Ricky Stanzi
Richard Joseph Stanzi is an American former football quarterback. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He was on the active rosters of both the Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars but did not appear in a game. Stanzi later played for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
Early life
Born and raised in Mentor, Ohio, Stanzi went to Lake Catholic High School in Mentor and was rated a 3 star recruit. He accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Iowa to play quarterback.College career
Stanzi posted record as starting quarterback. Additionally, Stanzi also posted a 6–3 record against ranked opponents, including a 3–0 mark against top-5 opponents in his career. Notable wins include going 3–0 over Joe Paterno' Penn State teams and 3–0 over Kirk Cousins' Michigan State teams.Stanzi took over as starter at Iowa as a sophomore beginning in the 2008 season. He completed 150 passes for 1,956 yards with 14 touchdowns.
On November 7, 2009, during his junior season, Stanzi was replaced by James Vandenberg after suffering a sprained right ankle. It was later confirmed that Stanzi had surgery on his ankle. Stanzi returned at the conclusion of the season to lead Iowa to an Orange Bowl victory over Georgia Tech. Stanzi ended up passing for 2,417 yards and 17 touchdowns in his junior season – completing 56.2 percent of his attempts.
Stanzi was 14–4 in his career as Iowa's starter going into his senior season, and in July 2010, Stanzi was named to the 2010 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award and Manning Award watch lists. He was also a finalist for The 2010 Premier Player of College Football Trophy which is awarded based on fan votes.
Stanzi returned to Iowa in 2010 with nine touchdowns and no interceptions through his first four games. He completed 19-of-25 passes with three passing touchdowns on September 24, 2010.
One of Stanzi's most memorable moments of the 2010 season occurred on November 6 in a game against Indiana, in which he connected with Marvin McNutt for a 52-yard touchdown which put Iowa up 18–13 with 2:56 remaining in the game. Stanzi put up big numbers in the 2010 season with a 167.2 quarterback rating along with 22 touchdowns. Stanzi ranked third in the nation in passing efficiency.
Stanzi graduated from Iowa in December 2010 with a B.A. in interdepartmental studies from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Professional career
Kansas City Chiefs
Stanzi was selected in the fifth round with the 135th pick in the 2011 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Stanzi was activated for the first time in his NFL career for the Chiefs against the New England Patriots on November 21, 2011. At the end of the 2011 NFL season, Stanzi was second-string behind Kyle Orton.Stanzi was expected to be the backup to Matt Cassel, and competed in the 2012 preseason with Brady Quinn, who was signed by the Chiefs on March 17, 2012. However, Quinn eventually won the number two spot.
Stanzi was released by the Chiefs on August 25, 2013.