 Stanzi with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2009 | |
| No. 2, 6, 12 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1987-09-03)September 3, 1987 (age 37) Mentor, Ohio, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 228 lb (103 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Lake Catholic (Mentor, Ohio) |
| College: | Iowa (2006–2010) |
| NFL draft: | 2011: 5th round, 135th pick |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats atPro Football Reference | |
| Stats at CFL.ca | |
Richard Joseph Stanzi (born September 3, 1987) is an American former professionalfootballquarterback. He was selected by theKansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the2011 NFL draft. He playedcollege football atIowa.
Born and raised inMentor, Ohio, Stanzi went toLake Catholic High School in Mentor and was rated a 3 star recruit.[1][2] He accepted a scholarship offer from theUniversity of Iowa to play quarterback.[3]
Stanzi posted 26–9 (.743) record as starting quarterback. Additionally, Stanzi also posted a 6–3 record against ranked opponents, including a 3–0 mark against top-5 opponents in his career. Notable wins include going 3–0 overJoe Paterno' Penn State teams and 3–0 overKirk Cousins' Michigan State teams.[3]
Stanzi took over as starter at Iowa as a sophomore beginning in the 2008 season. He completed 150 passes for 1,956 yards with 14 TDs.
On November 7, 2009, during his junior season, Stanzi was replaced byJames Vandenberg after suffering a sprained right ankle. It was later confirmed that Stanzi had surgery on his ankle.[4] Stanzi returned at the conclusion of the season to lead Iowa to anOrange Bowl victory overGeorgia Tech. Stanzi ended up passing for 2,417 yards and 17 touchdowns in his junior season – completing 56.2 percent of his attempts.
Stanzi was 14–4 in his career as Iowa's starter going into his senior season, and in July 2010, Stanzi was named to the 2010Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award andManning Award watch lists. He was also a finalist for The 2010 Premier Player of College Football Trophy which is awarded based on fan votes.[5][6]
Stanzi returned to Iowa in 2010 with nine touchdowns and no interceptions through his first four games. He completed 19-of-25 passes with three passing touchdowns on September 24, 2010.
One of Stanzi's most memorable moments of the 2010 season occurred on November 6 in a game againstIndiana, in which he connected withMarvin McNutt for a 52-yard touchdown which put Iowa up 18–13 with 2:56 remaining in the game. Stanzi put up big numbers in the 2010 season with a 167.2 quarterback rating along with 22 touchdowns. Stanzi ranked third in the nation in passing efficiency.
Stanzi graduated from Iowa in December 2010 with aB.A. in interdepartmental studies from theCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences.[7]
| Year | Team | Attempts | Completions | Completion % | Yards | TDs | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Iowa | Redshirt | |||||
| 2007 | Iowa | 4 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | Iowa | 254 | 150 | 59.1% | 1,956 | 14 | 9 |
| 2009 | Iowa | 304 | 171 | 56.3% | 2,417 | 17 | 15 |
| 2010 | Iowa | 345 | 221 | 64.1% | 3,004 | 25 | 6 |
| Totals | 907 | 542 | 59.8% | 7,377 | 56 | 30 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64+3⁄8 | 223 lb (101 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 4.93 s | 1.65 s | 2.81 s | 4.43 s | 6.95 s | 32+1⁄2 | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) | 30[8] | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[9] | ||||||||||||
Stanzi was selected in the fifth round with the 135th pick in the2011 NFL draft by theKansas City Chiefs.[10] Stanzi was activated for the first time in his NFL career for the Chiefs against the New England Patriots on November 21, 2011. At the end of the 2011 NFL season, Stanzi was second-string behindKyle Orton.
Stanzi was expected to be the backup toMatt Cassel, and competed in the 2012 preseason withBrady Quinn, who was signed by the Chiefs on March 17, 2012. However, Quinn eventually won the number two spot.
Stanzi was released by the Chiefs on August 25, 2013.[11]
TheJacksonville Jaguars claimed Stanzi off waivers on August 27, 2013. He was released on September 28 and re-signed on September 30. The Jaguars released Stanzi on August 29, 2014.[12]
TheHouston Texans signed Stanzi to their practice squad on December 16, 2014.
TheNew York Giants signed Stanzi to a Reserve/Future contract on January 8, 2015.[13] On September 5, 2015, he was waived by the Giants.[14]
TheDetroit Lions signed Stanzi to their practice squad on September 8, 2015.[15]
Stanzi participated in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis with theCleveland Browns in 2016.[16] However, he went unsigned, and spent 2016 out of football. In April 2017, Stanzi participated inThe Spring League, a developmental football league intended to provide a platform for free agents to be seen by scouts.[17] Following the Spring League games, Stanzi signed with theCalgary Stampeders of the CFL on May 16, where he competed to be the backup quarterback toBo Levi Mitchell, a role which was held by fellow Iowa alumnusDrew Tate the previous season.[18] During the two-game CFL preseason, Stanzi completed 13 of 18 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, and added one rush for 14 yards.[19] Stanzi officially was named to the regular season active roster for the Stampeders on June 17. On July 29, 2017, against theHamilton Tiger-Cats, Stanzi made his professional regular season debut when he entered duringgarbage time of Calgary's 60–1 victory. Stanzi's first CFL pass attempt was a completion to receiverAnthony Parker. Stanzi finished the game with one completion on two attempts, for five yards.[20] Stanzi finished the year with 4 completions on 8 attempts for 53 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, all of his playing time coming during garbage time. The Stampeders advanced to the105th Grey Cup, but were defeated by theToronto Argonauts. Stanzi's opposing quarterback during the Spring League,McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who likewise spent 2017 as a CFL backup, was a member of the victorious Argonauts roster. The Stampeders would win the Grey Cup the following year, but Stanzi missed out, having been released after the first game of the 2018 regular season.[21]
Media related toRicky Stanzi at Wikimedia Commons