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Former Stratford player, Rice linebacker up for Rudy Award
  
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By MIKE TENNEY
The list of Rice football players being nominated for postseason awards continues to grow.
And this is another one.
After having the Conference-USA coach of the year, quarterback of the year, and receiver of the year as well as other players in the running for various All-American academic awards, the Owls now have a former Stratford High School star in contention for a national honor.
Ryan Craig, a junior linebacker for the Owls who was a two-year starter for the Spartans before graduating in 2004, has been nominated by Rice head coach David Baliff for the second annual College Football Rudy Award.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Craig. “We’ve got our all-Americans like Chase Clements and Jarrett Dillard that everybody knows about and those guys are most deserving of any awards that come their way. But for me to be nominated for this by my coaches and my peers, I think it’s very cool.”
He said he never saw such an honor coming.
“It was very unexpected,” said Craig. “And it happened so fast. One day after practice, they pulled me in and said I was going to be nominated and I didn’t think about it much. But now that a lot of people have congratulated me and it has really happened, I think it’s very cool.”
Every Division I conference and 53 of the 120 Division I football programs submitted nominations for the award, more than double the number of nominations for the inaugural Rudy award in 2007.
The award is for players who most demonstrate exemplary character, courage, commitment and contribution as members of their football team.
Craig said he doesn’t think about such things. He just wants to be a football player.
“I just try to be the best player I can be and help my team the best way I can,” he said. “But I think that’s the way everybody on this team is. We all just work as hard as we can every day to help our football team be the best it can. But it does feel good to know that someone has noticed all the hard work you’ve put in. I’m just very honored to have been nominated for this award.”
Craig joined the Owls four years ago as a freshman walk-on when Ken Hatfield was the head coach.
Now he is a two-year letterwinner who has joined the playing rotation at linebacker.
Like all walk-ons, Craig put in his time on the Owls’ scout team, playing there for two years before he was put on the traveling squad in 2007 as a special teams members and reserve linebacker.
He said he felt all along all he needed was a chance to show what he could do on the field.
“I knew what I was capable of,” said Craig. “I always felt like if I was given a chance to play on Saturday afternoons, that I’d show I could play a little bit. And I feel very fortunate that it’s all worked out for me. And it’s all worked out for (Rice) with the way things have gone around here the last couple of years.”
He was credited with his first career tackle last year against the University of Houston.
He was moved to rush defensive end this year and continued to shine with his special teams play and hustle.
He was tied for the team lead in tackles made on kickoff coverage with eight when he was, due to injuries, put back in at linebacker on Homecoming Day against Army.
Craig represented himself well that day, finishing with a season-high five tackles, including four solos, in the Owls’ victory.One week later, he played linebacker again against Marshall and finished with four tackles in another Owls’ win.This season, he played in 11 of the Owls’ 12 games and finished with 17 total tackles, including 11 solos.
Three finalists will be chosen for the Rudy Award and honored at a breakfast January 12 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, for whom the award is named after, will personally present the award.
He was immortalized in the screen gem “Rudy.” for his courage and perseverance, finally getting into a game for Notre Dame in the final 27 seconds of his college career and sacking the quarterback from Georgia Tech, making his a legendary name in college football history.Craig said the team is looking forward to playing in the Texas Bowl and they expect Western Michigan to be a tough matchup.“We’re pumped up about our bowl game and playing right here in Houston,” said Craig. “We know Western Michigan is a very good football team. They’re a team that’s very comparable to us. They have the same type of athletes we do, so we’re looking forward to it and we’re looking forward to playing a bowl game in front of our fans. It’s going to be very exciting.”
And this is another one.
After having the Conference-USA coach of the year, quarterback of the year, and receiver of the year as well as other players in the running for various All-American academic awards, the Owls now have a former Stratford High School star in contention for a national honor.
Ryan Craig, a junior linebacker for the Owls who was a two-year starter for the Spartans before graduating in 2004, has been nominated by Rice head coach David Baliff for the second annual College Football Rudy Award.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Craig. “We’ve got our all-Americans like Chase Clements and Jarrett Dillard that everybody knows about and those guys are most deserving of any awards that come their way. But for me to be nominated for this by my coaches and my peers, I think it’s very cool.”
He said he never saw such an honor coming.
“It was very unexpected,” said Craig. “And it happened so fast. One day after practice, they pulled me in and said I was going to be nominated and I didn’t think about it much. But now that a lot of people have congratulated me and it has really happened, I think it’s very cool.”
Every Division I conference and 53 of the 120 Division I football programs submitted nominations for the award, more than double the number of nominations for the inaugural Rudy award in 2007.
The award is for players who most demonstrate exemplary character, courage, commitment and contribution as members of their football team.
Craig said he doesn’t think about such things. He just wants to be a football player.
“I just try to be the best player I can be and help my team the best way I can,” he said. “But I think that’s the way everybody on this team is. We all just work as hard as we can every day to help our football team be the best it can. But it does feel good to know that someone has noticed all the hard work you’ve put in. I’m just very honored to have been nominated for this award.”
Craig joined the Owls four years ago as a freshman walk-on when Ken Hatfield was the head coach.
Now he is a two-year letterwinner who has joined the playing rotation at linebacker.
Like all walk-ons, Craig put in his time on the Owls’ scout team, playing there for two years before he was put on the traveling squad in 2007 as a special teams members and reserve linebacker.
He said he felt all along all he needed was a chance to show what he could do on the field.
“I knew what I was capable of,” said Craig. “I always felt like if I was given a chance to play on Saturday afternoons, that I’d show I could play a little bit. And I feel very fortunate that it’s all worked out for me. And it’s all worked out for (Rice) with the way things have gone around here the last couple of years.”
He was credited with his first career tackle last year against the University of Houston.
He was moved to rush defensive end this year and continued to shine with his special teams play and hustle.
He was tied for the team lead in tackles made on kickoff coverage with eight when he was, due to injuries, put back in at linebacker on Homecoming Day against Army.
Craig represented himself well that day, finishing with a season-high five tackles, including four solos, in the Owls’ victory.One week later, he played linebacker again against Marshall and finished with four tackles in another Owls’ win.This season, he played in 11 of the Owls’ 12 games and finished with 17 total tackles, including 11 solos.
Three finalists will be chosen for the Rudy Award and honored at a breakfast January 12 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, for whom the award is named after, will personally present the award.
He was immortalized in the screen gem “Rudy.” for his courage and perseverance, finally getting into a game for Notre Dame in the final 27 seconds of his college career and sacking the quarterback from Georgia Tech, making his a legendary name in college football history.Craig said the team is looking forward to playing in the Texas Bowl and they expect Western Michigan to be a tough matchup.“We’re pumped up about our bowl game and playing right here in Houston,” said Craig. “We know Western Michigan is a very good football team. They’re a team that’s very comparable to us. They have the same type of athletes we do, so we’re looking forward to it and we’re looking forward to playing a bowl game in front of our fans. It’s going to be very exciting.”
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