Ryan Mathews life and biography

Ryan J. Mathews (born October 10, 1987) is an American football running back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. In 2009, the Associated Press named him a second team All-American. He was one of the top running back prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft.

The Chargers opened the 2010 NFL Draft with a blockbuster trade with Miami, moving up 16 spots to select Mathews with the 12th pick of the first round. A schoolrecord and NCAA-leading 1,808-yard, 19-touchdown rusher as a junior, Mathews became the first running back selected by the Chargers in the first round since 2001.

Regarded by some as one of the best-kept secrets of the NFL Draft, Mathews is a classic downhill runner who has a dangerous blend of power and speed. As a junior at Fresno State, he tallied 17 runs of 20 yards-or-longer and he enjoyed some of his best days against the nation’s top defenses, including a 234-yard, three-touchdown day against Boise State in which he averaged a whopping 12.3 yards per carry. In fact, Mathews was the only player in the nation in ’09 to rush for 100 yards against three Top-25 teams (No. 5 Cincinnati, No. 6 Boise St. and No. 14 Wisconsin). In three seasons for the Bulldogs, Mathews rushed for 3,280 yards, scored a school-record 39 touchdowns and averaged an impressive 6.1 yards per carry.

Mathews’ path to the NFL was far from easy. He and his adopted brother, Dante, were raised by Ryan’s mother, Tricia, a single parent. Dante joined the family when he was 13, but prior to his arrival, Mathews and his mom were actually homeless for a time, living out of an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme in Riverside, California. Life began to turn for the family when they sold the car and moved in with Ryan’s great-grandmother in Tehachapi, Calif. Tricia was able to find work and a permanent place to live and Mathews was on his way. The family eventually moved to Bakersfield where he became the nation’s leading rusher at West High School before earning a scholarship to Fresno State. And when he relocated to Fresno to start his college career, Tricia moved as well. In fact, she has never missed a single one of her son’s football games, home or away.

TRANSACTION HISTORY: First-round pick (12), April 22, 2010.

COLLEGE: Second-team All-America by AP and SI and firstteam All-WAC in 2009...second-most career yards and carries (534) in school history...school-record 11 total and ninestraight 100-yard rush games in ’09...owns third (vs. Boise State '09) and fourth (San Jose State '09) best rushing games in school history...WAC Offensive POW following ’09 Boise State, San Jose State and Utah State games...led nation’s frosh in '07 with 14 touchdowns and 6.0 ypc avg...played at Fresno State from 2007-09...general studies major.

PERSONAL: Born in Riverside, California...led nation in rushing as senior at West High School in Bakersfield, Calif. with 3,396 yards and 44 touchdowns...second-team All-America and first-team all-state in ’06...CIF Champions in '05.

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