore Ravens after the 1995 season, Powers' NFL career ended. He later played for other football leagues, like the Ohio Cannon in 1999 and the San Antonio Matadors in 2000. He then retired from playing.

In 2007, Powers returned to his high school, Akron Buchtel High School, to coach football. He had already been the head baseball coach there since 2004. Buchtel High School has a history of producing talented athletes who go on to play in college and professionally. Some recent Buchtel graduates who became professional athletes include Antonio Pittman, Charlton Keith, and Ramon Walker.

Personal Life

Ricky Powers' older brother, Scott, was also a talented football player. Scott played as a cornerback in high school. Ricky's final decision about which college to attend came down to Michigan State and Michigan. His mother said that Ricky chose Michigan.

See also

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders