Ryan Roberts (American football) facts for kids

Ryan Roberts (born August 11, 1980) is a former American football player. He played as a defensive end for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team in college from 1998 to 2002. He went to Haddonfield Memorial High School.

Early Life and High School Football

Ryan Roberts was born on August 11, 1980, in Camden, New Jersey. His hometown was Lawnside, New Jersey.

When he started high school, Ryan played soccer. But a friend encouraged him to try gridiron football during his first year. He earned three varsity letters, which means he played on the main school team for three years.

Ryan had back pain while playing both running back and defensive end in high school. This was due to a condition he was born with. Even with this, he was considered one of the top 100 football recruits in his class by the Prep Football Report.

In his senior year, Ryan was amazing. He ran for over 1,000 yards and got 10 quarterback sacks. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the opposing team's quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

Many colleges wanted Ryan to play for them. He visited schools like Iowa, Penn State, and Notre Dame. In December 1997, he decided to commit to Notre Dame. He officially signed his National Letter of Intent to play for them on February 5, 1998.

Ryan was also recognized as a top player. He was an honorable-mention All-American by USAToday in 1997. He was also named a First Team All-State player by the Associated Press. In an all-star game between New York and New Jersey high school players, Ryan even scored a safety. A safety gives points to the defensive team.

College Football Career

Ryan Roberts started his college career at Notre Dame as a linebacker. This position is usually in the middle of the defense. After his first year, he switched to defensive end, which is a position on the edge of the defensive line.

In 1998, he spent time on the scout squad, helping his team practice by acting as an opponent. In 1999, he played in 10 games. After that season, he had a serious back surgery that could have ended his career.

After his surgery in January 2000, Ryan couldn't play for a while. He lost weight because he was away from football. But he was medically cleared to play again in the fall. When the team's captain, Grant Irons, got injured, Ryan stepped up. He became a starter for the 2000 team. He started in 8 of 12 games and got a sack in each of his first four games!

In 2001, Ryan continued to play well. He started in 5 of 8 games before getting a knee injury (medial collateral ligament injury) that ended his season. One of his best games was against USC in 2001. He got 3 sacks in that game and made 4 tackles that caused the offense to lose yards. He also made a touchdown-saving tackle.

Ryan's last year at Notre Dame was in 2002. This was a new coach's first season, Tyrone Willingham. Ryan had already earned a degree in science-business. He continued to play a big role on the defensive line. He helped the team become very successful that year. He got 2 sacks against both Purdue and Michigan State. His efforts helped Coach Willingham have the best first year of any Notre Dame head coach.

Ryan Roberts finished his college career with many impressive stats. He was ranked among the top players in Notre Dame history for his career sacks and single-season sacks. A sack is a big play that stops the opposing team's offense.