From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
DeMeco Ryans (born July 28, 1984 in Bessemer, Alabama) is an American football player for the Houston Texans. He was drafted as the first pick of the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Ryans played college football at the University of Alabama. He was named the 2006 Cotton Bowl (game) defensive MVP in their 13-10 win over Texas Tech. He played outside linebacker in college, but in his first season, Ryans has earned the starting Middle Linebacker position with the Houston Texans of the NFL, due to his excellent performances in the preseason. In his first game with the Texans he recorded a league high 12 solo tackles. Ryans had an overwhelming impact as a rookie linebacker for the Texans, leading the team in tackles in the first half of the 2006 season. Many Texans fans have deemed him "The Engineer" for his technical defensive adjustments and his metaphorical ability to stop trains.
[edit] Awards and Honors
- 2006 NCAA Top Eight Award (Class of 2006)
- 2005 All-American
- 2005 SEC Defensive Player of the year
- 2005 First Team All-SEC
- 2005 Bednarik Trophy Semifinalist
- 2005 Butkus Trophy Finalist
- 2005 Draddy Award Finalist
- 2005 Nagurski Award Finalist
- 2005 Lombardi Award Semifinalist
[edit] External links
