Theo Riddick

Theo Riddick
refer to caption
Riddick with the Detroit Lions in 2014
No. 41, 25, 35
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1991-05-04) May 4, 1991 (age 33)
Somerville, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Immaculata
(Somerville, New Jersey)
College:Notre Dame (2009–2012)
NFL draft:2013 / round: 6 / pick: 199
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:1,037
Rushing average:3.5
Rushing touchdowns:5
Receptions:290
Receiving yards:2,281
Receiving touchdowns:14
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Theo Riddick (born May 4, 1991) is a former American football running back of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has also played for the Denver Broncos.

Early life

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Raised in Somerville, New Jersey, Riddick attended Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey. He rushed for 4,042 yards and 52 touchdowns during his high school football career, which also included a state championship in 2006, leading his team to victory and a perfect 12–0 season. In June 2016, Immaculata's football field was named for Riddick.[1]

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the tenth-best all purpose back in the nation. He accepted a scholarship offer from Notre Dame over offers from Rutgers, Penn State, and Pittsburgh.[2][3]

College career

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Riddick attended and played college football for Notre Dame from 2009 to 2012.[4]

As a freshman at Notre Dame in 2009 under head coach Charlie Weis, Riddick started off his career as a reserve and primarily on special teams as a kick returner. He made his collegiate debut in a victory over Nevada.[5] He rushed for 160 yards on 29 carries (5.5 avg) and tallied 849 kickoff return yards on 37 returns.[6] Before the season ended, Weis was fired.[7] In 2010, under new head coach Brian Kelly, he made the move from running back to slot receiver.[8] In his first season as a receiver, he amassed 40 catches for 414 yards and three touchdowns, including a career game against Michigan State in which he recorded 10 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.[9][10] In 2011, he did not have the break out season many had hoped, he recorded 38 catches for 436 yards and three touchdowns.[11] He also played running back following an injury to starter Jonas Gray near the end of the season. In his final season, as a senior in 2012, he made the move back to running back. Splitting carries with fellow senior classmate Cierre Wood, he rushed for 917 yards on 190 carries (4.8 avg) and five touchdowns.[12] He also recorded 36 receptions for 370 yards and two touchdowns. On October 20, 2012, he had a then career-high 143 rushing yards in a victory over BYU.[13] On November 24, 2012, he had a career day with 146 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with 33 receiving yards in the victory at Southern California.[14] He was an integral piece to the Irish's 2012 undefeated regular season.[15] In the BCS National Championship, he had 37 rushing yards and a six-yard receiving touchdown in the 42–14 loss.[16][17]

Collegiate statistics

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Year School Class Pos G Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD
2009 Notre Dame Freshman RB 12 29 160 5.5 0 6 43 7.2 0
2010 Notre Dame Sophomore WR 9 11 29 2.6 0 40 414 10.4 3
2011 Notre Dame Junior WR 11 14 63 4.5 0 38 436 11.5 3
2012 Notre Dame Senior RB 13 190 917 4.8 5 36 370 10.3 2
Career 45 244 1,169 4.8 5 120 1,263 10.5 8

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
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 Bench press
5 ft 10+18 in
(1.78 m)
201 lb
(91 kg)
30 in
(0.76 m)
8+34 in
(0.22 m)
4.68 s 2.69 s 1.59 s 4.32 s 6.99 s 32 in
(0.81 m)
9 ft 10 in
(3.00 m)
14 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Notre Dame's Pro Day[18][19]

Detroit Lions

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The Detroit Lions selected Riddick in the sixth round (199th overall) of the 2013 NFL draft.[20] Riddick was the 21st running back drafted in 2013.[21]

On May 30, 2013, the Detroit Lions signed Riddick to a four-year, $2.25 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $91,000.[22] Riddick was drafted due to his position flexibility. The Lions had plans to use Riddick at running back, slot receiver, third-down back, fielding punts, and kick returns.[23] In 2013, he scored his first career touchdown on a two-yard run in Week 16 against the New York Giants.[24] Overall, in his rookie season, he finished with 25 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, four receptions, and 26 receiving yards.[25]

Riddick saw an expanded role in the receiving game in the 2014 season. In Week 6, against the Minnesota Vikings, Riddick scored another touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Matthew Stafford as part of a 75-yard receiving game.[26] Two weeks later, against the Atlanta Falcons, he had 74 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.[27] Overall, in the 2014 season, he finished with 51 rushing yards, 34 receptions, 316 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns.[28]

Riddick saw expanded usage in the 2015 season, especially in the passing game. In the season opener against the San Diego Chargers, he had two receptions for 37 yards and a receiving touchdown.[29] On October 11, against the Arizona Cardinals, he had 10 receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.[30] In a Week 16 game against the San Francisco 49ers, he caught seven passes for 63 yards, giving him 668 receiving yards on the season.[31] This set a Lions franchise record for running backs, surpassing the 662 receiving yards gained by James Jones in 1984.[32] Riddick finished the season with 80 receptions and 697 yards, both franchise records for a running back.[33][34]

On September 9, 2016, the Detroit Lions signed Riddick to a three-year, $11.55 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $3.85 million.[22][35]

In the 2016 season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, Riddick had 45 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, five receptions, 63 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.[36] He was the Lions' top running back in 2016 after a season-ending injury to Ameer Abdullah in Week 2. On October 9, against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had six receptions for 33 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.[37] He played in 10 games with 8 starts in 2016, rushing for 357 yards and one touchdown to go along with 53 receptions for 371 yards and five touchdowns.[38] He had been dealing with a lingering wrist injury towards the end of the season, leading him to be placed on injured reserve on December 31, 2016.[39][40]

In the 2017 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, Riddick had six receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown.[41] On December 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had 29 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.[42] Overall, in the 2017 season, he finished with 286 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 53 receptions, 444 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.[43]

In a similar role to the prior year in the 2018 season, Riddick had 40 carries for 171 rushing yards and 61 receptions for 384 receiving yards.[44]

On July 27, 2019, Riddick was released by the Lions after six seasons.[45]

Denver Broncos

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On August 4, 2019, Riddick signed with the Denver Broncos.[46] He was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2019, with a shoulder injury.[47]

Las Vegas Raiders

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Riddick signed with the Las Vegas Raiders on August 23, 2020.[48] He was released on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day.[49][50] He was elevated to the active roster on October 3 for the team's week 4 game against the Buffalo Bills,[51] and reverted to the practice squad after the game.[52] He was promoted to the active roster on November 5.[53] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 21,[54] and activated on December 2.[55]

On March 19, 2021, Riddick re-signed with the Raiders on a one-year contract.[56] He announced his retirement from the NFL on July 30, 2021.[57]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD A/G Y/G Tgt Rec Yds Avg Lng TD R/G Y/G
2013 DET 14 0 9 25 2.8 7 1 0.6 1.8 8 4 26 6.5 8 0 0.3 1.9
2014 DET 14 2 20 51 2.6 9 0 1.4 3.6 50 34 316 9.3 41 4 2.4 22.6
2015 DET 16 1 43 133 3.1 16 0 2.7 8.3 99 80 697 8.7 34 3 5.0 43.6
2016 DET 10 8 92 357 3.9 42 1 9.2 35.7 67 53 371 7.0 23 5 5.3 37.1
2017 DET 16 5 84 286 3.4 21 3 5.3 17.9 71 53 444 8.4 63 2 3.3 27.8
2018 DET 14 3 40 171 4.3 19 0 2.9 12.2 74 61 384 6.3 20 0 4.4 27.4
2019 DEN 0 0 Did not play due to injury
2020 LV 4 0 6 14 2.3 11 0 1.5 3.5 6 5 43 8.6 15 0 1.3 10.8
Career 88 19 294 1,037 3.5 42 5 3.3 11.8 375 290 2,281 7.9 63 14 3.3 25.9

References

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  1. ^ Rogers, Justin (June 23, 2016). "Lions notes: Theo Riddick honored, Matthew Stafford's wife to judge cheerleading tryouts". mlive.com. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  2. ^ "Theo Riddick, 2009 All Purpose Back". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  3. ^ "Theo Riddick Recruit Interests". 247sports.com. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  4. ^ "Theo Riddick College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  5. ^ "Nevada at Notre Dame Box Score, September 5, 2009". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  6. ^ "Theo Riddick 2009 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "Notre Dame fires Weis after five seasons". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 30, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  8. ^ "Kelly: Notre Dame will 'go to work right away'". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 11, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  9. ^ "Notre Dame at Michigan State Box Score, September 18, 2010". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  10. ^ "Theo Riddick 2010 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  11. ^ "Theo Riddick 2011 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  12. ^ "2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Roster". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  13. ^ "Brigham Young at Notre Dame Box Score, October 20, 2012". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  14. ^ "Notre Dame at Southern California Box Score, November 24, 2012". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  15. ^ "2012 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  16. ^ "BCS Championship - Notre Dame vs Alabama Box Score, January 7, 2013". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  17. ^ "Theo Riddick 2012 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  18. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Theo Riddick". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  19. ^ "Theo Riddick, Notre Dame, RB, 2013 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  20. ^ Yuille, Sean (April 27, 2013). "Lions draft Theo Riddick with 199th overall pick". Prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  21. ^ "2013 NFL Draft Listing". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Spotrac.com: Theo Riddick contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  23. ^ Yuille, Sean (June 17, 2013). "Post-minicamp Lions 53-man roster prediction". Prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  24. ^ "New York Giants at Detroit Lions - December 22nd, 2013". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  25. ^ "Theo Riddick 2013 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  26. ^ "Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings - October 12th, 2014". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  27. ^ "Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons - October 26th, 2014". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  28. ^ "Theo Riddick 2014 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  29. ^ "Detroit Lions at San Diego Chargers - September 13th, 2015". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  30. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions - October 11th, 2015". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  31. ^ "San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions - December 27th, 2015". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  32. ^ "Theo Riddick sets Lions franchise record for receiving yards by a RB". FoxSports.com. December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  33. ^ "Stafford, Johnson lead Lions over Bears 24-20". Sports Illustrated. January 3, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  34. ^ "Theo Riddick 2015 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  35. ^ Shook, Nick (September 9, 2016). "Theo Riddick, Sam Martin agree to Lions extensions". NFL.com. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  36. ^ "Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts - September 11th, 2016". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  37. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions - October 9th, 2016". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  38. ^ "Theo Riddick 2016 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  39. ^ Bergman, Jeremy (December 31, 2016). "Lions place Theo Riddick (wrist) on injured reserve". NFL.com.
  40. ^ "Lions sign WR Jace Billingsley to active roster and place RB Theo Riddick on Reserve/Injured". DetroitLions.com. December 31, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  41. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions - September 10th, 2017". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  42. ^ "Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - December 10th, 2017". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  43. ^ "Theo Riddick 2017 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  44. ^ "Theo Riddick 2018 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  45. ^ Bergman, Jeremy (July 27, 2019). "Lions release RB Theo Riddick after six seasons". NFL.com. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  46. ^ DiLalla, Aric (August 4, 2019). "Broncos sign running back Theo Riddick". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  47. ^ DiLalla, Aric (September 2, 2019). "Broncos sign three players to active roster". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  48. ^ "Raiders add veteran experience at two key positions with Emanuel and Riddick signings". Raiders.com. August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  49. ^ "Raiders announce transactions for initial 53-man roster". Raiders.com. September 5, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  50. ^ "Raiders announce practice squad additions". Raiders.com. September 6, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  51. ^ "Raiders' Theo Riddick: Called up to 53-man roster". CBSSports.com. October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  52. ^ "Theo Riddick: Back to practice squad". CBSSports.com. October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  53. ^ "Raiders place RT Trent Brown back on COVID-19 list". APNews.com. November 5, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  54. ^ Gutierrez, Paul (November 21, 2020). "Las Vegas Raiders activate 7 off reserve/COVID-19 list". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  55. ^ Simmons, Myles (December 2, 2020). "Raiders activate Trent Brown, Lamarcus Joyner, Theo Riddick from COVID-19 reserve list". NBCSports.com. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  56. ^ "Raiders re-sign RB Theo Riddick". Raiders.com. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  57. ^ Damien, Levi (July 30, 2021). "Raiders RB Theo Riddick retires". Raiders Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
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