Eastern Michigan Athletics
2010 Football Roster
Sep 20 (Sat)
3:30 p.m.
Roster
Ryan Downard
- Position:
- DB
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Lima, Ohio
- High School:
- Shawnee
PERSONAL: Full name: Ryan Mitchell Downard...Son of Mitchell and Heidi Downard and Lori and Randy Rollins...Born 6-22-88...Has three brothers, Cody Rollins, Austin and Trey Downard...EMU: Burst on the national scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and finished tied for 12th nationally in interceptions with six...Ranked as the second-leading freshman interceptor in the country that season...Chosen as an honorable mention All-Mid-American Conference pick in Phil Steele’s 2008 College Football Magazine’s preseason poll...Has played in 23 games for the Eagles, 20 as a starter, and has recorded nine career interceptions to go along with 84 tackles...2009: Started the first three games of the season before suffering a broken arm in practice the week before Game 4, at home against Temple (Oct. 3)...Had 13 tackles on the year and recorded one interception for a 15-yard return at Northwestern (Sept. 12)...2008: Started the first seven games of the season as the free safety before suffering a broken arm on the game’s opening kickoff against Akron (Oct. 18) and missing the rest of the season...Turned in two interceptions, in back-to-back games against Toledo (Sept. 13) and Maryland (Sept. 20)...Recorded 28 tackles on the year...Was singled out by the coaching staff for two Defensive Big Playmaker Awards, for the Toledo and Maryland games...2007: Honorable mention freshman All-American by Scout.com....Played in all 12 games and started the last 10 games...Finished the year as the second-leading freshman pass interceptor in the nation with six, which ranked 12th nationally and third in the MAC...Recorded one interception each against Howard (Sept. 22) and at Michigan (Oct. 6), and two each, at home against Western Michigan (Oct. 27) and on the road two at Vanderbilt (Sept. 29)...Returned a missed extra point and raced 97 yards for a two-point defensive score at Michigan, the third-ever that defensive points were scored in school history...Singled out by the coaching staff for nine single-game awards...Was selected as the Defensive Eagle of the Week and chosen for a Championship Performance for the WMU game...Named as the MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week following the Michigan game...Earned Championship Special Teams and Championship Performance honors for the Howard contest...Earned Defensive Big Playmaker honors four times, for the Howard, Vanderbilt (Sept. 29), Michigan and Northwestern (Oct. 19) games...Selected for Winning Performance honors for the Northern Illinois (Sept. 15) and Vanderbilt games...2006: Sat out the season as a redshirt freshman...One of the 2006 recruits...Practiced with the team all season and was singled out by the coaching staff as one of the Practice Players of the Week for preparation leading up to the Ohio (Nov. 4) game...HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Shawnee H.S. in Lima, Ohio where he played football for Head Coach Dick West...Member of the Honor Roll, Student Government and was a Math Olympian...Earned three varsity football letters...Senior Year: First-team All-Ohio, All-District and All-League as a defensive back when he accumulated 74 tackles with five interceptions...Also played quarterback on offense and threw for 749 yards, rushed for 221 yards and passed for nine touchdowns...Was one of the team captains...Participated in the Van Wert All-Star Football Game...Junior Year: First-team All-Ohio, All-District and All-League player as a wide receiver and defensive back...Had 77 receptions for 1,025 yards and nine touchdowns on offense and recorded five interceptions and recovered six fumbles on defense...Helped lead team to the Western Buckeye League title and the school’s first-ever postseason playoff game...Sophomore Year: Earned a varsity football letter.
