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Mark Rypien

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Mark Rypien
refer to caption
Rypien in 2017
No. 11, 16
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1962-10-02) October 2, 1962 (age 62)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Shadle Park (Spokane, Washington)
College:Washington State (1981–1985)
NFL draft:1986 / round: 6 / pick: 146
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts:2,613
Passing completions:1,466
Completion percentage:56.1
TD–INT:115–88
Passing yards:18,473
Passer rating:78.9
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Mark Robert Rypien (born October 2, 1962) is a Canadian-American former professional football quarterback for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington State Cougars and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL draft. He was the first Canadian-born quarterback to both start in the NFL and be named Super Bowl MVP, doing so in Super Bowl XXVI with the Redskins. He also played for several other NFL teams. His nephew Brett plays in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings.

Early life

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Born in Calgary, Alberta on October 2, 1962, Rypien's family moved to the United States when he was three, settling in Spokane, Washington. He was a star three-sport athlete at Shadle Park High School.[1] All three of his varsity numbers (football, basketball, and baseball) were later retired by the school.[2][3]

He accepted a football scholarship to Washington State University in Pullman,[4] and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. A knee injury in spring drills in 1982 redshirted him for that season[5] and he nearly left football and WSU in November 1983.[6][7] He played in the 1986 Senior Bowl.[8]

Professional career

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Washington Redskins

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Rypien was selected by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round (146th overall) of the 1986 NFL draft.[9] He spent his first two years as a professional on the injured reserved list, first with a bad knee in 1986, then a bad back in 1987. He watched from the sidelines as the Redskins won Super Bowl XXII under coach Joe Gibbs in January 1988 behind the quarterbacking of veteran Doug Williams.[10]

Rypien became the second stringer after Jay Schroeder, who lost his job to Williams late in the 1987 season, was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders. In Week 4 against the newly relocated Phoenix Cardinals, Rypien got his first chance to start for an injured Williams and threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns in a 30–21 loss. In six starts, he went 3–3 and he appeared in nine games overall, including a four-touchdown game in a rematch against the Cardinals. He threw for 1,730 yards in those games and finished with three more touchdowns than Williams had, by a count of 18–15.[11]

Rypien was named the starter for 1989 ahead of the injured and aging Williams, Rypien emerged as a star quarterback as he threw for 3,768 yards with 22 touchdowns and led the Redskins to a 10–6 record. The team missed the playoffs but Rypien received a bid as an injury replacement for Joe Montana and Don Majkowski in that year's Pro Bowl (NFC coach John Robinson elected to bring only one injury replacement for his intended starter and #2 quarterback).[citation needed]

Rypien was best known for his phenomenal accuracy as a deep passer.[12][13][14]

The running joke in Washington at the time was that Rypien couldn't hit his warmup toss partner from ten yards away. He threw ducks on the sidelines before games, but once the bullets were live, he showed the world why he is now considered one of the best deep ball passes in the history of the NFL. He made the Pro Bowl in his first full season as a starter, fittingly as an injury replacement.[15]

The 1991 season was Rypien's best: he threw for 3,564 yards and 28 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, leading the Redskins to Super Bowl XXVI after recording a 14–2 regular season record. He was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the game, passing for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns and leading his team to a 37–24 win over the Buffalo Bills. Rypien, a native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, became the first foreign-born player to earn the honor. Rypien was named to the Pro Bowl in both 1989 and 1991.[16]

Rypien was one of several players to benefit from the team's success following their championship season. The Redskins signed him to a 3-year, $9 million deal entering the 1992 season. However, the team battled age and injuries and finished the regular season with a 9–7 record, barely making the playoffs. His passing yardage was a respectable 3,282 yards, but his passer rating fell from 97.9 in 1991 to 71.7 in 1992 and his interceptions outnumbered his touchdowns 17–13. Although a dominant team performance in the playoffs brought victory over the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC Wild Card away game, the Redskins eventually lost on a rainy, muddy field in a bruising game vs. the San Francisco 49ers, and the Rypien era was essentially over. Under new head coach Richie Petitbon, Rypien had his best training camp in 1993 and expectations were high following a Monday Night win over the defending Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys. However, Rypien injured his knee in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals[17] and the team began a precipitous slide toward a 4–12 season finish.[18]

When he was healthy enough to return, Rypien performed spot duty, sharing time with the newly acquired Rich Gannon. The Redskins hired Norv Turner as their head coach in 1994. Rypien participated in offseason workouts, but the team later released him.

Cleveland Browns

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On May 11, 1994, Rypien signed with the Cleveland Browns to backup Vinny Testaverde.[19][20] He played in six games for the Browns that year, starting three of them. In those three games he went 2–1, including a 26–7 win over the Eagles.[21]

St. Louis Rams

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On May 6, 1995, Rypien signed with the St. Louis Rams, this time to backup Chris Miller.[22] He started the final three games of the season, going 0–3 in that span to finish a disappointing season for the team. He had his best performance against the Buffalo Bills in his first start where he went 31 of 55 for 372 yards and two touchdowns despite the team's 45–27 loss to Jim Kelly.[23]

Philadelphia Eagles

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On October 3, 1996, Rypien signed with the Philadelphia Eagles due to an injury to starter Rodney Peete.[24] His last NFL touchdown pass came in relief of Eagles quarterback Ty Detmer, an 8-yarder to Irving Fryar with five seconds remaining in a 37–10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.[25]

St. Louis Rams (second stint)

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On March 4, 1997, Rypien resigned with the Rams.[26] He played in five games and did not score any touchdowns.

Atlanta Falcons

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He signed with the Atlanta Falcons for the 1998 season but never played in Atlanta. His son's death from a malignant brain tumor that August caused Rypien to retire.[27]

Indianapolis Colts

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After a three-year hiatus, Rypien unretired and signed with the Indianapolis Colts on August 1, 2001.[28] He would appear in four games for the Colts. He made his first appearance in week three against the New England Patriots in relief of Peyton Manning. He would complete and attempt his only passes of the season that game going five of nine for 57 yards in the 44–13 loss.[29]

Seattle Seahawks

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On August 19, 2002, Rypien signed with the Seattle Seahawks to be the backup for Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Dilfer. He played in two preseason games and finished 13 of 21 passing for 97 yards, but was ultimately cut on September 3, 2002.[30]

Rochester Raiders

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Rypien's last professional game was on June 10, 2006; as part of a promotional gig for the Rochester Raiders of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL).[31]

In 11 NFL seasons, Rypien completed 1,466 of 2,613 passes for 18,473 yards, 115 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions. He rushed 127 times for 166 yards and 8 touchdowns.[32]

NASCAR

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Main article: Ppc Racing

Rypien had a brief stint in NASCAR racing as a team owner, and was the original owner of the 2004 Nextel Cup championship-winning No. 97 team driven by Kurt Busch, having sold it to Jack Roush's Roush Racing in 1997.[33]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Super Bowl MVP
Won the Super Bowl
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Passing
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg
1988 WAS 9 6 3−3 114 208 54.8 1,730 8.3 18 13 85.2
1989 WAS 14 14 9−5 280 476 58.8 3,768 7.9 22 13 88.1
1990 WAS 10 10 7−3 166 304 54.6 2,070 6.8 16 11 78.4
1991 WAS 16 16 14−2 249 421 59.1 3,564 8.5 28 11 97.9
1992 WAS 16 16 9−7 269 479 56.2 3,282 6.9 13 17 71.7
1993 WAS 12 10 3−7 166 319 52.0 1,514 4.7 4 10 56.3
1994 CLE 6 3 2−1 59 128 46.1 694 5.4 4 3 63.7
1995 STL 11 3 0−3 129 217 59.4 1,448 6.7 9 8 77.9
1996 PHI 1 0 — 10 13 76.9 76 5.8 1 0 116.2
1997 STL 5 0 — 19 39 48.7 270 6.9 0 2 50.2
2001 IND 4 0 — 5 9 55.6 57 6.3 0 0 74.8
Total 104 78 47−31 1,466 2,613 56.1 18,473 7.1 115 88 78.9

Personal life

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On June 8, 2006, Rypien was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.[34]

Rypien's cousins include NHL players Rick Rypien and Shane Churla, and his nephew is NFL quarterback Brett Rypien.[35][36][37][38]

Rypien's daughter, Angela, played in the 2011 season for the Seattle Mist of the Lingerie Football League.[39][40]

An avid golfer, Rypien has been known to participate in charity tournaments at various locations across the nation. He has played in one PGA Tour event (Kemper Open in 1992),[41][42][43] and one Web.com Tour event (Buy.com Tri-Cities Open in 2000), and missed the 36-hole cut by a substantial margin both times.[43]

He has been a regular competitor at the American Century Championship, the annual competition at Lake Tahoe to determine the best golfers among American sports and entertainment celebrities. Rypien won the inaugural event in 1990,[44] and won his second crown 24 years later in 2014;[45] he has a total of 11 top ten finishes.[46] Televised by NBC in July, the tournament is played at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada.[citation needed]

In a 2018 interview with the Spokane Spokesman-Review, Rypien's wife stated that she believes he is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from football, with bizarre behavior occurring from time to time.[47] Rypien himself confirmed that he has struggled with mental health issues since his retirement from football, even attempting suicide by overdosing on pills before his wife stopped him.[48][47] On June 30, 2019, he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and charged with fourth-degree assault.[49] The charge was dismissed on August 30, 2019.[50]

In 2020, he was featured in the documentary "Quiet Explosions: Healing the Brain" produced and directed by Jerri Sher.[51][52]

References

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  1. ^ Weaver, Dan (September 18, 1990). "Rypien: local ties are important..." Spokane Chronicle. p. C1.
  2. ^ Blanchette, John (May 16, 1992). "Rypien keeps Shadle close to his heart". Spokesman-Review. p. C1.
  3. ^ "Shadle Park High School of Spokane retires Rypien's three numbers". Sarasota Herald. May 18, 1992. p. 3C.
  4. ^ Van Sickel, Charlie (December 5, 1980). "Rypien goes for Cougars". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 27.
  5. ^ Van Sickel, Charlie (May 7, 1982). "Knee shelves Rypien". Spokemsan-Review. p. 29.
  6. ^ Devlin, Vince (November 3, 1983). "Rypien welcome to return". Spokesman-Review. p. 31.
  7. ^ Weaver, Dan (November 8, 1983). "Rypien will remain a Cougar". Spokesman-Review. p. 19.
  8. ^ Shearer, Ed (January 19, 1986). "Rypien helps self with Senior Bowl showing". Bowling Green (KY) Daily News. Associated Press. p. 11–A.
  9. ^ "1986 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  10. ^ "Former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien auctioning Super Bowl ring". theboxhouston.com. Interactive One, LLC. January 11, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  11. ^ "In a single season, in 1988, playing for the Washington Redskins, in the Regular Season, requiring Passing TD >= 1, sorted by descending Passing TD". www.pro-football-reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  12. ^ "NFL Nation". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  13. ^ George, Thomas (January 13, 1992). "PRO FOOTBALL; Rypien Savors A Special Moment". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  14. ^ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  15. ^ Meringolo, Ken (September 27, 2013). "NFL Big Break Challenge: Mark Rypien". Hogs Haven. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "Mark Rypien: Leaderboards, Awards and Honors". www.pro-football-reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  17. ^ Stellino, Vito (September 13, 1993). "Cardinals throw Redskins, Rypien for double loss Knee injury to idle QB at least 3 weeks after 17-10 defeat". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  18. ^ "WASHINGTON REDSKINS 1993 SCHEDULE". nfl.com. NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  19. ^ Aldridge, David (May 11, 1994). "Rypien Signs With Browns". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Archives, L. A. Times (May 11, 1994). "Browns Sign Rypien as Testaverde Backup". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  21. ^ "Eagles down, Evans out as Browns roll, 26-7". Baltimore Sun. November 14, 1994. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  22. ^ "ST. LOUIS RAMS SIGN QB RYPIEN, GARY". Deseret News. May 6, 1995. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  23. ^ "BILLS 45, RAMS 27". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  24. ^ "Rypien Trying Out With Eagles After Peete Ko'd With Injury | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  25. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts - December 5th, 1996". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  26. ^ Meehan, Jim (February 28, 1997). "Rypien, Rams Talking Contract". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  27. ^ "After son's death, Rypien devoting life to foundation". ESPN.com. January 23, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  28. ^ "Colts sign Rypien to 1-year deal". UPI. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  29. ^ Corbett, Jim. "Remembering Tom Brady's first-ever NFL start -- against Peyton Manning". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  30. ^ "Seahawks axe QB Rypien". UPI. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  31. ^ "Mark Rypien to play one game for the GLIFL Raiders". oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. January 5, 2006. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  32. ^ "Mark Rypien". www.pro-football-reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  33. ^ Pockrass, Bob (January 31, 2014). "NFL and NASCAR: Former NFL stars who dabbled in stock-car racing". Sporting News. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  34. ^ "Mark Rypien". Archived from the original on October 21, 2013.
  35. ^ "Rick Rypien found dead in his home". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  36. ^ Boren, Cindy. "Rick Rypien suspended indefinitely by NHL for fight with fan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  37. ^ Molnari, David (December 26, 1993). "Everything Is Relative - Or So It Seems". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  38. ^ Frei, Terry (October 10, 2015). "Colorado State no match for Boise State, lose in blowout". Denver Post. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  39. ^ Boren, Cindy (May 11, 2011). "Mark Rypien's daughter to quarterback a Lingerie league team". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  40. ^ Patrick Seitz (July 30, 2011). "Lingerie Football League needs stars". Tech-media-tainment. Retrieved April 22, 2012. For season three, the LFL has two stars in the making: Seattle Mist quarterback Angela Rypien, the daughter of Super Bowl MVP quarterback Mark Rypien, and Toronto Triumph linebacker Krista Ford, niece of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and daughter of City Councillor Doug Ford. They're relatives of sports and political figures, so that gives news writers a hook to cover the games. So far, the LFL has gotten scant coverage from the mainstream media, which treats it like a peep show. Adding stars can only help the fledgling league.
  41. ^ "Rypien gets invitation to Kemper". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. wire reports. March 31, 1992. p. B1.
  42. ^ "Rypien gets strokes from fans". Spokane Chronicle. Washington. wire reports. May 29, 1992. p. C3.
  43. ^ a b Ginsburg, David (May 30, 1992). "Rypien misses Kemper cut". Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville, KY. Associated Press. p. 2B.
  44. ^ "Rypien dodges blitz, wins $75,000". Spokane Chronicle. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. July 16, 1990. p. C3.
  45. ^ "Mark Rypien wins American Century title". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 20, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  46. ^ "American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament – American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament at Edgewood, South Lake Tahoe, Nevada". americancenturychampionship.com. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  47. ^ a b Blanchette, John (March 30, 2018). "Walking his darkest path: Mark Rypien's long struggle with traumatic brain injury". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  48. ^ "Mark Rypien: Out Of The Shadows". KHQ Right Now. March 29, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  49. ^ Thoburn, Luke (June 30, 2019). "FIRST ON KHQ: Former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien arrested for domestic violence charge in North Spokane". KHQ Right Now. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  50. ^ "Assault charge against former NFL football player Mark Rypien dismissed". kxly.com. August 31, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  51. ^ "'Quiet Explosions' at SpIFF features Rypien, Spokane | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  52. ^ "QUIET EXPLOSIONS opens exclusively at the Laemmle in Glendale, CA Oct. 8-14 – Jewish News and Israel news – Breaking News". jewishnews.com. Retrieved April 8, 2022.

Sources

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