RYAN GREISER
2001-2004
Defensive Back 6-1 205
LIBERTY FLAMES
2006 (So.): Member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll … named to the Big South All-Academic team … Big South second-team all-conference selection … VaSID second-team all-state honoree … posted impressive numbers in his first season on the defensive side of the ball … ranked third on the team with 63 tackles … 32 solo stops and 31 assisted tackles … tied for third on the team with four pass break ups … had his first career sack against Gardner-Webb ... came up with one of Liberty’s eight interceptions on the year in the Flames’ upset victory over No. 24 Charleston Southern, marking the program’s first victory over a nationally-ranked team since 1997 … was named the team’s “Defensive Game Ball” winner after his efforts against Charleston Southern … also added a fumble recovery and a forced fumble … posted two double-figure tackles games, recording 12 tackles against both Gardner-Webb and VMI.
2005 (Fr.): Named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll … saw limited playing time, as he played in six games … was hampered all season by an injury suffered during preseason camp … finished the year with 15 rushing attempts for 42 yards and a touchdown … also added a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry on the year.
Prep: Graduated from Pennridge High School … was a versatile athlete who thrived on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in high school … rushed for 2,030 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior … currently holds six Pennridge High School records, including career rushing yards (4,046), single-season rushing yards (2,030), single-game rushing yards (295), single-game rushing touchdowns (5) and single-season rushing touchdowns (33) … selected to the Suburban One League, all-Philadelphia Inquirer and Allentown Morning Call first-team squads … also named to the Associated Press all-state first team as a defensive back and the EasternPAfootball.com all-state squad as a running back … Allentown Morning Call and EasternPAfootball.com Player of the Year … Old Spice Red Zone High School Football Player of the Year … Jim Henry Award winner … Maxwell Award winner.
Ryan Greiser – VaSID Second-Team All-State Defensive Back
Started all 11 games at strong safety … Big South second-team all-conference selection … posted impressive numbers in his first year as a defensive player after coming to Liberty as a highly touted running back … ranked third on the team in total tackles (63) … ranked tied for third in pass breakups (4) … was one of only two players on the team to record both a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … led the team as he averaged 8.0 tackles per game against league opponents … ranked second in the league in tackles per game by a defensive back in conference games … led Liberty with 23 solo tackles against league opponents … finished with 12 tackles against both Gardner-Webb and VMI, the most tackles by any Liberty defender on the year in a single game.
Battling back; former Pennridge football phenom Ryan Greiser takes off running in new role
By: Kerith Gabriel, Sportswriter
01/17/2007
It was just one year ago that Ryan Greiser had an epiphany.
To play or not to play.
Greiser, a Pennridge football phenom that set rushing records in his time in the backfield for the Rams chose Division I-AA school Liberty University as the next program to showcase his gridiron talents. However, the injury bug soon plagued Greiser who was forced to sit out much of the season in addition to watching himself fall lower and lower on the Flames depth chart.
"My freshman year I was really excited to go in and play running back with the team," said Greiser. "But I went through a period my freshman year where I had a few injuries and I really fell on the depth chart. I mean I was fifth at one point and it really discouraged me to the point where I wondered if I should even continue to play."
Top that off with Greiser entering the scene while the team was going through a rebuilding process that resulted in a 1-10 season, and there really wasn't much to stay motivated about.
So with all that in mind, Greiser knew he had to make a drastic change if he wanted to remain an impact player with the program. But it wasn't the college frosh that made a change, but new head coach Danny Rocco who felt Greiser's talents would better suit the team as a defensive back. A role that Greiser has taken off with to become a versatile starter once more for the Flames after this season.
What a difference a year makes.
"It's a great feeling for me to come out and be starting again, coming into spring ball I was second string which was fine because I was still learning the position, but I came out and won that job in (preseason) camp," said Greiser. "I really need to thank coach Rocco, because he's the one that decided I would be a better fit for the team playing DB and it worked out not only best for the team but the best for myself."
Greiser took his new responsibility by the reigns this past season, finding his numbers to rank third best on the team recording 63 tackles with more than half (32) being solo hits-in just 11 games. At season's end Greiser found himself awarded as a second team all Big South Conference selection in addition to a second team all-Virginia State Collegiate Football selection.
But his biggest moment of the year in his new position came after his interception against conference rival Charleston-Southern, a team that was ranked within the top 20 best Division I-AA schools as well as a team the Flames have had trouble with in the past.
"By far my favorite moment was the game against Charleston-Southern," said Greiser. "They were in our red zone and the play just before my interception their quarterback scrambled and I chased him down for a tackle that sent him to the sidelines. The very next play, their second-string came in and threw a pass that I intercepted; I mean even before I touched the ground I got nailed, but it was still a play that kept them out of our end zone."
It was also a play that aided Liberty in a 34-20 win over Charleston as well as an affirmation that Greiser is without a doubt in the right spot. Liberty ultimately turned its season around for the better, finishing 6-5 on the year, with its last four games only losing by a combined total of 13 points. Greiser feels that just that alone speaks volumes of the determination of his team, his coach and himself.
"I mean sure 6-5 doesn't look glamorous on paper, but if you look at where we came from and that all of our hard work paid off, it's really a testament to a winning season in my eyes," said Greiser. "We lost our last four games by a total of 13 points on games that just came down to the wire. We know we are a good team and I know everyone is looking to come back and fight for a spot in the I-AA playoffs."
Greiser knows that despite his impact as a defensive player for the team this year, it is always a battle to keep your spot. A spot he has already worked hard enough to earn will now become a spot he plans on fighting for to keep.
"The biggest thing I've learned after leaving high school is that from college football all the way up to the pros, there really are no guarantees," said Greiser. "We constantly get evaluated on our performance and ranked, which means everyday you have to come out and perform to the best of your ability."
A trait he also sets an example of in the classroom, as this past semester Greiser took a 3.85 grade point average into the holiday break as a kinesiology major. In addition, he was awarded the Big South Conference's Presidential Honor Roll for the second straight year; all in a season where traveling from state to state almost every weekend is commonplace.
For now, he has little time prepare as the official NCAA national training day for football starts at the end of March. Greiser hopes going into his junior year that his success can continue considering that a year ago he wasn't sure if he wanted his career to continue.
"I am really not one to quit and give up and I am really happy I stuck with it," said Greiser. "Personally now I have a goal to just keep getting better and better, whether it be breaking on balls, tackling stronger whatever it is, I am just thankful I never gave up and now I have the motivation to make myself a better all-around football player."
©Montgomery Newspapers 2007
