Ryan Travis
Encyclopedia
Ryan Travis is an American football
fullback
who is currently a free agent
. He played college football
at West Liberty University, where he was a consensus first-team Division II All-America
n in both 2009 and 2010. He led Division II in receptions
in his senior year, while also tying the Division II season record for touchdowns by a tight end
. He finished his college career as the fifth leading all-time Division II receiver. Undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft
, Travis played with the Seattle Seahawks
in the 2011 preseason before being waived.
when he caught 41 passes. He grew to to and 205 pounds (93 kg), and switched positions to running back
where he finished with 1,321 yards and 27 touchdowns for the 9-2 Mustangs. He was named first team All-Ohio and was league player of the year.
In 2011, the Tuslaw Local Board of Education was considering a proposal by Tuslaw High football coach Nate Held to retire Travis' number—44.
for West Liberty. He caught 104 passes for 1,250 yards and 14 touchdowns and was a consensus first-team NCAA Division II All-American a junior. In his senior year, Travis caught an NCAA-best 126 passes for 1,402 yards, and he led Division II with 140.2 receiving yards a game. His 15 touchdowns tied the Division II single-season mark for tight ends. He was the only college football player that season—all divisions—to catch at least 10 passes in every game. Travis' 126 catches and 12.6 catches per game rank second in NCAA Division II history. He was named consensus first-team NCAA Division II All-America for the second consecutive year.
Travis ended his career with 285 receptions, the fifth-highest total in NCAA Division II history. "He was a mismatch for linebackers because he could run around them," said West Liberty head coach Roger Walalae. "And he was a mismatch for cornerbacks who came up because he just ran them over."
. He signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks
. Travis was listed as the second-string fullback behind Michael Robinson
. He was waived on August 29, 2011.
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...
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...
who is currently a free agent
Free 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....
. 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 West Liberty University, where he was a consensus first-team Division II All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in both 2009 and 2010. He led Division II in receptions
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...
in his senior year, while also tying the Division II season record for touchdowns by a 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...
. He finished his college career as the fifth leading all-time Division II receiver. Undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, Travis played with 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...
in the 2011 preseason before being waived.
High school
Travis was a , 185 pounds (84 kg) sophomore at Tuslaw High SchoolTuslaw High School
Tuslaw High School is a public high school located near the city of Massillon, Ohio and serves all high school students in the Tuslaw Local School district. Tuslaw High School is a member of the Stark County Area Vocational School District allowing its high school students to attend the R.G...
when he caught 41 passes. He grew to to and 205 pounds (93 kg), and switched positions to 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...
where he finished with 1,321 yards and 27 touchdowns for the 9-2 Mustangs. He was named first team All-Ohio and was league player of the year.
In 2011, the Tuslaw Local Board of Education was considering a proposal by Tuslaw High football coach Nate Held to retire Travis' number—44.
College career
Travis played H-backH-back
An H-Back is an offensive position in American football, and is also known as power back. The position is a hybrid of a fullback and a tight end. The position was made notable in the NFL by the Washington Redskins under head coach Joe Gibbs who ran a two tight end system...
for West Liberty. He caught 104 passes for 1,250 yards and 14 touchdowns and was a consensus first-team NCAA Division II All-American a junior. In his senior year, Travis caught an NCAA-best 126 passes for 1,402 yards, and he led Division II with 140.2 receiving yards a game. His 15 touchdowns tied the Division II single-season mark for tight ends. He was the only college football player that season—all divisions—to catch at least 10 passes in every game. Travis' 126 catches and 12.6 catches per game rank second in NCAA Division II history. He was named consensus first-team NCAA Division II All-America for the second consecutive year.
Travis ended his career with 285 receptions, the fifth-highest total in NCAA Division II history. "He was a mismatch for linebackers because he could run around them," said West Liberty head coach Roger Walalae. "And he was a mismatch for cornerbacks who came up because he just ran them over."
Professional career
Travis was undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. He signed as a free agent with 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...
. Travis was listed as the second-string fullback behind Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson
Michael John Robinson is a former England-born Irish international footballer, who played as a striker.Having played in more than 300 official games in England for five different clubs, including Liverpool, he played the last three seasons of his career in Spain with Osasuna...
. He was waived on August 29, 2011.