Ryan O'Callaghan
{{Short description|American football player (born 1983)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image = Ryan O'Callaghan.JPG
| caption = O'Callaghan with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010
| number = 68, 75
| position = Offensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|7|19}}
| birth_place = Susanville, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 7
| weight_lbs = 330
| high_school = Enterprise {{nowrap|(Redding, California)}}
| college = California (2001–2005)
| draftyear = 2006
| draftround = 5
| draftpick = 136
| pastteams =
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|2006}}–{{NFL Year|2008}})
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|2009}}–{{NFL Year|2011}})
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 51
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 20
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 2
| highlights =
- Morris Trophy (2005)
- 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2004, 2005)
| pfr = OCalRy20
}}
Ryan Thomas O'Callaghan (born July 19, 1983) is an American former professional football offensive tackle.{{Cite web|last=Elman|first=Jake|date=2021-01-15|title=Ex-Patriots Offensive Lineman Ryan O'Callaghan Intended to End His Life After His NFL Career|url=https://www.sportscasting.com/ex-patriots-offensive-lineman-ryan-ocallaghan-intended-to-end-his-life-after-his-nfl-career/|access-date=2021-11-25|website=Sportscasting {{!}} Pure Sports|language=en-US}} He played college football for the California Golden Bears and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2006 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2006/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Behind the Scenes with T Ryan O'Callaghan|url=https://www.patriots.com/news/behind-the-scenes-with-t-ryan-o-callaghan-134736|access-date=2021-11-25|website=www.patriots.com|language=en-US}} He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs.{{Cite web|title=Ryan O'Callaghan Stats Summary|url=https://www.nfl.com/players/ryan-o-callaghan/stats/|access-date=2021-11-25|website=NFL.com|language=en-US}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 6 5/8
| weight = 344
| dash = 5.32
| ten split = 1.86
| twenty split = 3.10
| shuttle = 4.83
| cone drill = 7.97
| vertical = 26.0
| broad ft = 8
| broad in = 0
| bench = 21
| arm span = 33 1/8
| hand span = 9 3/4
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/ryan-o-callaghan/32004f43-4142-3541-5baa-981469d1bebd |title=Ryan O'Callaghan Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=December 28, 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://ras.football/2020/01/19/ryan-ocallaghan-ras/ |title=Ryan O’Callaghan RAS |website=RAS.Football |access-date=December 28, 2024}}
}}
=New England Patriots=
As a rookie, O'Callaghan started in his first NFL game against the Buffalo Bills in 2006 at right tackle.{{Cite web |title=Q & A with OT Ryan O'Callaghan |url=https://www.patriots.com/news/q-a-with-ot-ryan-o-callaghan-136566 |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=www.patriots.com |language=en-US}} He would go on to start six games in 2006, as well as a game in 2007, filling in for injured starter Nick Kaczur. O'Callaghan missed the entire 2008 season after being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury on August 28. He was waived by the Patriots on September 5, 2009, during final cuts.
=Kansas City Chiefs=
O'Callaghan was picked up off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs on September 6, 2009, after being released by New England the previous day. He started 12 games that year. The Chiefs re-signed O'Callaghan on April 15, 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/transactions |title=NFL Football Transactions - National Football League - ESPN |publisher=Espn.go.com |access-date=2017-06-21}} He played in 11 games with one start.
Honors and awards
While at the University of California, Ryan won the Morris Trophy,{{Cite web |title=Ryan O'Callaghan - Football Coach |url=https://calbears.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/ryan-o-callaghan/203 |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=California Golden Bears Athletics |language=en}} which is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive lineman in the PAC 12 conference. On December 20, 2014, O'Callaghan was inducted into the Shasta County Sports Hall of Fame along with several other athletes from Shasta County, California, such as Max Burch, Sam Enochian, Jeff Foster, Ricky Ray, Megan Rapinoe, Eddie Wilson, and Mark Wilson.[http://www.shastacosportshof.org/events.htm Induction Ceremony Events & Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630072427/http://www.shastacosportshof.org/events.htm |date=2018-06-30 }}, Shasta County Sports Hall Of Fame website
Personal life
O'Callaghan was raised in Redding, California.{{Cite web |last=Hanson |first=Ethan |title=Ryan O'Callaghan is comfortable in his own skin. And he doesn't want to talk football |url=https://www.redding.com/story/sports/2019/09/21/nfl-gay-rights-activist-ryan-ocallaghan-book/2352138001/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Record Searchlight |language=en-US}} In June 2017, he came out as gay in an interview with Outsports.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2017-06-20 |title=Ryan O'Callaghan, former New England Patriots lineman, comes out as gay |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jun/20/ryan-ocallaghan-former-new-england-patriots-lineman-comes-out-as-gay |access-date=2023-02-24 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |title=How Ex-NFL Star Ryan O'Callaghan Found the Courage to Come Out |url=https://www.advocate.com/sports/2020/2/01/how-ex-nfl-star-ryan-ocallaghan-found-courage-come-out |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=www.advocate.com |language=en}} He shared his struggle with self-acceptance and that he had convinced himself that no one would accept him as a gay man, reconciling that he would end his life when his football career had ended. The turning point was when he came out to the Chiefs' clinical psychologist, Susan Wilson, and then later to teammates and family, who were all supportive. He now speaks openly about his struggles and coming out.{{Cite news |url=https://www.outsports.com/2017/6/20/15835374/ryan-ocallaghan-gay-nfl-new-england-patriots-kansas-city-chiefs |title=Former Patriots and Chiefs tackle Ryan O'Callaghan comes out as gay |work=Outsports |date=June 20, 2017 |first=Cyd |last=Zeigler}}{{cite news |title='Life's great now' for Ryan O'Callaghan, the ex-NFL player who came out as gay |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/08/10/ryan-ocallaghan-lifes-great-now-ex-nfler-who-came-out-gay/553801001/ |first=Josh |last=Peter |date=August 10, 2017 |work=USA Today}}{{Cite web |title=How Ryan O'Callaghan's story of being gay in the NFL is helping to smash stereotypes |url=https://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/11802303/how-ryan-ocallaghans-story-of-being-gay-in-the-nfl-is-helping-to-smash-stereotypes |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}}
In 2019 his autobiography, My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me and Ended Up Saving My Life, was published.{{Cite book |last=O'Callaghan |first=Ryan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jmz5wAEACAAJ |title=My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me and Ended Up Saving My Life |date=2019 |publisher=Akashic Books |isbn=978-1-61775-758-7 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=O'Callaghan |first=Ryan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OR7rwAEACAAJ |title=My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me and Ended Up Saving My Life |date=2019 |publisher=Akashic Books |isbn=978-1-61775-759-4 |language=en}} He started the Ryan O'Callaghan Foundation, which provides scholarships to LGBT youth.{{Cite web|date=2020-02-01|title=How Ex-NFL Star Ryan O'Callaghan Found the Courage to Come Out|url=https://www.advocate.com/sports/2020/2/01/how-ex-nfl-star-ryan-ocallaghan-found-courage-come-out|access-date=2021-06-22|website=www.advocate.com|language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Silverman |first=Robert |date=2021-09-13 |title=The Ex-NFL Player Pushing for LGBTQ Acceptance in America's Toughest Sport |language=en |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-nfl-player-ryan-ocallaghan-is-pushing-for-lgbtq-acceptance-in-americas-toughest-sport |access-date=2023-08-24}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Cite book
| last1 = Ryan
| first1 = O'Callaghan
| last2 = Zeigler
| first2 = Cyd
| title = My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me and Ended Up Saving My Life
| url = http://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/my-life-on-the-line/
| publisher = Edge of Sports
| isbn = 978-1617757594
| location =
| date = 2019
}}
- [https://kcfaa.org/susan-b-wilson-ph-d/ Susan Wilson]
- [https://calbears.com/coaches.aspx?rc=203 Cal Bears bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090311014405/http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=32014 New England Patriots bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090930032106/http://www.kcchiefs.com/player/ryan_ocallaghan Kansas City Chiefs bio]
{{Morris Trophy}}
{{Patriots2006DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ocallaghan, Ryan}}
Category:American football offensive tackles
Category:American gay sportsmen
Category:California Golden Bears football players
Category:Kansas City Chiefs players
Category:LGBTQ people from California
Category:LGBTQ players of American football
Category:New England Patriots players
Category:People from Susanville, California
Category:Sportspeople from Lassen County, California
Category:Players of American football from Shasta County, California