Keiwan Ratliff

Keiwan Jevar Ratliff (born April 19, 1981) is an American former football cornerback who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.

Keiwan Ratliff
No. 20
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1981-04-19) April 19, 1981
Youngstown, Ohio
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school:Whitehall-Yearling (Whitehall, Ohio)
College:Florida
NFL Draft:2004 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:158
Forced fumbles:2
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:14
Interceptions:5
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Ratliff was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1981.[1] He attended Whitehall-Yearling High School in Whitehall, Ohio,[2] and was a letterman in high school football and basketball for the Whitehall-Yearling Rams.[3] Ratliff was a standout receiver on offense and cornerback on defense, he totaled forty-two catches for 760 yards and twelve touchdowns in 1997, and forty-six receptions for 880 yards and thirteen touchdowns in 1998.[3] He was an all-state selection as a senior in 1998, and received high school All-America honors from Super Prep, Prep Star, and National Blue Chips.[3]

College career

Ratliff accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier and coach Ron Zook's Florida Gators football teams from 2000 to 2003.[4] During his four-season college career with the Gators, he set school records for punt return yards (860), interceptions in a season (9), and interceptions in a single game (3).[4] He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 2002 and 2003, and a consensus first-team All-American in 2003.[4][5] As a senior team captain, he was recognized as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by Sporting News, and was picked by his teammates as the Gators' most valuable player.[4] Ratliff was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2013.[6]

Professional career

First stint with Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Ratliff in the second round (forty-ninth overall pick) in the 2004 NFL Draft,[7] and he played for the Bengals for three seasons and part of a fourth, from 2004 to 2007.[8] He played in fifty-one games for the Bengals, and started in eight.[8] His most productive season was in 2005, when he intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble.[1] Ratliff was a key player in the 2005 Bengals turn around, helping Cincinnati end their losing drought, by securing their first winning season in 15 years, going (11-5), and capturing the 2005 AFC North Division Championship.

On September 26, 2007, the Bengals released him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ratliff signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 12, 2007, but was waived on November 28, 2007.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts claimed Ratliff off waivers on November 29, 2007. He saw limited play with the team in the 2007 and 2008 seasons until he was cut by the Colts on September 20, 2008. He was re-signed on October 8, 2008 but waived again on October 22. He was once again re-signed on October 30 after cornerback Marlin Jackson was placed on injured reserve.

On December 18, 2008, Ratliff scored his first NFL career touchdown in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars; he intercepted David Garrard and ran the ball 35 yards for the game-winning touchdown. That game would wind up clinching the playoffs for Indianapolis that year.

Pittsburgh Steelers

An unrestricted free agent in the 2009 offseason, Ratliff signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on May 1, 2009. He was released on November 24.

Second stint with Bengals

Ratliff was re-signed by the Bengals prior to the playoffs on January 4, 2010 after defensive tackle Pat Sims was placed on injured reserve. He was released on June 18.

Florida Tuskers

Ratliff was signed by the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League on September 1, 2010.

Third stint with Bengals

Ratliff was re-signed and added to the 53-man active roster on December 15, 2010.

Virginia Destroyers

Ratliff was added to the Destroyers' roster on September 9, 2011. He was placed on the injured reserve list on October 11.

See also

References
  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Keiwan Ratliff. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  2. databaseFootball.com, Players, Keiwan Ratliff Archived November 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  3. GatorZone.com, Football History, 2003 Roster, Keiwan Ratliff Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  4. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 89, 94, 97, 102, 103, 125, 150, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  5. 2012 NCAA Football Records Book, Award Winners, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 11 & 14 (2012). Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  6. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  7. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 2004 National Football League Draft. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  8. National Football League, Current Players, Keiwan Ratliff. Retrieved April 13, 2011.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
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