Jonathan Ruffin

Jonathan Ruffin
No. 16
Position:Placekicker
Personal information
Born: (1981-08-01) August 1, 1981 (age 43)
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:174 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school:Ridgewood
(Metairie, Louisiana)
College:Cincinnati (1999–2002)
Undrafted:2003
Career history
→Berlin Thunder (2004)
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards

Jonathan Ruffin (born August 1, 1981) is an American former football placekicker who played three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats, where he won the Lou Groza Award and was recognized as an All-American. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2003, and he played for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe and the New Orleans VooDoo of the AFL.

College career

Ruffin attended the University of Cincinnati, where he played for the Cincinnati Bearcats football team from 1999 to 2002. As a sophomore in 2000, he earned recognition as a consensus first-team All-American, and won the Lou Groza Award as the outstanding college placekicker in America.[1][2]

Professional career

Ruffin was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent following the 2003 NFL draft on April 29, 2003.[3] He was waived on August 22. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys on January 8, 2004, and was allocated to NFL Europe to play for Berlin Thunder on January 30. After returning to the Cowboys, he was released on August 13, 2004. He was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League on June 28, 2006, before being released.

Ruffin was signed by the New Orleans VooDoo on May 25, 2007.[1] He made 39-of-41 extra point attempts in 2007, and was re-signed on August 15, 2007.[4] After the 2008 season, the VooDoo franchise folded. The franchise was revived in time for the 2011 season, and Ruffin re-signed with the team on September 27, 2010, after not playing football for two years.[5] Due to a contract conflict with a new job, Ruffin was placed on team suspension in July 2011.[6]

On September 27, 2010, Ruffin was assigned to the Milwaukee Mustangs.

References

  1. ^ a b Derry, Jim (May 25, 2007). "DE Taylor suspended for two games". nola.com. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  2. ^ 2011 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, p. 11 (2011). Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  3. ^ McCann, Brian (April 29, 2003). "Three Bearcats Sign As NFL Free Agents". gobearcats.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  4. ^ Derry, Jim (August 15, 2007). "VooDoo re-signs nine players before deadline". nola.com. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  5. ^ Rizzo, Brandon (February 8, 2011). "VooDoo Announce Free, Open Scrimmage Date Versus Dallas". aflvoodoo.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  6. ^ Trahan, Ken (July 21, 2011). "VooDoo sign QB Buisson, PK Ruffin departs team". sportsnola.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)