Ryan Winterswyk

Winterswyk attended high school in La Habra, California. Despite having 150 tackles as a senior at La Habra High School, Winterswyk "got little love from recruiters."[1] He considered playing in junior college when the secondary coach from Boise State University suggested he enroll there, but as a walk on with no scholarship.[1] He followed that suggestion and enrolled at Boise State in 2007. He was a walk on at the safety position in January 2007. He was a four-year starter on defense for the Boise State Broncos football team from 2007 to 2010. He was selected as a first-team All-WAC player three consecutive years (2008, 2009, and 2010) and was a key defensive player for Boise State teams that compiled an overall record of 38–2 from 2008 to 2010, including an undefeated 14–0 record in 2009. He was a defensive starter in 43 games for Boise State from 2007 to 2010.[2][3][4][5][6] Despite his original walk-on status, Winterswyk is acknowledged as "one of the best defensive ends in school history."[7]

As a red-shirt freshman in 2007, he led the team with nine tackles for loss and was selected as an honorable mention Freshman All-American by The Sporting News.[2][8][9][10]

As a sophomore in 2008, he was selected as a first-team All-WAC player and was named the Co-Most Valuable Defensive Player on a Boise State team that compiled a 12-0 record in the regular season and was ranked third in the country in scoring defense (allowing only 12.6 points per game).[2][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

As a junior in 2009, Winterswyk was placed on both the Lott and Lombardi Award watch lists.[19][20] He received his second consecutive first-team All-WAC honor and was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player on a Boise State team that compiled a perfect 14-0 record.[2][21][22] In January 2011, he was named to the WAC All-Decade Team for the 2000s.[23]

After its 14-0 finish in 2009, Sports Illustrated picked Boise State as a contender for the national championship. In the August 2010 issue announcing its pre-season picks, a photograph of Winterswyk and two other players appeared on the magazine's cover.[24][25][26] In its feature story on the rise of Boise State, Sports Illustrated devoted four paragraphs to Winterswyk. The article noted:

Winterswyk has gone from walk-on to four-year starter. His 19 career sacks include a clutch fourth-quarter takedown of Dalton in the Fiesta Bowl. Once a clueless freshman who struggled to master a three-point stance, he's now the star of a defense returning 10 starters. His rapid ascent embodies the Boise State program, which in 15 seasons has risen from I-AA to serial BCS buster.[1]

The Orange County Register took note of Winterswyk's fame: "Ryan Winterswyk, a 2005 La Habra High School grad, graces the cover of the Aug. 16 Sports Illustrated, and is also featured in an article on the inside pages."[27] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Winterswyk credited the players who laid the foundation for Boise State's development and noted his desire to meet expectations: "You don't want to be on the cover of SI and then go blow it all."[28] In an on-line edition in October 2010, SI.com again published a photograph of Winterswyk with the caption: "Ryan Winterswyk and Boise State rank No. 1 nationally in total defense, rushing defense and pass-efficiency defense."[29]

As a senior in 2010, Winterswyk was slowed early in the season by a knee injury that required him to undergo surgery.[30][31] However, he remained such a dominant defensive player that opposing coaches regularly assigned two players to block him.[3][32] He started all 12 games at defensive end for Boise State and received his third consecutive first-team All-WAC honor. Winterswyk was also a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to outstanding college football players who began their careers as a walk-on.[33] He was also invited to play in the annual East-West Shrine Game in January 2011 in Orlando, Florida.[34]