Javon Ringer
From NCAA College Football Information & Resource
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Javon Ringer (born on February 2, 1987) plays running back for the Michigan State Spartans in the NCAA college football tournament. Ringer, dubbed as a "complete back" by running backs coach Dan Enos, is one of the most explosive and speedy rushers in the nation today. He is among the leaders in both the rushing and all-purpose yards nationally and league-wise, ending his junior year as the no.4 in the Big Ten in rushing (112.2 yards per game, 21st in the NCAA) and no.5 in all-purpose yards (135.3 ypg, 48th in the NCAA). With his team-leading 1,346 yards rushing in 2007, Ringer has made it to the elite Spartan list of rushers who have led Michigan State in rushing for three straight seasons, the last one being Sedrick Irvin from 1996-98.
Contents |
[edit] Personal Life
Javon is the son of Bishop Eugene and Darlene Ringer, both Pentecostal ministers. He was a sociology major at the Michigan State University. He owns a black belt in karate. Javon looks up to Walter Payton and Barry Sanders as his favorite rushers.
[edit] High School
Ringer played for Coach Jim Place and was a three-year starter at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio, the same high school that produced former Spartan nose guard Brandon McKinney. During his sophomore year, he totalled 2,038 rushing yards and scored 30 scoring runs in leading the Eagles to the 2002 Division II state championship. In the title game, Ringer rushed for 251 yards and 4 TDs as Chaminade-Julienne defeated Nordonia, 41-26. A year later, Ringer amassed 2,356 rushing yards and scored 30 rushing TDs, including a season high of 307 rushing yards (and 3 TDs) against McNicholas in 2003. As a senior, Ringer registered 1,790 yards and 21 touchdowns despite missing the Eagles' last six games due to injury. The lightning-quick rusher however still managed to place 4th in the 2004 Mr. Football voting and earn his third All-Ohio selection honors.
After ending his high school career that spanned 33 games, 6,184 rushing yards and 81 touchdowns, Ringer became one of the highly rated RB prospects with Rivals.com ranking him #18, SuperPrep ranking him #29, and CollegeFootballNews.com ranking him as the #31 rusher in the nation. In addition, the SuperPrep All-American was also listed as the #4 all-purpose back in Max Emfinger's top 10 list and the #13 senior in Ohio in Rivals.com's top 15 list. Detroit Free Press, SuperPrep, and Prep Football Report also listed him as the #18, #25, and #37 prospect in the Midwest after being named into the All-Midwest Teams by several publications (SuperPrep, Prep Football Report and PrepStar).
[edit] College
Despite his impressive resume, college football teams hesitated on picking Ringer up after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee and not being able to immediately record the qualifying ACT score he needed to earn an athletic scholarship. Among the schools who backed off from signing him was Ohio State, which would've also been Ringer's first choice. But Michigan State kept their negotiations with the Ohio star running back, with Ringer eventually committing to them in December of 2004 before signing a letter-of-intent with the Spartans in February of 2005.
[edit] 2005
Ringer made his collegiate debut against Kent State, rushing 12 times for 69 yards and 1 TD in a 49-14 victory. The following week, he burned the Hawai'i defense with a career-high 3 scoring runs with 10 carries and 80 yards rushing in a 42-14 win. He had his first 100-yard game two weeks later in the Spartan's 4th straight win, establishing a career high of 194 yards on 13 carries in a victory over the Illini. He set a personal best of 18 carries a month later, for 104 yards in a loss to Northwestern before tallying his third and final 100-yard game the following week (109 vs. Indiana).
Despite still on the process of fully healing his knee, Ringer turned out an impressive true freshman season as he led the Spartans in rushing with 817 yards on 122 carries, the second-best single-season rushing total for a true freshman in school history while his 6.7 yards per carry average ranked as the third-highest rushing average in MSU history. The 8th leading rusher in the Big Ten (74.3 yards per game) was rewarded by The Sporting News with a spot at the Freshman All-America squad as well as a Big Ten All-Freshman Team accolades.
[edit] 2006
As a sophomore, Ringer made his season debut against Idaho, carrying the pigskin for a season high 16 times for 70 yards with his lone touchdown run of the season in the 27-17 win. He followed it up with a couple of 100-yard games, rushing for 130 on 15 attempts against Eastern Michigan and running 156 the following week also on 15 carries @ Pittsburgh. Ringer's season however would be cut short after sustaining a torn medial cruciate ligament in his right knee which forced him to sit out four games. He managed to return to the field in the Spartans' three remaining games, recording a total of 25 carries for 59 yards in all three losses. Ringer still managed to rack up 497 yards on 86 carries to finish the season as the Spartans' leading rusher for the second straight year while also claiming MSU's Biggie Munn Award as the team's most inspirational player.
[edit] 2007
Ringer began his third season with an 80-yard, 13-carry effort against UAB then scored on his first touchdown of the season (22 carries, 83 yards) against Bowling Green. He tallied his first 100-yard game in a win over Notre Dame (144 yards on 26 carries), that started a string of four consecutive 100-yard efforts. He tallied 145 yards on 10 carries against Wisconsin, had 185 yards on 12 carries in addition to matching his personal best 3 scoring runs against Northwestern, and capping the streak with a season best 203 yards and 2 TDs on 29 carries against Indiana. He produced three more 100+ rushing games, running for 103 against Iowa, 128 against Michigan, and 101 in the season ender against Boston College in the Champs Sports Bowl. Ringer has also shown his effectiveness on the receiving end, catching atleast a pass in all 13 games with a season best 7 catches for 88 yards @ Wisconsin.
Ringer, the Spartans' 2007 most valuable player, ended the year as the team's leading rusher for the third straight season with 1,447 rushing yards and 6 TDs on 245 carries, while also emerging as the MSU's second-leading catcher and all-purpose runner with 34 catches for 278 yards and 1,624 all-purpose yards. Ringer is also one of the league's statistical leaders in terms of conference games, placing 3rd in the Big Ten in rushing (118.4 ypg) with an average of 6.6 yards per carry (143 rushes for 947 yards) in those games.
[edit] 2008
During the spring, the MSU coaches limited Ringer to drills and held him out of the spring game following surgery on his injured shoulder. In the season-opener, Ringer rushed for 81 yards and 2 TDs on 27 carries in the 31-38 setback to California. He also returned for a season high 102 yards on 5 kickoffs against the Bears. Against Eastern Michigan, he exploded for a career-high five touchdowns and rushed for 135 yards on a career best 34 carries as the Spartans dominated EMU, 42-10. He was named as the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Eagles. In the shut-out win over Florida Atlantic, Ringer claimed sole Offensive Player of the Week honors following a career game where he rushed for a career-high 282 yards (4th highest single-game total in MSU history) and 2 TDs on a new personal best 43 carries (5th-most in school history). Against Notre Dame, a third weekly accolade was on hand for Ringer after he rushed for 201 yards and 2 TDs on 39 carries in a 23-7 win over the Fighting Irish. His performance marked the first time an MSU RB eclipsed the 200-yard mark in two straight games. At Indiana, he rushed for 198 yards and a TD on a career high 44 carries as the Spartans routed the Hoosiers, 42-29. His performance was the second 4th straight 100-yard game of his career, joining the likes of Lorenzo White and Blake Ezor as the only backs to accomplish the feat. In a showdown between two of the Big Ten's best rushers, Ringer lost out to Shonn Greene statistically, but his 25 carries for 91 yards were apparently enough to help the Spartans defeat the Hawkeyes, 16-13. At Northwestern, Ringer rushed for 124 yards and 2 TDs on 35 carries in a 37-20 win. Against Ohio State, he was held to a season low 16 carries for 67 yards and was held out of the endzone for just the second time in the season in a 7-45 defeat. Days before MSU travelled to archrival Michigan, Ringer sustained a hamstring injury during practice. Surprisingly, the injury did not prevent him from the tearing the Wolverine defense for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries to help the Spartans win in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1990.
Prior to the Wisconsin game, Ringer lost nearly 10 pounds from a stomach virus and was hampered during the game as he rushed for only 54 yards on 21 carries, although he did have 2 TDs as the Spartans barely escaped with a 25-24 come-from-behind win. Against Purdue, Ringer notched his 7th 100-yard game of the season after rushing for 121 yards and 2 TDs on 32 carries in the 21-7 Michigan State victory. His output pushed him into the 2nd spot of the school's all-time rushing list. Against 7th ranked Penn State, he was held to a season low 42 yards on 17 carries, scoring a 1-yard TD to tie Jehuu Caulcrick's school record for touchdowns in a season (21) and points scored in a season (126). He was named as a first team All-Big Ten selection by the league coaches, the Walter Camp All-American team, and was a runner-up for the Doak Walker Award. In his final collegiate game, Ringer scored his 22nd rushing TD to set the new school record for rushing TDs, total TDs in a season, and the most points scored in a season at 132. He finished his career at MSU as the school's all-time leader in all-purpose yards (5,426), second in rushing yards (4,398, 10th in Big Ten history), 2nd in carries (843), 4th in total TDs (35), and tied for 4th in scoring runs (34).
[edit] Career Stats
| Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
| Year | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
| 2005 | 122 | 817 | 6.7 | 59 | 5 | 19 | 138 | 7.3 | 25 | 0 |
| 2006 | 86 | 497 | 5.8 | 71 | 1 | 14 | 96 | 6.9 | 26 | 1 |
| 2007 | 245 | 1447 | 5.9 | 80 | 6 | 35 | 295 | 8.4 | 28 | 0 |
| 2008 | 390 | 1,637 | 4.2 | 64 | 22 | 28 | 190 | 6.8 | 17 | 0 |
[edit] Highlights
| Javon Ringer's 72-yard gain on a reversal against Michigan. |
[edit] Achievements
[edit] 2008
- Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (vs. EMU, vs. FAU, vs. Notre Dame)
- Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook Preseason All-Big Ten
- CBSSports.com Midseason All-America Team
- CFN Mid-Season All-America First Team
- CFN Preseason All-America Honorable Mention
- CFN Preseason All-Big Ten First Team
- CFN's #5 Preseason RB in the Nation
- CFN's #8 Preseason Player in the Big Ten
- Consensus First-Team All-Big Ten selection (Coaches and Media)
- Doak Walker Award Runner-Up
- Heisman Trophy Candidate
- Maxwell Award (Semifinalist)
- Phil Steele 1st Team All-Big Ten
- Phil Steele 3rd Team All-American
- SI.com's Midseason All-American
- Walter Camp All-American
- Walter Camp Player of the Year (Semifinalist)
[edit] 2007
- Big Ten All-Conference Second Team (Media & Coaches)
- Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
- CollegeFootballNews.com's #20 Player in the Big Ten
- CollegeFootballNews.com's #4 Running Back in the Big Ten
- MSU Team MVP
- Phil Steele All-Big Ten Second Team
- Rivals.com All-Big Ten Second Team
[edit] 2006
- MSU Biggie Munn Award (Most Inspirational Player)
[edit] 2005
- The Sporting News Big Ten All-Freshman Team
- The Sporting News Freshman All-America Honorable Mention
[edit] References
- 2007 TOP SPARTANS STORIES: MSU's Ringer is on the verge of a grand achievement
- Javon Ringer Michigan State Profile
- Javon Ringer Stats @ ESPN.com
- The next great MSU running back?
