Ryan Fitzpatrick
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| Ryan Fitzpatrick | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | November 24, 1982 (age 24) |
| Place of birth |  Gilbert, Arizona |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| College | Harvard |
| NFL Draft | 2005 / Round 7/ Pick 250 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2005-present | St. Louis Rams |
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is an NFL quarterback for the Saint Louis Rams, and was a star for the Harvard University Crimson. Fitzpatrick was drafted in the 7th round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He was 15–1 in his last two seasons at Harvard. Fitzpatrick's 384 completed passes, 39 touchdowns, 5,234 yards passing, and 59.9 percent pass completion percentage are each second in Harvard's history, surpassed only by his predecessor, Neil Rose. Including rushing, Fitzpatrick had 6,721 yards of total offense, a Harvard record.
Fitzpatrick played his first NFL game on November 27, 2005. Coming into the game in the second quarter against the Houston Texans to replace an injured Jamie Martin, Fitzpatrick lead the Rams from a 24-3 halftime defecit to a 33-27 overtime win, throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns. This made Fitzpatrick one of only five players who passed for 300 yards in their NFL debut. The others were Otto Graham, 346 yards (1950); Ed Rubbert, 334 (a replacement player for the Washington Redskins during the 1987 strike); Mark Rypien, 303 (1988), and Peyton Manning, 302 (1998).
Fitzpatrick is the only Harvard quarterback ever to play in the NFL.
Fitzpatrick is married to his long-time girlfriend Liza Barber, former captain of the Harvard Women's Soccer team. He proposed to her at McDonald's in St. Louis. The two welcomed their first child, Brady Joseph on March 1st, 2007.
Fitzpatrick has older twin brothers. Brandon studies philosophy in Santa Fe. Jason is a model/actor and resides in Hollywood. His younger brother Shaun is the starting tight end for Northern Arizona University.[1] Shaun was recently voted 1st team All Big Sky.
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[edit] Wonderlic Controversy
As is the case for most incoming NFL rookies, Fitzpatrick took the Wonderlic test. Highly divergent reports about his performance have appeared in the media. A draft commentary on the NFL's official website reported that he made a perfect score, while setting a speed record by completing the exam in nine minutes.[1] According to a The Wall Street Journal report that appeared in the September 30, 2005 edition, Fitzpatrick scored a 38 on the exam, not a 50; this would still be considered an exceptionally high score, and the claim that he completed the test in nine minutes is accurate. However, this report has since been proven false by Wonderlic officials; Fitzpatrick did in fact receive a perfect score on the Wonderlic test and completed it in a record nine minutes.
[edit] High school career
Ryan Fitzpatrick attended Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona, where he starred in football, basketball, and track and field. In his senior season, he was a second team Class 5A All-State pick in football. He has a record for the longest touchdown thrown at the school at 99 yards. He was teammates with Minnesota Vikings player Marquis Cooper at Highland.
Fitzpatrick attributes his intellect to his father, who works for a rocket manufacturer, and his athletic ability to his mother, who was an all-state badminton player in high school.
