20 Facts About Desmond Ridder

Desmond Kelly Ridder was born on August 31,1999 and is an American professional football quarterback.

Desmond Ridder played college football at Cincinnati, where he was twice-named AAC Offensive Player of the Year before being selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Desmond Ridder was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to a 15-year-old mother and was raised by his mother and grandmother.

Desmond Ridder attended Holy Family Parochial before attending St Xavier High School.

Desmond Ridder was rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals.

Desmond Ridder received his scholarship offer from Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville following a tryout held on the morning of the Kentucky Oaks for offensive coordinator Zac Taylor during his junior year.

Desmond Ridder became the Bearcats' starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman in 2018 and passed for 2,445 yards and 20 touchdowns and gained 583 yards rushing along with five touchdowns and was named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.

Desmond Ridder considered declaring for the 2021 NFL draft, but opted to return for his redshirt senior season.

In 2021, for the second time in his career, Desmond Ridder was named the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week after the No 7 Bearcats defeated No 9 Notre Dame on the road.

Desmond Ridder was rated as the fourth-best quarterback prospect in the 2022 NFL draft class, after Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, and Matt Corral.

Desmond Ridder was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

Desmond Ridder was considered a surprise fall in the draft, as many analysts had projected him to be drafted in the first round as high as the eighth overall pick.

Desmond Ridder was just the second quarterback to be selected in the draft, after Kenny Pickett was selected in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On July 28,2022, head coach Arthur Smith named Mariota as the starting quarterback to open the season, with Desmond Ridder serving as the backup.

Desmond Ridder finished his rookie season with 708 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, an 86.4 passer rating, and 64 rushing yards.

In March 2023, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith announced that Desmond Ridder would remain the starting quarterback at the start of the 2023 season.

In Week 8, Desmond Ridder was benched at the start of the second half game against the Tennessee Titans, being replaced by Taylor Heinicke.

Desmond Ridder finished the 2023 season with 2,836 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions to go with 53 carries for 193 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

In Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, Desmond Ridder came in at quarterback for the Raiders after a collarbone injury to Gardner Minshew.

Desmond Ridder married his high school sweetheart, Claire Cornett, on July 15,2022.