Ralph Ortega
Encyclopedia
Ralph Ortega is a former American college and professional football
player who was a linebacker
in the National Football League
(NFL) for six seasons during the 1970s and early 1980s. Ortega played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons
and the Miami Dolphins
of the NFL.
with his family when he was a child. Ortega played high school football
for legendary coach Nick Kotys at Coral Gables High School
in Coral Gables, Florida
, and was a shot-put specialist on the track and field
team. Two of his Coral Gables Cavaliers football teammates, defensive back
Neal Colzie
and fullback
-linebacker Glenn Cameron
, were first-round 1975 NFL Draft
picks of the Oakland Raiders
and Cincinnati Bengals
, respectively.
In 2007, thirty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
(FHSAA) recognized Ortega as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played linebacker for head coach Doug Dickey
's Florida Gators football
team from 1971 to 1974. Memorably, in 1973, he helped the Gators beat the Auburn Tigers
for the first time at Jordan-Hare Stadium
in fourteen visits. Ortega's big play was a crushing tackle
that caused a fumble
by Auburn tailback
Chris Linderman inside the Gators' five yard-line shortly before halftime. The Gators won 12–8, with Auburn's only points coming near the end of the game. The Gators' coach, Doug Dickey, was carried from the field by his players after the game. At the time, it was called "one of the greatest moments in Florida Gators football history."
Ortega finished his four-season college career with 357 tackles, twelve forced fumbles (eight recovered), and five interceptions. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1973 and 1974, a first-team All-American in 1974, an Academic All-America
n, and the team captain
during his senior
year. He graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in management
in 1976, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1978.
by the Atlanta Falcons. He was a starting linebacker in , and a key component of the renowned "Grits Blitz" Falcons defense, before being relegated to special teams in . He was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a future third-round draft pick in . He finished his NFL career with the Dolphins in . During his six NFL seasons, Ortega played in eighty-one regular season games, intercepted five passes and recovered seven fumbles.
Oretga's son, Buck Ortega, played college football for the Miami Hurricanes
as a quarterback
and tight end
from 2001 to 2004, after winning the Florida Class 2A state high school football championship as the quarterback for Gulliver Preparatory School
in 2000. Ortega served as an assistant coach for his son's Gulliver Prep team, and had a close mentor
relationship with future NFL star defensive back Sean Taylor
, one of his son's Gulliver Prep teammates and close friends.
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...
player who was a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for six seasons during the 1970s and early 1980s. Ortega played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL.
Early life
Ortega was born in Havana, Cuba in 1953, but moved to Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
with his family when he was a child. Ortega played high school 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....
for legendary coach Nick Kotys at Coral Gables High School
Coral Gables High School
Coral Gables Senior High School is a secondary school located at 450 Bird Road in Coral Gables, Florida, USA.Coral Gables SHS opened its doors in 1950; its architectural design reflects a Spanish influence with its open courtyards adorned with water fountains...
in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
, and was a shot-put specialist on the track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team. Two of his Coral Gables Cavaliers football teammates, defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
Neal Colzie
Neal Colzie
Cornelius Connie Colzie, better known as Neal Colzie, was an American football defensive back for the Oakland Raiders , Miami Dolphins , and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
and fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
-linebacker Glenn Cameron
Glenn Cameron
Glenn Scott Cameron is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for eleven seasons in the 1970s and 1980s...
, were first-round 1975 NFL Draft
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
picks of the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, respectively.
In 2007, thirty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
(FHSAA) recognized Ortega as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
College career
Ortega received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played linebacker for head coach Doug Dickey
Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair "Doug" Dickey is a former American college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1971 to 1974. Memorably, in 1973, he helped the Gators beat the Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
for the first time at Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan–Hare Stadium is the playing venue for Auburn University's football team located on campus in Auburn, Alabama, USA. The stadium is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the University's winningest football coach, and Cliff Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team as well as Dean of the Auburn...
in fourteen visits. Ortega's big play was a crushing tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
that caused a fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
by Auburn tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
Chris Linderman inside the Gators' five yard-line shortly before halftime. The Gators won 12–8, with Auburn's only points coming near the end of the game. The Gators' coach, Doug Dickey, was carried from the field by his players after the game. At the time, it was called "one of the greatest moments in Florida Gators football history."
Ortega finished his four-season college career with 357 tackles, twelve forced fumbles (eight recovered), and five interceptions. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection in 1973 and 1974, a first-team All-American in 1974, an Academic All-America
Academic All-America
Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program...
n, and the team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
during his senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
year. He graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
in 1976, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1978.
Professional career
Ortega enjoyed a six-year professional football career in the NFL. He was chosen in the second round (twenty-ninth pick overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Atlanta Falcons. He was a starting linebacker in , and a key component of the renowned "Grits Blitz" Falcons defense, before being relegated to special teams in . He was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a future third-round draft pick in . He finished his NFL career with the Dolphins in . During his six NFL seasons, Ortega played in eighty-one regular season games, intercepted five passes and recovered seven fumbles.
Life after the NFL
Ortega is a stockbroker in Miami.Oretga's son, Buck Ortega, played college football for the Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
as a 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...
and tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
from 2001 to 2004, after winning the Florida Class 2A state high school football championship as the quarterback for Gulliver Preparatory School
Gulliver Preparatory School
Gulliver Schools is a group of private co-educational schools. Its management offices are in Coral Gables, Florida. Its campuses are across Miami-Dade County.- Campuses :Campuses operated by Gulliver schools include:...
in 2000. Ortega served as an assistant coach for his son's Gulliver Prep team, and had a close mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
relationship with future NFL star defensive back Sean Taylor
Sean Taylor
Sean Michael Maurice Taylor was an American football free safety who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Taylor was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Redskins...
, one of his son's Gulliver Prep teammates and close friends.
See also
- 1974 College Football All-America Team1974 College Football All-America TeamThe 1974 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1970–1979
- History of the Atlanta FalconsHistory of the Atlanta FalconsThe history of the Atlanta Falcons dates back when the Falcons joined the National Football League as a 1966 expansion team.-1965–1969:...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Miami Dolphins players
- List of University of Florida alumni