| No. 51 | |||||||||
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| Position | Guard | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1958-05-21)May 21, 1958 (age 67) Berea, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 273 lb (124 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Highland(Medina, Ohio) | ||||||||
| College | NC State (1976–1979) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1980: 1st round, 16th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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James Alexander Ritcher (born May 21, 1958)[1] is an American former professionalfootball player who was aguard for 16 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL).[1] Ritcher playedcollege football for theNC State Wolfpack, earningAll-American honors. He was selected in the first round of the1980 NFL draft, and played for theBuffalo Bills and theAtlanta Falcons of the NFL.[2]
Ritcher was born inBerea, Ohio. He attendedHighland High School inMedina, Ohio, where he wrestled and playedhigh school football.[3]
He attendedNorth Carolina State University, and played for theWolfpack football teams from 1976 to 1979. Head coachBo Rein decided to have him play center rather than defensive end that he had expected to play. As a senior in 1979, he was a consensus first-team was an All-American and won theOutland Trophy as the nation's best college interior lineman. He graduated with a degree in sociology. In 2012, he was among the first class of inductees into the Athletics Hall of Fame.[4][5]
In theNFL, Ritcher was moved toguard fromcenter by theBuffalo Bills after his first season to utilize his speed and agility. He would play for the team for 14 seasons. Hestarted in all fourSuper Bowl appearances of the Bills (Super Bowl XXV,Super Bowl XXVI,Super Bowl XXVII, andSuper Bowl XXVIII) and was selected to twoPro Bowls. He finished his career with theAtlanta Falcons. After sixteen seasons and a litany of injuries such as a broken foot and shoulder surgeries, Ritcher retired.[6]
In 1998, he was selected to theCollege Football Hall of Fame, and in 2012 he was inducted as a member of the inaugural class of theNC State Athletic Hall of Fame[7] He is currently working as a commercial pilot, flying forAmerican Airlines.[8]
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