Ricky Powers
Encyclopedia
Richard "Ricky" Powers (born November 30, 1970) is a former running back
in the National Football League
(NFL) for the Cleveland Browns
, and a former University of Michigan
Wolverines
football
co-captain
. In the NFL, he had a brief career with the Browns during their final season before they relocated to become the Baltimore Ravens
after starring for the Wolverines. His career ended due to being lost in the shuffle when the Browns moved to Baltimore and changed coaching staffs. In college, he set the Michigan football freshman rushing record that stood 14 seasons, and as a sophomore was the leading rusher for the team during Desmond Howard
's Heisman Trophy
-winning season. At Michigan, he was a member of three consecutive Big Ten Conference
football champions. In high school, he was the Parade All-American star running back of the two-time Ohio High School Athletic Association
(OHSAA) football championship team at Buchtel High School
, where he has returned to coach baseball
and football.
Coach of the Year honors. Powers rushed for 1,741 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior, including 289 yards against Nordonia High School
in a playoff game, and 2,014 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. During that junior season, he became the third junior (following Chris Spielman
and Jeff Logan
, by one account and Spielman and Charles Gladman by another) to earn Akron Beacon Journal
Player of the Year honors. During the season, he topped his sophomore Championship game 161 yard effort with a Championship game record 206 rushing yard effort. He earned All-Ohio Division II honors. Ohio rival, Robert Smith, earned USA Today
Player of the Year honors and Powers earned an honorable mention during their junior years. Powers entered his senior season on numerous lists including the Chicago Sun-Times
national top 100 and 24-man All-Midwest lists, The Times-Picayune Top 25 national prospects, and USA Today
top 13 Ohio players. His senior season ended with a "Turkey Day" City Championship game. He and Smith, who chose to go to rival Ohio State
, were the two top football prospects in Ohio and the nation in 1989. Smith was named Mr. Football (Ohio)
, but Powers was named the top player in the nation by the Dallas Morning News. In a poll of 14 experts produced by the Detroit Free Press
, Powers was the all-Midwest (Big Ten States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin because Penn State had not yet joined the conference) Offensive player of the year in a first-team backfield with Jerome Bettis
and Chris Weinke
. Powers became the first two-time Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year. He was a Parade All-American and earned first-team All-USA honors from USA Today. Many publications across the country listed Powers among the best five or ten players in the nation. Powers was recruited by both the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes
.
Powers, who wore #12 for the Michigan Wolverines football
program from 1990
to 1993
, shared the tailback position with Jon Vaughn
as a freshman and Tyrone Wheatley
as a junior and senior. Although he was only the official starter for one game as a freshman in 1990, he set the Michigan freshman rushing record with 789 rushing yards, a record broken by Mike Hart
in 2004
. That season, he led the Wolverines, who three-peat
ed as Big Ten Conference Champions, to victories in their last four games with 100-yard rushing efforts in each game, and tied Vaughn with five 100-yard rushing efforts. The next year, as a sophomore, he started eleven of twelve games and was named to the All-Big Ten Conference
team. Although as a sophomore in 1991
he led the team in rushing with 1251 yards, he shared the spotlight with Heisman Trophy
winner Desmond Howard
. That 1991 team would again win the Big Ten Conference Championship, and it would produce eighteen National Football League draftees between 1992 and 1995. In 1992
and 1993, his offensive totals were lower than in 1991 because he was sharing playing time with Tyrone Wheatley. However, in 1993, he was named Michigan Football Co-Captain of a five-time Big Ten Conference team. Powers currently ranks 13th on the all-time Michigan rushing yards list with 2680 career yards. Powers obtained his bachelors degree in kinesiology
. Both the 1991 and 1992 Conference Champions went to the Rose Bowl.
in 1994 by the Detroit Lions
, but he was waived before the season started. He later that year signed with the Cleveland Browns, joining their practice squad. He remained on the practice squad until being promoted to the regular roster for the final three games of the 1995 National Football League season. He totaled 51 yards on 14 rushes
, one six-yard pass reception
, and three kickoff
returns for a total of 54 yards. When the Browns relocated following the 1995 season to become the Baltimore Ravens
, and Ted Marchibroda
replaced Bill Belichick
as coach, Powers got lost in the shuffle. He dabbled with World League of American Football
and Spring Football League
afterwards, but soon retired.
In 2007, Powers assumed the football coaching duties at his high school alma mater, Akron Buchtel High School, where he has been the head baseball coach since 2004. At Buchtel, he inherits a football team that has a tradition of producing major college scholarship athletes and a few professional ones. Recent Buchtel Griffins who have become professional athletes include Antonio Pittman
, Charlton Keith
, and Ramon Walker
. For 2007 and 2008, Buchtel competes in Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II, which is for schools with enrollments of between 365 to 523. Buchtel has qualified for the state tournament 9 times in the past as both a Division II and Division III entrant, but they were not among the 32 teams in the 120 team Division II class to qualify in 2007.
who recorded nine interceptions, six fumble
s recoveries and four blocked field goal
s and three blocked extra point
s during his 1987 senior season. Ricky Powers' final decision came down to Michigan State
and Michigan according to his mother. At the time, Scott was a Sophomore starting cornerback for the Cincinnati Bearcats
and was trying to transfer to Michigan State. Due to a suspicion of tampering, Scott would only be allowed to transfer if Ricky chose Michigan. Powers' mother, Rosetta, claimed Ricky had been leaning toward Michigan State prior to the determination regarding his brother.
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...
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 the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and a former University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
football
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...
co-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...
. In the NFL, he had a brief career with the Browns during their final season before they relocated to become 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...
after starring for the Wolverines. His career ended due to being lost in the shuffle when the Browns moved to Baltimore and changed coaching staffs. In college, he set the Michigan football freshman rushing record that stood 14 seasons, and as a sophomore was the leading rusher for the team during Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
's 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...
-winning season. At Michigan, he was a member of three consecutive Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
football champions. In high school, he was the Parade All-American star running back of the two-time Ohio High School Athletic Association
Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
(OHSAA) football championship team at Buchtel High School
Buchtel High School
John R. Buchtel High School is a public high school in Akron, Ohio. It is one of seven high schools in the Akron Public Schools district. It is commonly known as Buchtel High School.-History:...
, where he has returned to coach baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and football.
High school
Powers was both born and raised in Akron, where he led the Buchtel High School football team to back-to-back OHSAA championships, as well as being named a high school All-American. Powers graduated from Buchtel in 1990 after leading them to the 1987 and 1988 Ohio Division II state high school championships. As a sophomore in 1987, Powers rushed for 1,600 yards including 600 in four playoff games and helped his coach earn Summit CountySummit County, Ohio
Summit County is an urban county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 542,899. In the 2010 Census the population was 541,781. Its county seat is Akron...
Coach of the Year honors. Powers rushed for 1,741 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior, including 289 yards against Nordonia High School
Nordonia High School
Nordonia High School is a public high school in Macedonia, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Nordonia Hills City School District. Their mascot is a Knight. There are approximately 1500+ students currently enrolled in the High School. The colors of the school are Green and white...
in a playoff game, and 2,014 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. During that junior season, he became the third junior (following Chris Spielman
Chris Spielman
Charles Christopher "Chris" Spielman is a former American football player and is currently an analyst for ESPN's coverage of college football games.-Football career:...
and Jeff Logan
Jeff Logan
Jeff Logan starred as a running back at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio establishing numerous scoring records. Logan went to Ohio State University in 1974 and played on four Big Ten Conference Championship football teams. Logan backed up two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin for...
, by one account and Spielman and Charles Gladman by another) to earn Akron Beacon Journal
Akron Beacon Journal
The Akron Beacon Journal is a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States, and published by Black Press Ltd.. It is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper places a strong emphasis on local news and business...
Player of the Year honors. During the season, he topped his sophomore Championship game 161 yard effort with a Championship game record 206 rushing yard effort. He earned All-Ohio Division II honors. Ohio rival, Robert Smith, earned USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Player of the Year honors and Powers earned an honorable mention during their junior years. Powers entered his senior season on numerous lists including the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
national top 100 and 24-man All-Midwest lists, The Times-Picayune Top 25 national prospects, and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
top 13 Ohio players. His senior season ended with a "Turkey Day" City Championship game. He and Smith, who chose to go to rival Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, were the two top football prospects in Ohio and the nation in 1989. Smith was named Mr. Football (Ohio)
Mr. Football Award (Ohio)
The Mr. Football Award has been given out annually since 1987 to the player voted by the Associated Press to be the best high school football player in the state of Ohio...
, but Powers was named the top player in the nation by the Dallas Morning News. In a poll of 14 experts produced by the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, Powers was the all-Midwest (Big Ten States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin because Penn State had not yet joined the conference) Offensive player of the year in a first-team backfield with Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
and Chris Weinke
Chris Weinke
Christopher Jon Weinke is a former professional American football and baseball player. After spending six years in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league baseball system, he enrolled at Florida State University at the age of 26, and played quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles...
. Powers became the first two-time Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year. He was a Parade All-American and earned first-team All-USA honors from USA Today. Many publications across the country listed Powers among the best five or ten players in the nation. Powers was recruited by both the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
College
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
program from 1990
1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets...
to 1993
1993 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl...
, shared the tailback position with Jon Vaughn
Jon Vaughn
Jonathan Stewart Vaughn is a former professional American football player who played running back and served as a kick returner in the National Football League for 4 seasons from 1991 to 1994 for the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs...
as a freshman and Tyrone Wheatley
Tyrone Wheatley
Tyrone Anthony Wheatley is the running backs coach at Syracuse University and a former professional American football player who played 10 seasons in the National Football League and was one of the most successful high school and collegiate athletes in Metropolitan Detroit history...
as a junior and senior. Although he was only the official starter for one game as a freshman in 1990, he set the Michigan freshman rushing record with 789 rushing yards, a record broken by Mike Hart
Mike Hart (football player)
Leon Michael "Mike" Hart is a former American football running back and current offensive quality control coach for Eastern Michigan University. Hart played college football as a running back at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and holds the Michigan Wolverines career rushing record...
in 2004
2004 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game, triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss...
. That season, he led the Wolverines, who three-peat
Three-peat
Three-peat is a contraction of the words three and repeat, which has been trademarked for commercial use by retired basketball coach Pat Riley; the active trademarks in force are registered under numbers 1552980, 1878690, and 1886018...
ed as Big Ten Conference Champions, to victories in their last four games with 100-yard rushing efforts in each game, and tied Vaughn with five 100-yard rushing efforts. The next year, as a sophomore, he started eleven of twelve games and was named to the All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
team. Although as a sophomore in 1991
1991 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll...
he led the team in rushing with 1251 yards, he shared the spotlight with 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...
winner Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
. That 1991 team would again win the Big Ten Conference Championship, and it would produce eighteen National Football League draftees between 1992 and 1995. In 1992
1992 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
and 1993, his offensive totals were lower than in 1991 because he was sharing playing time with Tyrone Wheatley. However, in 1993, he was named Michigan Football Co-Captain of a five-time Big Ten Conference team. Powers currently ranks 13th on the all-time Michigan rushing yards list with 2680 career yards. Powers obtained his bachelors degree in kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
. Both the 1991 and 1992 Conference Champions went to the Rose Bowl.
Professional career
In the NFL, Powers, who measured 6 feet (1.83 m) and 213 pounds (96.6 kg), was signed as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1994 by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, but he was waived before the season started. He later that year signed with the Cleveland Browns, joining their practice squad. He remained on the practice squad until being promoted to the regular roster for the final three games of the 1995 National Football League season. He totaled 51 yards on 14 rushes
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
, one six-yard pass reception
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
, and three kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
returns for a total of 54 yards. When the Browns relocated following the 1995 season to become 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...
, and Ted Marchibroda
Ted Marchibroda
Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:...
replaced Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
as coach, Powers got lost in the shuffle. He dabbled with World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
and Spring Football League
Spring Football League
The Spring Football League was a professional American football that existed for only part of one mini-season in 2000. Founded by several ex-NFL players such as Eric Dickerson, Drew Pearson, Bo Jackson, and Tony Dorsett, the SFL planned to use the four game mini-season to test cities, fans,...
afterwards, but soon retired.
In 2007, Powers assumed the football coaching duties at his high school alma mater, Akron Buchtel High School, where he has been the head baseball coach since 2004. At Buchtel, he inherits a football team that has a tradition of producing major college scholarship athletes and a few professional ones. Recent Buchtel Griffins who have become professional athletes include Antonio Pittman
Antonio Pittman
Antonio Pittman is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State....
, Charlton Keith
Charlton Keith
Charlton Keith is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
, and Ramon Walker
Ramon Walker
Ramon Walker is an American football defensive back who is currently a free agent in the NFL. Walker ranks seventh on the University of Pittsburgh's all-time list with 307 career tackles over just three seasons. He also deflected 14 passes and intercepted two...
. For 2007 and 2008, Buchtel competes in Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II, which is for schools with enrollments of between 365 to 523. Buchtel has qualified for the state tournament 9 times in the past as both a Division II and Division III entrant, but they were not among the 32 teams in the 120 team Division II class to qualify in 2007.
Personal
Powers' older brother, Scott, had been an All-District cornerbackCornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
who recorded nine interceptions, six 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...
s recoveries and four blocked field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
s and three blocked extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
s during his 1987 senior season. Ricky Powers' final decision came down to Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
and Michigan according to his mother. At the time, Scott was a Sophomore starting cornerback for the Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...
and was trying to transfer to Michigan State. Due to a suspicion of tampering, Scott would only be allowed to transfer if Ricky chose Michigan. Powers' mother, Rosetta, claimed Ricky had been leaning toward Michigan State prior to the determination regarding his brother.