Constantin Ritzmann
{{Short description|German gridiron football player (born 1979)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Constantin Ritzmann
| image =
| caption =
| number = 93
| position = Defensive end
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|12|20|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Freiburg, West Germany
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 265
| high_school = Tallahassee (FL) N. Florida Christian
| college = Tennessee
| undraftedyear = 2004
| pastteams =
- Buffalo Bills ({{NFL Year|2004}}-{{NFL Year|2005}})
- Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|2005}})
| highlights =
- 3× NFL Global Junior Championship MVP (I, II, III)
| pfr = RitzCo20
}}
Constantin Ritzmann (born December 20, 1979) is a German-born player of American football.
Early years
He was born in Freiburg, Germany. He moved from Berlin, Germany to Tallahassee, Florida in hopes of achieving success in American football. As a high school senior he was offered a scholarship from multiple D1 football powerhouses, including the University of Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State and many more.
He ended up choosing Tennessee over Florida State in 1998.
College career
At Tennessee, he played as a true freshman. He became a starter midway through his junior season and a team captain as a senior in 2003. He led the Tennessee Volunteers to an upset victory over then number 4 Miami which ended the nation's longest home winning streak.
Professional career
Constantin was signed by the Buffalo Bills in 2004 as an undrafted defensive end. He made the opening day roster. He was the first German-born non-kicker to appear on an NFL opening day roster.
During the 2005 season he was activated by the Atlanta Falcons and played in the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.{{Cite web |title=Constantin Ritzmann 2005 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RitzCo20/gamelog/2005/ |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
He finished his football career in 2007 with the Berlin Thunder of the NFL Europa.
References
{{Reflist}}
- https://web.archive.org/web/20110711101516/http://www.globalfootball.com/events/GJC07/GJChistory10years.pdf
- http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/teams/players/bio/?id=7025&hubname=nfl
External links
- [http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ritzmann_constantin00.html Tennessee Volunteers bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritzmann, Constantin}}
Category:Sportspeople from Freiburg im Breisgau
Category:German players of American football
Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players