Ronald Talley
Encyclopedia
Notre Dame
As a true freshman at Notre Dame in 2004, Talley was redshirtedRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
. However, in 2005, he played in 11 games for the Fighting Irish, starting five games. His first career start for Notre Dame came against Brigham Young, where he recorded seven tackles and one sack. He tallied 23 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, and two pass deflections. In the 2006 Fiesta Bowl
2006 Fiesta Bowl
The 2006 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 2006, was the 35th edition of the Fiesta Bowl, featuring Notre Dame and Ohio State. Ohio State won the game 34–20....
against Ohio State
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...
, he recorded three tackles, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection. Heading into his sophomore season in 2006, Talley was expected to provide veteran experience alongside fellow defensive ends Victor Abiamiri
Victor Abiamiri
Victor Ikechukwu Abiamiri is an American football defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
and Chris Frome, but six games into the season, he left the team. In those games, he recorded 11 tackles. His departure was reportedly mutually agreed upon by the coaching staff, after he was unhappy with his playing time.
Delaware
On December 19, 2006, he announced his intention to transfer to the University of DelawareUniversity of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
. As a junior in 2007, he played in 13 games, starting eight of those and recorded 43 tackles and three sacks. The following year, as a senior, he started in all but one game for Delaware and recorded 46 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He was named to the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
All–Conference team after the season.
Green Bay Packers
After going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, Talley signed with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
on May 1, 2009. He played in every pre-season game for the Packers that season, recording five tackles, before being waived during final cuts, only to be re-signed to the practice squad. He spent the whole season with the Packers' practice squad. After his practice squad contract expired at season's end, he signed a reserve/future contract with Green Bay. He was waived during final cuts again in 2010, for the second straight season.
Arizona Cardinals
On November 9, 2010, the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed Talley to their practice squad and later re-signed him to reserve/future contract on January 6, 2011. After battling with Kenny Iwebema
Kenny Iwebema
Kenny Iwebema is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.-Early years:...
during training camp for a spot on the Cardinals' 53-man roster, Talley made the team. However, he was waived on September 5, to make room for the recently signed Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. However, after clearing waivers, he was signed to their practice squad, only to be promoted to the active roster on September 20.