| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1887-04-21)April 21, 1887 |
| Died: | December 20, 1951(1951-12-20) (aged 64) |
| Career history | |
| College | Notre Dame (1909) |
William Richard Ryan Jr. (April 21, 1887 – December 20, 1951) was anAmerican football player fromCleveland, Ohio, and a startingquarterback for theUniversity of Notre Dame.
Ryan began his career as the startingquarterback,placekicker andpunt returner for theNotre Dame football squad in 1907, leading the team to an undefeated season of 6-0-1 in his freshman year.
Following his initial season, Ryan moved to righthalfback where he had his best season as a junior in 1909, rushing for over 90 yards in a win overMichigan State, and scoring the winningtouchdown in the team's first-ever victory overMichigan. A knee injury would sideline him for most of his senior season.
In addition to Ryan's skills on thegridiron, he was apitcher for thebaseball team, abasso in the campusGlee Club, and a leadactor in the university'stheater productions.
Following graduation, he returned to his hometown ofCleveland, Ohio, where he married Louise Brotherton and worked inreal estate.
 | This biographical article relating to an American football quarterback is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |