Ryan Longwell facts for kids
Longwell with the Green Bay Packers in 2004
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| California Golden Bears | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Senior analyst | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | August 16, 1974 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Bend Senior (Bend, Oregon) | ||||||||||
| College: | California (1993–1996) | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1997 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974) is a former American football player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). A placekicker is a player who kicks the ball to score field goals and extra points.
Ryan played college football for the California Golden Bears. He then started his professional career with the San Francisco 49ers. However, he never played a game for them. He later played for the Green Bay Packers from 1997 to 2005. After that, he joined the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2011. He also played a short time for the Seattle Seahawks in 2012.
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Early Life and College Years
Ryan Longwell grew up in Bend, Oregon. He went to high school there and played football for the Bend High School Lava Bears. He was a kicker for three years. He also played as a backup quarterback, which is the player who leads the team's offense.
Besides football, Ryan was also a talented baseball player. He played third baseman and earned honors in both sports.
In 1993, Ryan started college at the University of California, Berkeley. He continued to play football there. He was both a punter and a placekicker for his college team. A punter kicks the ball to the other team, usually on fourth down. In his senior year, he was recognized as one of the best players in his conference. Ryan studied English and earned a degree.
Ryan Longwell's NFL Career
Ryan Longwell had a long and successful career in the NFL. He played for three different teams.
Green Bay Packers Years
The Green Bay Packers signed Ryan Longwell in 1997. He had been with the San Francisco 49ers for a short time before that. With the Packers, Ryan played in Super Bowl XXXII. This is the championship game of the NFL season. In that game, he kicked one field goal and three extra points. However, his team lost to the Denver Broncos.
Ryan played nine seasons with the Packers. He scored more than 120 points in six of those seasons. By the end of his seventh season, he had scored more points than any other player in Packers history! Later, another player named Mason Crosby passed him. But Ryan Longwell is still the second-highest scorer in Green Bay Packers history.
Time with the Minnesota Vikings
In 2006, Ryan Longwell signed a contract to play for the Minnesota Vikings. In one of his first games with the Vikings, he had an amazing performance. He scored all 16 of the Vikings' points in a 16–13 win. He kicked three field goals, including the one that won the game in overtime. Overtime is an extra period played when a game is tied. He even threw a 16-yard touchdown pass on a trick play!
In 2008, in the last game of the season, Ryan kicked a 50-yard field goal. He made it as time ran out, helping the Vikings win their division. This meant they were the best team in their group.
In 2018, Ryan Longwell was honored by being added to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the best players in the team's history.
Seattle Seahawks and Retirement
On January 8, 2013, Ryan Longwell joined the Seattle Seahawks. He was signed because their regular kicker, Steven Hauschka, was injured.
Later that year, on August 12, 2013, the Green Bay Packers announced that Ryan would officially retire as a Packer. This means he chose to end his playing career with the team where he had so much success.
Career Highlights and Records
Ryan Longwell holds several impressive records:
- He is the second-leading scorer in Green Bay Packers history, with 1054 points.
- He has the second-most field goals in Green Bay Packers history, with 226.
- He kicked the third-longest field goal in Green Bay Packers history, which was 54 yards.
- He scored the second-most points (1,687) of any player who never made the Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl is an all-star game for the best players in the NFL.
Family Life and Current Role
Ryan Longwell is married to Sarah Longwell. They have two children, Shaye and Reece. Shaye played college tennis, and Reece graduated from Georgia Tech. Ryan is also the cousin of Michael Orr, who was an Olympic athlete in 1992 and 1996.
In 2023, Ryan Longwell returned to his old college, California. He now works as a senior analyst for the football team. This means he helps the coaches by studying games and players.
Images for kids
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Longwell with the Green Bay Packers in 2004
