Kevin Riley
Encyclopedia
Kevin Riley is a former American football
quarterback
for the California Golden Bears
. He played for California from 2007-2010.
. He attended Beaverton High School
where he played football
. Riley was considered the top player in Oregon as a senior by Rivals.com and SuperPrep magazine. He was named Portland metro area player of the year after passing for 2,580 yards with just six interceptions on 239 attempts. He was team MVP and Vice President of his class as a junior and senior.
in California's homecoming game against Oregon State. Riley passed for 294 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown but California lost the game when he scrambled instead of throwing the ball away to set up a field goal to tie the game. Riley did get credit for putting Cal in a situation to win after being down 31-21 late in the fourth quarter.
Riley took over for Longshore in the second quarter of the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl
. He passed for 269 yard, 3 touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown, helping the Bears turn a 21-0 deficit into a victory. Riley was the game's MVP.
at home, throwing for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He only played during the first half of the Bears' 66-3 rout of Washington State
, which allowed the backup players to get some starting time. The win resulted in the Bears breaking into the Top 25 at #23, but they were upset in College Park, Maryland
on September 13 by the unranked Maryland Terrapins
. With the Bears' offense stifled by the Terrapins' defense for three quarters, Riley threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter for 423 yards on 58 attempts, a school record for the most pass attempts.
Two weeks later, he started against Colorado State
at home on September 27, during which he threw for 59 yards and one touchdown pass. With Cal up 21-0, Nate Longshore stepped in at quarterback in the third quarter and threw for two touchdowns in the fourth. This resulted in the starting quarterback position being reopened by head coach Jeff Tedford
for the following week against Arizona State
on October 4. Longshore was picked as the starter and led the Bears to a 24-14 victory. On October 18, Riley stepped in at quarterback in the fourth quarter during an away game against the Arizona Wildcats. He was unable to lead a comeback, throwing for 97 yards and one interception, and the Bears fell to the Wildcats 42-27. Riley got the start the following week against the UCLA Bruins, his first since Colorado State nearly a month prior. He threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, in the 41-20 victory.
Riley also got the start the following week against the Oregon Ducks
. He sustained a concussion after being hit in the first quarter when he failed to slide while trying to gain a first down and did not return to the game. Longshore stepped in and led the Bears to a 26-16 upset over #23 Oregon. The following week against USC
, Riley took over in the second half but was unable to lead the Bears to an upset of the #6 Trojans. Riley got the start the following week against Stanford
for the 111th Big Game
. He threw for 101 yards, including three touchdown passes, in the Bears' 37-16 victory over the Cardinal and reclaiming of the Stanford Axe. Riley's three start run ended when Longshore was picked over him to start the 2008 Emerald Bowl
against the Miami Hurricanes
, which the Bears won 24-17. Riley was expected to compete for the starting quarterback position in 2009 with redshirt freshman Brock Mansion.
Riley was named the starter for the 2009 season a week before the team's season opener against Maryland
, a contrast to 2008 when head coach Jeff Tedford alternated between him and Nate Longshore
. On September 5, Riley threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns against the Terrapins, each to a different receiver. The following week against Eastern Washington
he threw for 151 yards and a score, also getting his first rushing touchdown of the season. At Cal's first away game on September 19 against Minnesota
, he passed for 252 yards. Riley struggled the following week against Oregon
, being sacked four times and held to 123 passing yards. Although was replaced in the fourth quarter by Beau Sweeney, the Bears could only muster a field goal to Oregon's 42 points. Riley fared slightly better against USC
on October 3, throwing for 198 yards and an interception. However the Bears were again blown out in a 30-3 loss.
Two weeks later against UCLA
, Riley bounced back, leading the Bears to a 45-26 victory in which he threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He followed this up with a 229 yard and three touchdown performance against Washington State
, the worst team in the conference. Riley played perhaps his best game of the season against Arizona State
in Tempe
. Cal narrowly defeated the Sun Devils 23-21, with Riley throwing for 351 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On November 7, despite passing for 200 yards and a touchdown, Cal sustained its fifth straight loss to Oregon State
. In Cal's final home game against #18 Arizona
, the Bears upset the Wildcats 24-16. Riley threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, being intercepted twice. Cal entered the Big Game
against Stanford
as the underdog on November 21, hanging on to pull off a 34-28 upset in which Riley threw for 235 yards and a touchdown. The regular season ended for Riley on a sour note, with an upset by Washington
in which he was sacked five times, despite throwing for a score and 215 yards. Against Utah
in the Poinsettia Bowl
, Riley passed for 214 yards in the 37-27 loss. He accounted for all three of Cal's turnovers and was sacked four times.
on July 22. Despite an inconsistent performance in 2009, he retained the starting quarterback job. In the season opener against UC Davis
on September 4, Riley threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, following this up with 197 yards and four scores, all to different receivers, the following week against Colorado
. On September 17 he had 277 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions in a loss to Nevada
in Reno
, while throwing for 116 yards and an interception in a narrow loss to Arizona
on September 25. On October 9 against UCLA
, he threw for 83 yards and a touchdown, while scoring himself on a rushing touchdown.
Riley sustained a season-ending injury to his left knee when he was hit low during an October 30 road game against Oregon State
and had to be helped from the field. He did not return to the game. Junior redshirt Brock Mansion was the starter for the remainder of the season.
' Local Pro Day in April 2011. He also tried out for the BC Lions
of the Canadian Football League
. Riley signed with the Lions on May 27, but was later cut by the team on June 5. Riley now works in medical sales in San Francisco.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the California Golden Bears
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
. He played for California from 2007-2010.
High school
Riley was born on January 27, 1987 to parents Rhonda and Faustin Riley in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He attended Beaverton High School
Beaverton High School
Beaverton High School, is a public high school located in Beaverton, Oregon. Opened in 1902, it is the oldest high school in Beaverton.-History:...
where he played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. Riley was considered the top player in Oregon as a senior by Rivals.com and SuperPrep magazine. He was named Portland metro area player of the year after passing for 2,580 yards with just six interceptions on 239 attempts. He was team MVP and Vice President of his class as a junior and senior.
2007
Riley made his first career start for the injured Nate LongshoreNate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
in California's homecoming game against Oregon State. Riley passed for 294 yards, two touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown but California lost the game when he scrambled instead of throwing the ball away to set up a field goal to tie the game. Riley did get credit for putting Cal in a situation to win after being down 31-21 late in the fourth quarter.
Riley took over for Longshore in the second quarter of the 2007 Armed Forces Bowl
2007 Armed Forces Bowl
The 2007 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2007, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, USA...
. He passed for 269 yard, 3 touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown, helping the Bears turn a 21-0 deficit into a victory. Riley was the game's MVP.
2008
Riley competed with Longshore for the starting quarterback job, winning the position for the first four games. He led the Bears to wins over Michigan State2008 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2008 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2008–2009 college football season. The team's head coach was Mark Dantonio. The Spartans played their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan...
at home, throwing for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He only played during the first half of the Bears' 66-3 rout of Washington State
2008 Washington State Cougars football team
The 2008 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach was Paul Wulff. It played its home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington...
, which allowed the backup players to get some starting time. The win resulted in the Bears breaking into the Top 25 at #23, but they were upset in College Park, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
on September 13 by the unranked Maryland Terrapins
2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...
. With the Bears' offense stifled by the Terrapins' defense for three quarters, Riley threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter for 423 yards on 58 attempts, a school record for the most pass attempts.
Colorado State Rams
Colorado State University competes in 16 sponsored intercollegiate sports, including 10 for women and six for men...
at home on September 27, during which he threw for 59 yards and one touchdown pass. With Cal up 21-0, Nate Longshore stepped in at quarterback in the third quarter and threw for two touchdowns in the fourth. This resulted in the starting quarterback position being reopened by head coach Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford is an American football coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears football team, a position he has held since 2002. As a first-time head coach, Tedford has won wide acclaim for revitalizing the Cal football program...
for the following week against Arizona State
2008 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 2008 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represents Arizona State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. It plays its home games at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona....
on October 4. Longshore was picked as the starter and led the Bears to a 24-14 victory. On October 18, Riley stepped in at quarterback in the fourth quarter during an away game against the Arizona Wildcats. He was unable to lead a comeback, throwing for 97 yards and one interception, and the Bears fell to the Wildcats 42-27. Riley got the start the following week against the UCLA Bruins, his first since Colorado State nearly a month prior. He threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, in the 41-20 victory.
Riley also got the start the following week against the Oregon Ducks
2008 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2008 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2008. This was the final season for Mike Bellotti as the Ducks' head coach; he was promoted to become the school's athletic director after the season. The Ducks played their home games at...
. He sustained a concussion after being hit in the first quarter when he failed to slide while trying to gain a first down and did not return to the game. Longshore stepped in and led the Bears to a 26-16 upset over #23 Oregon. The following week against USC
2008 USC Trojans football team
The 2008 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2008–2009...
, Riley took over in the second half but was unable to lead the Bears to an upset of the #6 Trojans. Riley got the start the following week against Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
for the 111th Big Game
Big Game (football)
The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...
. He threw for 101 yards, including three touchdown passes, in the Bears' 37-16 victory over the Cardinal and reclaiming of the Stanford Axe. Riley's three start run ended when Longshore was picked over him to start the 2008 Emerald Bowl
2008 Emerald Bowl
The 2008 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2008-09 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2008 at AT&T Park, the home field of the Giants in San Francisco, California...
against the Miami Hurricanes
2008 Miami Hurricanes football team
-Roster changes:University of Miami safety Kenny Phillips and defensive end Calais Campbell made the decision to forgo their senior years and declare for the NFL Draft. Phillips was drafted in the first round, No. 31 overall by the New York Giants. Campbell was drafted in the second round, No. 50...
, which the Bears won 24-17. Riley was expected to compete for the starting quarterback position in 2009 with redshirt freshman Brock Mansion.
2009
2009 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2009 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland during its 57th season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terrapins played in the Atlantic Division of the conference, and competed against all five divisional opponents, two Coastal Division opponents on a...
, a contrast to 2008 when head coach Jeff Tedford alternated between him and Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore
Nate Longshore is an arena football quarterback for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League. He played collegiately at California, where he was a three year starter and led the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac-10 title in 2006.-High school:Longshore graduated from Canyon High School...
. On September 5, Riley threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns against the Terrapins, each to a different receiver. The following week against Eastern Washington
2009 Eastern Washington Eagles football team
The 2009 Eastern Washington Eagles football team represented Eastern Washington University in the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football season. They played their home games at Woodward Field in Cheney, Washington...
he threw for 151 yards and a score, also getting his first rushing touchdown of the season. At Cal's first away game on September 19 against Minnesota
2009 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
The 2009 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team was the third under head coach Tim Brewster. They began play on September 5, 2009, at Syracuse, a member of the Big East Conference. On September 12, the Minnesota opened the new TCF Bank Stadium with a 20–13 win against Air Force, moving from the...
, he passed for 252 yards. Riley struggled the following week against Oregon
2009 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2009 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2009. The team was led by head coach Chip Kelly in his first season as a head coach at the Division I FBS level. Kelly was only the third Ducks head coach since 1977 and led the Ducks to a...
, being sacked four times and held to 123 passing yards. Although was replaced in the fourth quarter by Beau Sweeney, the Bears could only muster a field goal to Oregon's 42 points. Riley fared slightly better against USC
2009 USC Trojans football team
The 2009 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2009–2010. The team played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and was coached by Pete Carroll, who was in his ninth and final...
on October 3, throwing for 198 yards and an interception. However the Bears were again blown out in a 30-3 loss.
Two weeks later against UCLA
2009 UCLA Bruins football team
The 2009 UCLA Bruins football team , under second year head coach Rick Neuheisel, opened the season at the Rose Bowl on September 5 against San Diego State. One scheduling change was that the last game of the season against USC was moved from the "Championship Saturday" weekend of December...
, Riley bounced back, leading the Bears to a 45-26 victory in which he threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He followed this up with a 229 yard and three touchdown performance against Washington State
2009 Washington State Cougars football team
The 2009 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University in the college football season of 2009. The team's head coach was Paul Wulff. It played its home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington, USA...
, the worst team in the conference. Riley played perhaps his best game of the season against Arizona State
2009 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 2009 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented Arizona State University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Sun Devils were coached by third-year coach Dennis Erickson and played their home games at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona...
in Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. Cal narrowly defeated the Sun Devils 23-21, with Riley throwing for 351 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On November 7, despite passing for 200 yards and a touchdown, Cal sustained its fifth straight loss to Oregon State
2009 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2009 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the college football 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach, in his second stint with the Beavers, was Mike Riley who was in his seventh straight season and ninth overall with the football...
. In Cal's final home game against #18 Arizona
2009 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 2009 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Wildcats, led by sixth-year head coach Mike Stoops, played their home games at Arizona Stadium....
, the Bears upset the Wildcats 24-16. Riley threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, being intercepted twice. Cal entered the Big Game
Big Game (football)
The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...
against Stanford
2009 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 2009 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinal was coached by third-year coach Jim Harbaugh and played their home games at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California....
as the underdog on November 21, hanging on to pull off a 34-28 upset in which Riley threw for 235 yards and a touchdown. The regular season ended for Riley on a sour note, with an upset by Washington
2009 Washington Huskies football team
The 2009 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2009-2010. The team's head coach was Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington...
in which he was sacked five times, despite throwing for a score and 215 yards. Against Utah
2009 Utah Utes football team
The 2009 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team, coached by 5th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, played its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah....
in the Poinsettia Bowl
2009 Poinsettia Bowl
The 2009 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl was the fifth edition of the college football bowl game and was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game started at 5 PM US PST on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 on ESPN. The Utah Utes defeated the California Golden Bears...
, Riley passed for 214 yards in the 37-27 loss. He accounted for all three of Cal's turnovers and was sacked four times.
2010
Riley entered the 2010 season as the Pac-10 Conference leader in wins and touchdown passes. He was named to the watch list for the Manning AwardManning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
on July 22. Despite an inconsistent performance in 2009, he retained the starting quarterback job. In the season opener against UC Davis
UC Davis Aggies football
The UC Davis Aggies football team represents the University of California, Davis in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision intercollegiate competition...
on September 4, Riley threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, following this up with 197 yards and four scores, all to different receivers, the following week against Colorado
2010 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 2010 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by fifth-year head coach Dan Hawkins for the first nine games and interim head coach Brian Cabral for the final three games. Colorado played their...
. On September 17 he had 277 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions in a loss to Nevada
2010 Nevada Wolf Pack football team
The 2010 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolf Pack were led by head coach Chris Ault in his 26th season overall and 7th since taking over the head coaching job for the third time in 2004. They played...
in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, while throwing for 116 yards and an interception in a narrow loss to Arizona
2010 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 2010 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the college football season of 2010. The team's head coach was Mike Stoops. The Wildcats played their home games at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona...
on September 25. On October 9 against UCLA
2010 UCLA Bruins football team
The 2010 UCLA Bruins football team, coached by third year head coach Rick Neuheisel, opened the season on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats on September 4, 2010. The next three games would be against ranked opponents, and after a road win at #7 Texas, expectations for the Bruins dampened...
, he threw for 83 yards and a touchdown, while scoring himself on a rushing touchdown.
Riley sustained a season-ending injury to his left knee when he was hit low during an October 30 road game against Oregon State
2010 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2010 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach, in his second stint with the Beavers, was Mike Riley who was in his seventh straight season and ninth overall. Home games were played at Reser...
and had to be helped from the field. He did not return to the game. Junior redshirt Brock Mansion was the starter for the remainder of the season.
Post college career
Riley was invited to participate in the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
' Local Pro Day in April 2011. He also tried out for the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. Riley signed with the Lions on May 27, but was later cut by the team on June 5. Riley now works in medical sales in San Francisco.
Awards and honors
- 2007 Armed Forces Bowl2007 Armed Forces BowlThe 2007 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2007, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, USA...
MVP - Named Pac-10 offensive player of the week, September 5, 2009