Ryan Benjamin
Encyclopedia
Ryan Arthur Benjamin is a former American football
long snapper
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football
at South Florida
.
He won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
in New Port Richey, Florida
, where he lettered in both football and baseball. He earned all-conference and All-North Suncoast honors his senior year as a defensive tackle. He then played college football at the University of South Florida
.
as an undrafted free agent following the 2001 NFL Draft
. He was also a member of the New England Patriots
that offseason and played one game for the Chicago Bears
in place of an injured Patrick Mannelly
.
The next season he would temporarily be back with the New England Patriots before being re-signed by the Buccaneers and winning in Super Bowl XXXVII
.
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...
long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
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 signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
as an undrafted free agent in 2001. 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 South Florida
South Florida Bulls football
The South Florida Bulls are a Division I FBS college football program that plays its home games in Tampa, Florida. The team began playing in 1997, holding its first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus...
.
He won a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Early years
Benjamin attended River Ridge High SchoolRiver Ridge High School (Florida)
River Ridge is a public middle/high school complex founded in 1991 in New Port Richey, Florida. It was Florida's first joint middle/high school complex and is a part of the Pasco County School System. Both schools have their own classrooms, media center, and administrators, and share the cafeteria...
in New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he lettered in both football and baseball. He earned all-conference and All-North Suncoast honors his senior year as a defensive tackle. He then played college football at the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
.
NFL career
Benjamin signed with the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
as an undrafted free agent following the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He was also a member of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
that offseason and played one game for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in place of an injured Patrick Mannelly
Patrick Mannelly
Patrick Mannelly is an American football long snapper for the Chicago Bears of the NFL. He was originally selected with the 36th pick of the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft out of Duke University.-High school years:...
.
The next season he would temporarily be back with the New England Patriots before being re-signed by the Buccaneers and winning in Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
.