35 DeMeco Ryans
7/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
DeMeco Ryans
2005 Graduate ?? 2005 First-Team All-America (AP, Walter Camp, FWAA, AFCA, SI.COM) ?? 2005 NCAA Top Eight Award ?? 2005 SEC Defensive Player of the Year (Coaches, AP) ?? 2005 Lott Trophy Winner ?? 2006 Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP ?? 2005 CoSIDA Academic District IV ?? 2005 First-Team All-SEC (Coaches, AP) ?? 2005 Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar ?? 2005 Rivals.com All-Bowl Team ?? 2005 Bednarik Trophy Finalist ?? 2005 Butkus Trophy Finalist ?? 2005 Draddy Award Finalist ?? 2005 Lombardi Award Finalist ?? 2005 Nagurski Award Finalist ?? CBS Scholar-Athlete of the Game vs. South Carolina ?? SEC Defensive Player of the Week vs. Arkansas ?? CBS Scholar-Athlete of the Game vs. Florida ?? Sports Illustrated’s Midseason All-America Team ?? Walter Camp Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week vs. Tennessee ?? SEC Defensive Player of the Week vs. Tennessee ?? 2004 Second-Team All-SEC (Coaches) ?? 2004 Honorable Mention All-SEC (AP) ?? 2004 CBS Scholar Athlete of the Week vs. AU ?? 2004 Academic All-SEC ?? 2004 ESPN Second Team Academic ?? All-District IV 2003 Academic All-SEC ?? 2003 CoSIDA Academic District IV ?? Single Game Tackle Record Holder (25) ?? 2002 Freshman Academic All-SEC A graduate in December after just seven semesters, DeMeco closed his collegiate career as one of the Tide’s most celebrated players, on and off the field. He was a consensus All-America selection, one of only four in the SEC and the Tide’s first since Chris Samuels in 1999. Ryans was also the 2006 Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP after a team-leading seven tackles and two stops behind the line against Texas Tech. Following spring practice, he was named a 2005 Arthur Ashe, Jr., Sports Scholar. Ryans won the Lott Trophy and was a finalist for the Bednarik, Butkus, Draddy, Lombardi, and Naguski awards. He was the 2005 male recipient of the Bryant Award, symbolic as the Athletic Department’s top student-athlete. He is a three-time Academic All-SEC selection. He started 37 career games and closed his career ranked 5th on the all-time tackle list with 307 career stops. He earned the Mal Moore Leadership Award following spring practice. 2005 (Senior): Ryans lead the team in tackles with 76 which included 9.5 TFLs (-46). He was second on the team with 3.5 sacks (-31). He also recorded an interception, four quarterback pressures, two fumble recoveries, forced a fumble and two pass break-ups. Ryans had perhaps his biggest game of the season against Arkansas when he totaled 15 tackles including two TFLs (-9) and a sack (-5). He also recovered a fumble, broke up a pass and was credited with a quarterback pressure. He was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts. He had his second double-digit tackle game of the season against Tennessee, recording 11 stops. He had 1.5 TFLs (-1), a fumble recovery and an interception that preserved the Tide’s victory over the Vols. Ryans is one of six Tide defenders to amass 300 tackles in their career. He ranked second among active SEC defenders in career tackles. Ryans started every game for the Tide this season and has recorded 682 snaps including a season high 77 against LSU. Ryans was the cornerstone of a defense that ranked first in the nation in scoring defense, second in total defense, fifth in pass defense, fifth in pass efficiency defense and ninth in rushing defense. 2004 (Junior): DeMeco used an outstanding spring practice to solidify his hold on the strong linebacker position. He finished the regular season as the Tide's second-leading tackler with 78 stops. He added seven stops behind the line for 12 yards. He forced a fumble against Kentucky and Auburn and recovered one against Western Carolina. He had a season-high 13 tackles in the Music City Bowl against Minnesota and 10 against Arkansas. He started 11 of the Tide’s 12 games and finished with 616 snaps on the season. A strong student in the classroom, DeMeco earned 44 hours of credit in two full semesters and two summer terms. DeMeco has 231 career tackles, 13th on the all-time tackle chart. He earned the Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence award following spring practice. 2003 (Sophomore): DeMeco (126), Roman Harper (111) and Derrick Pope (105) combined for the first time in school history to have three players with 100 or more tackles in a season. He carried a 3.50 GPA majoring in Management. The Tide's leading tackler in 2003, DeMeco set the school single game record against Arkansas when he turned in 25 tackles. His 126 season tackles ranked second in the Tide record book behind the 134 tackles by Woodrow Lowe in 1973. He had five double-figure tackle games including Oklahoma (16), Arkansas (25), Southern Miss (13), Tennessee (13) and Auburn (10). He closed with 1.5 sacks for 11 yards (against Southern Miss) and 8.5 stops behind the line for 26 yards. He forced a fumble against Arkansas and recovered one against Tennessee. 2002 (Freshman): One of only two true freshmen to see action (the other was fullback Greg McLain), DeMeco played in every game and was a starter in the season finale against Hawaii. He played a total of 312 snaps on the season. He finished the season with 27 tackles and one stop behind the line for one yard. DeMeco also recovered one fumble and had two quarterback pressures. He had four stops each against Georgia and Ole Miss and his tackle behind the line came against Arkansas. Prep: Considered by most analysts as the top prep linebacker prospect in Alabama, DeMeco had over 135 tackles, 11 sacks, two caused fumbles and two interceptions his senior season. He was a Super All-State and Academic All-State selection and was named to The Tuscaloosa News Sweet Sixteen and The Birmingham Post-Herald Super Senior teams. He was rated the No. 5 linebacker in the Southeast by PrepStar. Personal: DeMeco is the son of Martha Ryans and Morgan Turner. DeMeco says his biggest accomplishment was making the Academic All-State team. Born 7-28-84.
RYANS' STATS Year G T TFL Sacks Int. FC/FR PBU QBP CAREER BESTS
Double-Figure Tackle Games
2002 13 27 1-1 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 2
2003 13 126 8.5-26 1.5-11 0-0 1-1 0 3
2004 12 78 7-12 0-0 0-0 2-1 2 2
2005 12 76 16-58 5-43 1-7 1-2 2 4
Totals 50 307 33-97 6.5-54 2-7 4-5 4 11
Tackles: *25 vs. Arkansas, 2003
QB Sacks: 1.5 (Two times) last vs. Florida, 2005
Yards Lost: 11 vs. Southern Miss, 2003
Tackles for Loss: 2 several, last vs. Arkansas, 2005
Yards Lost: 21 vs. Southern Miss, 2005
Fumbles Caused: 1 (Four times) last at Ole Miss, 2005
Fumbles Recovered: 1 (Five times) last vs. Tenn., 2005
QB Pressure: 1 several, last at Auburn, 2005
Pass Break-Up: 1 (Four times) last vs. Arkansas, 2005
Interception: 1 (Two times) last vs. Tennessee, 2005
*School Record
2005
11 vs. Tennessee
15 vs. Arkansas
2004
10 vs. Arkansas
13 vs. Minnesota
2003
16 vs. Oklahoma
25 vs. Arkansas
13 vs. Southern Miss
14 vs. Tennessee
10 vs. Auburn
