Ray Rice
Encyclopedia
Raymell Maurice Rice is an American football
running back
for the Baltimore Ravens
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Rutgers
. He is currently ranked as the Baltimore Ravens third all-time rusher in yards (2844), and attempts (623). He is ranked fifth all-time for touchdowns (11).
Rice was the primary running back at New Rochelle High School
, playing alongside future Rutgers teammates Courtney Greene
and Glen Lee. His sophomore and junior seasons saw him take the primary duties, but he became the feature back in his senior year.
In his junior year, he helped lead NRHS to a New York state championship, and he took the team to the finals his senior year, playing against future Duke
point guard and Syracuse
quarterback Greg Paulus
in the state championship game, in which Christian Brothers Academy (DeWitt, New York) defeated New Rochelle High School.
; he switched his commitment to the Scarlet Knights following the firing of Syracuse head coach
Paul Pasqualoni
in 2005.
Rice attended Rutgers. In 2005 (Rice's freshman year), Rutgers had its first winning season in 14 years and played in only the second bowl in the football program's then 136 year history. In 2006, the Scarlet Knights
won a school record-tying 11 games and registered the school's highest ever season-ending national poll ranking, finishing at #12 in both the Associated Press and Coach's Polls.
As a true freshman Rice finished the season as the starting tailback
for Rutgers. Rice rushed for 1120 yards and 5 TDs during his freshman campaign, including a 217-yard performance against the University of Connecticut
.
Rice gained 1,794 rushing yards in 2006 with 20 touchdowns. His total in 2006 set Rutgers' single-season rushing yardage record, shattering J. J. Jennings' mark of 1,353 set in 1973. Rice's backfield partner during his freshman and sophomore seasons was fullback Brian Leonard
. Leonard considered entering the NFL Draft
in 2006 but stayed for his senior year and took on a less prominent role in the offense which aided Rice's rise to stardom. Rice was also a finalist for the Maxwell Award
and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy
voting. Rice was named Big East offensive player of the week a school-record three times in 2006. All three times, Rice rushed for over 200 yards, including a career high 225 yard game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Rice ended his sophomore season with 170 yards on 24 carries with 1 touchdown during the inaugural Texas Bowl
to give Rutgers its first bowl victory ever in a 37-10 win. He was named MVP of the game.
Rice was widely considered a candidate for both the Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy in 2007. On October 6, 2007 against the Cincinnati Bearcats
, Rice scored his 35th career rushing touchdown, setting the all time program record.On November 9, 2007 against the Army Black Knights
, Rice ran for 243 yards and scored twice in the 41-6 win against Army, setting a new school record previously set by Terrell Willis in 1994, and his new single game record. On January 5, 2008, at the second annual International Bowl
in Toronto
, Rice ran for a new school record of 280 yards, along with 4 touchdowns as Rutgers beat Ball State University
52-30. One of the TD runs was the longest of his career—a 90-yard scamper. Rice won the MVP award for his performance. On January 8, 2008, Rice declared his intention to enter the 2008 NFL draft.
in the second round (55th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft
and signed a 4-year deal with the Ravens worth $2.805 million plus a $1.1 million signing bonus. He wore number #39 during the preseason then switched to #27 (his number at Rutgers
), after the Ravens cut Cornerback Ronnie Prude
.
. Rice had his best game of the season in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns where he ran for 154 yards on 21 carries. Rice finished out the season with 454 rushing yards on 107 carries and had 273 receiving yards on 33 receptions.
It was announced during training camp that Rice won the starting running back job over Willis McGahee
for the 2009 NFL season, and that Le'Ron McClain
would be switching back to full time fullback duties.
In the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs
, Rice rushed for 108-yards on 19 carries, which was his second career 100-yard rushing game.
In week 3, Rice rushed for his first pro touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. On October 11, 2009, he returned his first reception for touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals
. On October 18, 2009, (Week 6) Rice led his team in both rushing and receiving yards against the Minnesota Vikings. He rushed for 77-yards off 10 carries, scoring 2 touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for 117-yards. In week 14, Rice had career-bests 166 rushing yards and 216 total yards, scoring one touchdown. In week 16 at the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Rice rushed for a career-high 30 times for 141 yards, which broke the Steelers streak of 32 consecutive games without a 100-yard rusher.
He finished the season with 254 carries for 1,339 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
Rice was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl
, his first, on December 29, 2009.
In the wildcard playoff game against the New England Patriots
on January 10, 2010, Rice scored an 83-yard touchdown on the first offensive play for the Ravens, the longest play for the Ravens that season, the longest rush of his NFL career and the 2nd longest rush in NFL postseason history.
, Rice amassed a career-best 233 yards from scrimmage (153 rushing and 80 receiving) to go along with two touchdowns. The 233 yards are also the third most in Ravens franchise history. For his efforts, Rice was awarded his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. On January 9, 2011, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rice became the first Ravens RB to have a receiving touchdown in a playoff game.
Rice gained 107 yards rushing and 1 touchdown, while making 4 receptions for 42 yards and 1 touchdown. The Ravens would win that game 35 to 7. This performance was only the second time a running back had gained more than 100 rushing yards against the Steelers defense since the 2009 season, both belonging to Rice. Week 2, saw a dismal performance by the whole team in a losing effort to the Tennessee Titans
. Rice would only gain 96 yards (43 rushing, 53 receiving). In week 3 against the St. Louis Rams
, Rice did not score any touchdowns, but rushed for 81 yards and received 5 passes for 83 yards. In week 10 he threw his first career passing touchdown. It was a 1 yard completion to tight end Ed Dickson
in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks
.
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...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
of 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...
. He was drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He 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...
at Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
. He is currently ranked as the Baltimore Ravens third all-time rusher in yards (2844), and attempts (623). He is ranked fifth all-time for touchdowns (11).
Early years
Rice has had to deal with tragedy and adversity from a young age. When Rice was only a year old, his father was killed in a drive-by shooting. Ray's cousin helped to raise him before dying in a car accident in 1998 due to a drunk driver. Ray's mother Janet raised her four children with only one income from her job as a special education teacher.Rice was the primary running back at New Rochelle High School
New Rochelle High School
New Rochelle High School is a public high school, comprising grades 9 through 12, in New Rochelle, New York, operated by the City School District of New Rochelle. NRHS serves over 3,300 students; offering more than 240 courses, including honors, research and advanced placement courses.NRHS...
, playing alongside future Rutgers teammates Courtney Greene
Courtney Greene
Courtney Greene is an American football safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers.-Early years:Starred at New Rochelle High School alongside college...
and Glen Lee. His sophomore and junior seasons saw him take the primary duties, but he became the feature back in his senior year.
In his junior year, he helped lead NRHS to a New York state championship, and he took the team to the finals his senior year, playing against future Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
point guard and Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
quarterback Greg Paulus
Greg Paulus
Gregory Russell Paulus is video coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team. Paulus is a former multi-sport athlete, playing college basketball as a point guard on the Duke University men's basketball team and later football at Syracuse University as a quarterback after...
in the state championship game, in which Christian Brothers Academy (DeWitt, New York) defeated New Rochelle High School.
College career
Before attending Rutgers, Rice had initially committed to Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
; he switched his commitment to the Scarlet Knights following the firing of Syracuse head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Paul Pasqualoni
Paul Pasqualoni
Paul Pasqualoni is the current head coach of the University of Connecticut football team. On January 13, 2011, Pasqualoni was named to lead the Huskies, two weeks after former coach Randy Edsall left for the University of Maryland....
in 2005.
Rice attended Rutgers. In 2005 (Rice's freshman year), Rutgers had its first winning season in 14 years and played in only the second bowl in the football program's then 136 year history. In 2006, the Scarlet Knights
Scarlet Knights
The Scarlet Knights were a fictional British mutant family and Royal Air Force superteam in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fiction team history:...
won a school record-tying 11 games and registered the school's highest ever season-ending national poll ranking, finishing at #12 in both the Associated Press and Coach's Polls.
As a true freshman Rice finished the season as the starting tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
for Rutgers. Rice rushed for 1120 yards and 5 TDs during his freshman campaign, including a 217-yard performance against the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
.
Rice gained 1,794 rushing yards in 2006 with 20 touchdowns. His total in 2006 set Rutgers' single-season rushing yardage record, shattering J. J. Jennings' mark of 1,353 set in 1973. Rice's backfield partner during his freshman and sophomore seasons was fullback Brian Leonard
Brian Leonard
-St. Louis Rams:On April 28, 2007, Leonard was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round with the 52nd overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. Leonard signed a four-year, $2.8 million contract on July 24, 2007, that includes $1.55 million in guaranteed money. Coach Scott Linehan decided to use...
. Leonard considered entering the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in 2006 but stayed for his senior year and took on a less prominent role in the offense which aided Rice's rise to stardom. Rice was also a finalist for the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting. Rice was named Big East offensive player of the week a school-record three times in 2006. All three times, Rice rushed for over 200 yards, including a career high 225 yard game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Rice ended his sophomore season with 170 yards on 24 carries with 1 touchdown during the inaugural Texas Bowl
Texas Bowl
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, formerly known as the Texas Bowl, is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that was held for the first time in 2006 in Houston, Texas. The bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl, which was played annually from 2000 to 2005...
to give Rutgers its first bowl victory ever in a 37-10 win. He was named MVP of the game.
Rice was widely considered a candidate for both the Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy in 2007. On October 6, 2007 against the Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....
, Rice scored his 35th career rushing touchdown, setting the all time program record.On November 9, 2007 against the Army Black Knights
Army Black Knights
Army Black Knights is the name of the athletics teams of the United States Military Academy. They participate in NCAA Division I-A as a non-football member of the Patriot League, a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school, and a member of Atlantic Hockey, the Collegiate Sprint...
, Rice ran for 243 yards and scored twice in the 41-6 win against Army, setting a new school record previously set by Terrell Willis in 1994, and his new single game record. On January 5, 2008, at the second annual International Bowl
International Bowl
The International Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association collegiate American football bowl game played in Toronto from 2007 through 2010...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Rice ran for a new school record of 280 yards, along with 4 touchdowns as Rutgers beat Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
52-30. One of the TD runs was the longest of his career—a 90-yard scamper. Rice won the MVP award for his performance. On January 8, 2008, Rice declared his intention to enter the 2008 NFL draft.
Baltimore Ravens
Rice was drafted by the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
in the second round (55th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
and signed a 4-year deal with the Ravens worth $2.805 million plus a $1.1 million signing bonus. He wore number #39 during the preseason then switched to #27 (his number at Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
), after the Ravens cut Cornerback Ronnie Prude
Ronnie Prude
Ronnie Edward Prude, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
.
2008 season
Rice made his first start in his first NFL game (Week 1 of the 2008 season against the Bengals). Rice had a team-high 22 carries which was good for 64 yards, fumbling once. Rice also had three receptions for 19 yards, in the Ravens 17–10 win over the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati 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...
. Rice had his best game of the season in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns where he ran for 154 yards on 21 carries. Rice finished out the season with 454 rushing yards on 107 carries and had 273 receiving yards on 33 receptions.
2009 season
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
for the 2009 NFL season, and that Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
would be switching back to full time fullback duties.
In the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, Rice rushed for 108-yards on 19 carries, which was his second career 100-yard rushing game.
In week 3, Rice rushed for his first pro touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. On October 11, 2009, he returned his first reception for touchdown against the 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...
. On October 18, 2009, (Week 6) Rice led his team in both rushing and receiving yards against the Minnesota Vikings. He rushed for 77-yards off 10 carries, scoring 2 touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for 117-yards. In week 14, Rice had career-bests 166 rushing yards and 216 total yards, scoring one touchdown. In week 16 at the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Rice rushed for a career-high 30 times for 141 yards, which broke the Steelers streak of 32 consecutive games without a 100-yard rusher.
He finished the season with 254 carries for 1,339 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
Rice was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
, his first, on December 29, 2009.
In the wildcard playoff game against the New England Patriots
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
on January 10, 2010, Rice scored an 83-yard touchdown on the first offensive play for the Ravens, the longest play for the Ravens that season, the longest rush of his NFL career and the 2nd longest rush in NFL postseason history.
2010 season
On December 20, 2010, against the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Rice amassed a career-best 233 yards from scrimmage (153 rushing and 80 receiving) to go along with two touchdowns. The 233 yards are also the third most in Ravens franchise history. For his efforts, Rice was awarded his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. On January 9, 2011, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rice became the first Ravens RB to have a receiving touchdown in a playoff game.
2011 season
The 2011 season has started off well for Rice. In week 1 against the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
Rice gained 107 yards rushing and 1 touchdown, while making 4 receptions for 42 yards and 1 touchdown. The Ravens would win that game 35 to 7. This performance was only the second time a running back had gained more than 100 rushing yards against the Steelers defense since the 2009 season, both belonging to Rice. Week 2, saw a dismal performance by the whole team in a losing effort to the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. Rice would only gain 96 yards (43 rushing, 53 receiving). In week 3 against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, Rice did not score any touchdowns, but rushed for 81 yards and received 5 passes for 83 yards. In week 10 he threw his first career passing touchdown. It was a 1 yard completion to tight end Ed Dickson
Ed Dickson
Edward James Dickson is an American football tight end for the Baltimore Ravens football team. He attended Bellflower High School.-Early years:...
in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.