Constantin Ritzmann

Constantin Ritzmann
Position (s): Defensive End	Jersey number (s): 93
born on December 20, 1979
Career information
Active : 2004 - 2005
Undrafted in 2004
College : Tennessee
Teams
Buffalo Bills ( 2004 ) Atlanta Falcons ( 2005 )
Career statistics
Stats at NFL.com
Career highlights and awards
3 × NFL Global Junior Championship MVP (I, II, III)

Constantin Ritzmann (born December 20, 1979 in Freiburg im Breisgau ) is a former American football player in the National Football League (NFL) on the position of defensive end .

Early life until 1999

Ritzmann grew up in Pfaffenweiler in the Black Forest . He started playing football with the Danube Hammers in Donaueschingen. He played in the youth of the Berlin Adler and in the German Football League with the Hamburg Blue Devils . He was also a member of the Junior National Team of AFVD and EFAF . Here he already received several honors, e.g. B. In a comparison of the Europeans against the Mexicans in 1998 he was named Most Valuable Player . During an earlier exchange year in the USA , he first came into contact with American football in its mother country. He set some records for the North Florida Christian High School team in Tallahassee , scoring 26 sacks and 150 tackles in 14 games and playing in the Georgia-Florida All-Star Game, making him one of the best high school Florida footballer this year. Here he was also discovered by the talent scouts of NFL Europe (formerly NFL Europe ).

In college from 1999

In 1999 Ritzmann moved to the University of Tennessee and played college football for the Volunteers . During his career in college he wore jersey number 6. In the first few years he was not a regular player, but in 2001 he played all 13 volunteers games, but only started in three due to injuries to the other starters. This year he scored points in three different ways. First he scored a safety against a Syracuse College quarterback . In the same game, he caught a pass to two point conversion , the additional attempt for two points after the touchdown. In the game against the University of Kentucky he secured an intercepted by teammates, but lost in the end zone ball for a touchdown . The 2002 season took place without Ritzmann due to a serious injury. A year later, Ritzmann was named one of the team captains. Accordingly, he also got a lot of playing time and started as the only defensive lineman in all 13 games, scoring 3.5 quarterback sacks (three alone and one with a teammate) and 52 tackles , including four tackles in the Peach Bowl against Clemson University .

In the NFL

After completing his college years, Ritzmann was signed by the Buffalo Bills in 2004 , but was not used for the entire season. In the next season he was only in the Practice Squad , i. that is, he just trained without being allowed to play. Shortly before the end of this season, on December 14, 2005, he moved to the Atlanta Falcons and had his first NFL appearance in one of the remaining three games that the Falcons lost. Ritzmann was on the last eight plays on Christmas Eve in Tampa Bay . He is the first German "field player" in the NFL, d. H. the first player with a bet that is not in the special teams played. After the end of the 2005 season, he received no offer from Atlanta in March 2006, and became a free agent without a contract. In early summer 2006, he trained with the New Orleans Saints . In spring 2007 he played for Berlin Thunder .

Web links

• ESPN

Individual evidence

1. ↑ One move can decide the game on SWR Sport on February 7, 2016, accessed on August 5, 2019
2. ↑ # 93 Constantin Ritzmann | DE [1]
3. ↑ CONSTANTIN RITZMANN Atlanta Falcons | DE | # 93 SI: CONSTANTIN RITZMANN ( Memento from December 8, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ http://www.afvd.de/text.php?Inhalt=page&ID=126
5. ↑ http://utsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ritzmann_constantin00.html
6. ↑ For the entire section: http://utsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ritzmann_constantin00.html
7. ↑ Falcons grab Ritzmann [2]  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (with picture in college dress)
8. ^ The Atlanta Falcons announced today the signing of DE Constantin Ritzmann from the Buffalo Bills practice squad. The team released LB John Leake to make room for the addition. Ritzmann, 6-3, 254 pounds, has spent the entire 2005 season on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. Originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Tennessee by the Bills on April 26, 2004, Ritzmann earned a roster spot on the opening day roster before injuring his foot and being placed on Injured Reserve. He was inactive for the first eight games of the 2004 season. - atlantafalcons.com  ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives )
9. ↑ [3]
10. ↑ swr.de: "One move can decide the game"
11. ↑ archive.org/nfleuropa.de ( Memento from May 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
12. ↑ Constantin Ritzmann celebrates NFL debut (December 25, 2005) ( Memento from February 24, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
13. ↑ Sat, 13 May 2006 21:20:40 - Chris Pika, of NewOrleansSaints.com, reports free agent DL Constantin Ritzmann (Falcons) is working with the New Orleans Saints during the team's minicamp. Archived copy ( memento of the original dated October 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
14. ↑ [4]