Ray Rice Bio

Stories: Calm Through the Storm | Day 2 Draft Picks | Rice, Flacco Wrap Day 1 | Flacco Feeling Fine | Ravens Get Their Man
Transcripts: Draft Wrap-Up Presser | Flacco Introductory Presser | Ravens Day 2 A.M. Presser | Flacco Conference Call
Blogs: The Big Board | The Byrne Identity | Insight to the Limelight

Ray Rice, Running Back - Rutgers University

Overview
The all-time leading rusher at Rutgers with 4,926 yards and 49 touchdowns on 910 carries, Rice might be short, but he proved to be the "big man on campus" in three seasons in Piscataway.

Before his Scarlet Knights' career came to an end, Rice became the first player in the 138-year history of the football program to rush for over 1,000 yards in three seasons.

"Ray Rice is not your normal guy. He is 5-9, 195 pounds and he is a very, very well-conditioned young man. He trains incredibly hard so he can do this," said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano.

What makes Rice tough is that he runs behind his pads very well, showing the strength to consistently break tackles, uncommon for a back of his size. He is a tireless worker in practice. He greatly improved his receiving skills prior to the 2007 season, upgrading an area of his game that pro scouts felt was one of his weaknesses..

At New Rochelle High School, Rice was named to Madison Square Garden's All-Heisman Team. He was rated the 19th-best all-purpose back in the country by Rivals.com and the seventh-best player in New York by Scout.com. The All-State first-team choice added team Offensive Most Valuable Player honors as a senior and was also selected Game MVP in the Class AA championship game.

Rice rushed for 122 yards, leading New York to victory in the 2005 Governor's Bowl. During the 2004 season, he carried 112 times for 1,192 yards (10.6-yard average) and 31 touchdowns, caught 10 passes for 302 yards and five scores on offense and recorded 44 tackles with four sacks and two interceptions as a defensive back. He returned seven punts for 83 yards and four kickoffs for 276 yards (53.5-yard average), as he also kicked, converting 39 extra points and two field goals (long of 31 yards).

As a junior, Rice totaled 1,332 yards and 21 scores on the ground. In the season opener vs. White Plains High, he gained 105 yards on just four carries. He also excelled on the basketball team, starting at point guard. He led the team to the state finals in 2003-2004. He graduated with a 3.7 GPA.

Rice enrolled at Rutgers in 2005, turning down scholarship offers from Arizona State, Penn State and Syracuse. Rice earned Freshman All-American honors as he totaled 1,120 yards and five touchdowns on 195 carries (5.7-yard average) and 1,185 all-purpose yards, despite starting just five of 12 games that year. His 1,120 yards set a school freshman record and he was the team's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1994.

In 2006, Rice was a consensus All-American second-team choice, adding All-Big East Conference first-team honors. The Maxwell Award finalist became the third player ion school history to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, as he ranked third in the nation with 1,794 yards on 335 attempts (5.4-yard average) and finished fifth nationally with 20 touchdowns on the ground.

That year, he piled up 1,824 all-purpose yards, despite being limited by a left ankle sprain the final month of the regular season, earning him The Daily Targum's Male Athlete of the Year. "Our success in our season came due to hard work," Rice said. "I couldn't have done what I did without my teammates, without my fellow teammate Brian Leonard and my offensive line."

As a junior, Rice became the school's first three-time 1,000-yard rusher. The second-team All-American selection and Maxwell Award finalist finished third nationally with 380 carries for 2,012 yards (5.3-yard average) and 24 touchdowns, becoming the Big East's first 2,000-yard rusher. He showed improved receiving skills, catching 25 passes for 239 yards (9.6-yard average) and a score. He ranked fifth in the country in scoring with a school record 150 points and generated 2,251 all-purpose yards, the 11th-best total in the major college ranks.

Rice decided to leave Rutgers University and enter the 2008 NFL Draft.

In 38 games at Rutgers, Rice started 37 times. He holds the school career marks with 910 attempts for 4,926 yards (5.41-yard average), 49 touchdowns and a long run of 90 yards. He made 37 catches for 334 yards (9.0 avg) and a score, setting another school record by piling up 300 points. He recorded five tackles (four solo) and amassed 5,260 all-purpose yards, an average of 138.42 yards per game.

Career Notes
Rice holds the school career-record with 4,926 yards rushing, shattering the previous mark of 3,114 yards by Terrell Willis (1993-95)...The only Big East Conference player to gain more yards on the ground in a career is Avon Cobourne of West Virginia (5,039 yards, 1999-2002)...His 910 rushing attempts topped the previous Rutgers all-time record of 678 by Brian Leonard (2003-06)...Only Avon Cobourne (1,023) had more rushing attempts in Big East annals...His 49 touchdown runs surpassed the old Scarlet Knights' career record of 34 by J.J. Jennings (1971-73) and are topped only by Lee Suggs of Virginia Tech (53, 1999-2002) in Big East Conference annals...Ranks second in school history with 300 points scored, topped only by Jeremy Ito (400 points, 2004-07)...Became the sixth player in Big East history to score 300 points during a career...His string of eight consecutive 100-yard games rushing at the end of 2007 set another school record, while his total of 25 100-yard games and six 200-yard rushing performances also set school all-time records...Only Avon Cobourne of West Virginia (28, 1999-2002) had more 100-yard games in Big East history...Rice's total of 10 100-yard rushing performances in 2007 tied his Big East record set in 2006...Set the school and conference records with 2,012 yards rushing in 2007, topping the old Rutgers and Big East single-season mark of 1,794 yards by Rice in 2006 (school record was previously held by J.J. Jennings -- 1,353 in 1973, and the old Big East mark was 1,753 yards by Willis McGahee of Miami in 2002)...Joined J.J. Jennings (303 in 1973) as the only players in school history to carry more than 300 times in a season (335 in 2006 and 380 in 2007)...His 380 attempts in 2007 broke the Big East season record of 335 that he shared with Avon Cobourne of West Virginia (2002)...Also joined Jennings (21 in 1973) as the only players in Rutgers annals to score 20 or more times rushing in a season (20 in 2006, 24 in 2007)...Only Willis McGahee of Miami (28 in 2002) and Lee Suggs of Virginia Tech (27 in 2000) had more touchdown runs than Rice's 24 in 2007 in the history of Big East football...His average of 154.77 yards per game rushing in 2007 is the third-best season average in Big East history, topped only by Mike Cloud of Boston College (156.9-yard average, 1998) and William Green of Boston College (155.9 avg, 2001)...His average of 173.15 all-purpose yards per game in 2007 rank second in school annals behind Terrell Willis (184.2 avg, 1993) and fifth on the Big East season-record list...Set the school's season record with 150 points scored in 2007, the third-best season total in Big East annals behind Willis McGahee of Miami (168 in 2002) and Lee Suggs of Virginia Tech (168 in 2000)...Rice's 39 carries vs. Pittsburgh in 2006 set a school record and rank fifth on the Big East record chart...Exploded for a school record 280 yards vs. Ball State in the 2008 International Bowl, surpassing the previous high of 232 yards by Terrell Willis vs. Temple in 1994...Only Kay-Jay Harris of West Virginia (337 vs. East Carolina in 2004) and Edgerrin James of Miami (290 vs. UCLA in 1998) gained more yards rushing in a game in Big East history...Ran for four touchdowns in the 2008 International Bowl, as J.J. Jennings (5 vs. Princeton, 1973) and Howard Talman (5 vs. vs. RPI, 1915) ran for more touchdowns in a game in Rutgers history...His 90-yard touchdown run in the 2008 International Bowl vs. Ball State tied Chad Bosch (vs. Temple in 1996) for the longest run from scrimmage in school annals...Only Terry Caulley of Connecticut (98 vs. Army, 2006) had a longer rushing attempt by a Big East player.

High School
Attended New Rochelle (N.Y.) High School, playing football for head coach Lou DiRenzo...Named to Madison Square Garden's All-Heisman Team...Rated the 19th-best all-purpose back in the country by Rivals.com and the seventh-best player in New York by Scout.com...All-State first-team choice...Added team Offensive Most Valuable Player honors as a senior...Selected Game MVP in the Class AA championship game...Rushed for 122 yards, leading New York to victory in the 2005 Governor's Bowl...During the 2004 season, he carried 112 times for 1,192 yards (10.6-yard average) and 31 touchdowns, caught 10 passes for 302 yards and five scores on offense and recorded 44 tackles with four sacks and two interceptions as a defensive back...Returned seven punts for 83 yards and four kickoffs for 276 yards (53.5-yard average), as he also kicked, converting 39 extra points and two field goals (long of 31 yards)...As a junior, Rice totaled 1,332 yards and 21 scores on the ground...In the season opener vs. White Plains High, he gained 105 yards on just four carries...Also excelled on the basketball team, starting at point guard...Led the team to the state finals in 2003-2004. He also graduated with a 3.7 grade point average.

Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.