Ryan King (born April 21, 1988) is a former Canadian football long snapper who played for eight seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
| No. 53 | |
| Born: | February 19, 1986 Edmonton, Alberta |
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| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | LS |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| University | Saint Mary's |
| CJFL | Edmonton Wildcats |
| High school | Bev Facey |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2012–2020 | Edmonton Eskimos |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career stats | |
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Early career
editKing played high school football for the Bev Facey Falcons from 2001 to 2003.[1] During this time, he won a Tier I provincial title with the Falcons.[2] From 2004 to 2007, King played for the Edmonton Wildcats of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) as a linebacker, where he earned 169 tackles and was named CJFL Linebacker of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.[3][4]
College career
editFrom 2008 to 2010, King played college football for the Saint Mary's Huskies as a linebacker. He was named an Atlantic University Sport (AUS) football all-star in 2009 and held a team captain position for 2009 and 2010.[5] During 2010, he set a school record for most tackles with 114.[3] Due to a new eligibility rule put in place by the CIS which prevented a player from spending more than seven years as a junior or college football player, King was unable to play college football during his final year at Saint Mary's and did not play during 2011.[4]
Professional career
editWhen Taylor Inglis retired from the Edmonton Eskimos, he requested King to be tried out as his potential replacement at the long snapper position. King and Inglis had previously been teammates on the Edmonton Wildcats of the CJFL. King was selected by the Eskimos in the fifth round of the 2012 CFL Draft with the 38th overall pick. After competing with several other players for the position in training camp, King was designated as the starting long snapper for the 2012 season.[4] In his rookie season, King completed seven special teams tackles and recovered one fumble in 15 games.[3] On October 13, in the Eskimos' Week 16 game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, King suffered a separated shoulder and was placed on the nine-game injured list to end his rookie season.[6] In 2013, he returned to his starting position and recorded eight special teams tackles and recovered a forced fumble while starting all 18 regular season games.[3]
On April 17, 2014, the Eskimos signed King to a contract extension through the end of the 2015 season.[7] He completed nine special teams tackles and a forced fumble recovery in 2014. He also played in two post-season games.[3] King announced his retirement from football on April 13, 2021.[8]
Coaching
editIn 2014, King returned to coach the Edmonton Wildcats, where he played amateur football. He coached on the defense, primarily working with the team's linebackers.[9]
Awards and honors
editKing was the 2018 recipient of the Tom Pate Memorial Award.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Ryan King". Edmonton Eskimos. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ Jones, Shane (28 April 2014). "Vote of confidence for King". Sherwood Park News. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Ryan King". Edmonton Eskimos. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ a b c Jones, Shane (23 July 2012). "Eskimos gig a snap for King". Sherwood Park News. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "2009 AUS football all-stars announced". CIS. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ O'Leary, Chris (15 October 2012). "Eskimo Long-snapper Injured on Blindside Hit". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ The Canadian Press (17 April 2014). "Edmonton Eskimos sign long snapper Ryan King to contract extension". Huffpost Alberta. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "Thank You Ryan!". Esks.com. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ "Wildcats Announce 2014 Coaching Staff". Edmonton Wildcats Football. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ Moddejonge, Gerry (27 December 2018). "Ryan King makes it back-to-back Tom Pate Memorial awards for Edmonton Eskimos". Cornwall Standard Freeholder. Retrieved 15 April 2019.