Theo Riddick
 Riddick in 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 25 Detroit Lions | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth: | May 4, 1991 | ||||||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Manville, New Jersey | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Somerville (NJ) Immaculata | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2013 / Round: 6 / Pick: 199 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2016 | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Theo Riddick (born May 4, 1991) is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
Early years
Raised in Manville, New Jersey, Riddick attended Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey. He rushed for 4,042 yards and 52 TDs during his high school 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 No.10 all purpose back in the nation. He accepted a scholarship offer from Notre Dame over offers from Rutgers, Penn State, and Pittsburgh.[2]
College career
As a freshman in 2009, Theo started off his career as a reserve and primarily on special teams as a kick returner. He rushed for 160 yards on 29 carries (5.5 avg) and tallied 849 kickoff return yards on 37 returns. In 2010, under new head coach Brian Kelly, he made the move from running back to slot receiver. 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. In 2011, he didn't have the break out season many had hoped, he recorded 38 catches for 436 yards and three touchdowns. 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. He also recorded 36 receptions for 370 yards and two touchdowns. He was an integral piece to the Irish's 2012 undefeated season. Head coach Brian Kelly referred to him as the "definition of a Notre Dame Football player".
Professional career
Riddick was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round, 199th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.[3]
He signed a four-year contract with the Lions on May 30, 2013. Riddick was drafted due to his position flexibility. The Lions are using Riddick at running back, slot receiver, third-down back, fielding punts and kick returns.[4] In 2013, he scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard run in Week 16 against the New York Giants.
In Week 6, Riddick scored another touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford.
Riddick saw expanded usage in the 2015 season, especially in the passing game. In a Week 16 game against the San Francisco 49ers, he caught 7 passes for 63 yards, giving him 668 receiving yards on the season. This set a Lions franchise record for running backs, surpassing the 662 receiving yards gained by James Jones in 1984.[5] Riddick finished the season with 80 receptions and 697 yards, both franchise records for a running back.[6]
Riddick signed a three-year $12.75 million contract extension with the Lions on September 9, 2016.[7]
References
- ↑ Rogers, Justin (June 23, 2016). "Lions notes: Theo Riddick honored, Matthew Stafford's wife to judge cheerleading tryouts". mlive.com. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ↑ Theo Riddick - Yahoo Sports
- ↑ 2013 NFL Draft results: Lions pick Theo Riddick
- ↑ http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2013/6/17/4436138/lions-53-man-roster-prediction-2013
- ↑ "Theo Riddick sets Lions franchise record for receiving yards by a RB". FoxSports.com. December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Stafford, Johnson lead Lions over Bears 24-20". CBSsports.com. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ↑ Shook, Nick (September 9, 2016). "Theo Riddick, Sam Martin agree to Lions extensions". NFL.com. Retrieved October 29, 2016.