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| No. 65 | |||||||||
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| Position | Center /Guard | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1981-10-15)October 15, 1981 (age 44) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 290 lb (132 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Shawnee Mission (KS) Northwest | ||||||||
| College | Kansas State | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2004: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Ryan Matthew Lilja (born October 15, 1981) is an American former professionalfootball player who was acenter andguard in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theKansas State Wildcats, and signed with theKansas City Chiefs as anundrafted free agent in 2004, and later played with them from 2010 to 2012. Lilja also played with theIndianapolis Colts from 2004 to 2009, with whom he wonSuper Bowl XLI over theChicago Bears.
Ryan and his brothers were raised in Kansas City.[1]Lilja attendedShawnee Mission Northwest High School and was a student and a letterman in football and golf. In football, he was a three-year starter.
He was a two-yearstarter atCoffeyville Community College before he transferred toKansas State University, where he was a two-year player who started 14 of 23 career games. Lilja was named to the second-team All-Big Twelve squad in 2003.
The Kansas City Chiefs signed Lilja as anundrafted free agent prior to the 2004 season. He was waived on September 5, 2004,[2] with the intention of signing him to thepractice squad if he cleared waivers.
On September 6, 2004, Lilja was claimed off waivers by theIndianapolis Colts soon after the Chiefs waived him.
The Colts re-signed Lilja on February 19, 2008, to a five-year deal worth $20 million.
Lilja was released on March 8, 2010.[3] He started 59 of 66 games for them and twoSuper Bowls.
On March 16, 2010, Lilja re-signed with theKansas City Chiefs.[4]
After announcing his retirement on December 31, 2012, Lilja agreed to terms to join theDenver Broncos on July 31, 2013.[5] He was released on August 31, 2013.
