imported>WikiOriginal-9 at 02:39, 27 June 2025

2025-06-27T02:39:20Z

New page

{{Short description|American football player, coach, and administrator (born 1977)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Ryan Vena
| image =
| caption =
| position = Director of Player Personnel<br />[[Offensive coordinator]]<br />[[Quarterback]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|11|15}}
| birth_place = [[Red Bank, New Jersey]], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 220
| high_school = [[Chatfield High School (Colorado)|Chatfield]] ([[Littleton, Colorado]])
| college = [[Colgate University|Colgate]]
| undraftedyear = 2000
| pastteams =
* [[Albany Conquest]] ({{Af2 Year|2002}}–{{Af2 Year|2003}})
* [[Columbus Destroyers]] ({{AFL Year|2004}}–{{AFL Year|2005}})
* [[Albany Conquest]] ({{Af2 Year|2006}})
* [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers]] ({{Af2 Year|2007}}–{{Af2 Year|2009}})
* [[Iowa Barnstormers]] ({{AFL Year|2010}})
* [[Philadelphia Soul]] ({{AFL Year|2011}})
| pastcoaching =
* [[Trenton Freedom]] (OC) ({{PIFL Year|2014}}–{{PIFL Year|2015}})
* [[Philadelphia Yellow Jackets]] (OC) (2016)
| pastadmin =
* [[Philadelphia Yellow Jackets]] (Director of Player Personnel) (2016)
| highlights =
* 3× Patriot League MVP (1996, 1997, 1999)
* Selected to the 15th and 25th Anniversary All-Patriot League Teams
* Colgate Hall of Honor Inductee (2008)
* ArenaCup MVP (2007)
* af2 Player of the Year (2007)
* 4× First-team All-af2 (2003, 2007, 2008, 2009)
| aflstatseason =
|aflstatlabel1=Passing yards
|aflstatvalue1=11,906
|aflstatlabel2=TD–INT
|aflstatvalue2=221–64
|aflstatlabel3=QB rating
|aflstatvalue3=107.37
|aflstatlabel4=Rushing yards
|aflstatvalue4=708
|aflstatlabel5=Rushing TDs
|aflstatvalue5=58
| afl = 3506
}}

'''Ryan Vena''' (born November 15, 1977) is a former [[arena football]] quarterback. Vena attended [[Colgate University]] in [[Hamilton, New York]] and graduated in 2000. Vena started his career in arena football in 2002. He ended his career with over 720 career passing touchdowns. His best years were with the [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers]]. He finished his career with the [[Philadelphia Soul]] in 2011.

==College career==
Vena received several college athletic scholarships upon his graduation from [[Chatfield High School (Colorado)|Chatfield Senior High School]] in [[Littleton, Colorado]], and [[Colgate University]] was where he ended up.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/07/sports/college-football-colgate-s-vena-is-confident-leader.html |title=COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Colgate's Vena Is Confident Leader |author=William N. Wallace |date=November 7, 1998 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=April 14, 2014}}</ref>

Vena was named to 4 straight All-Patriot League 1st team All-conference selections, and was the 1st and only 3 time Patriot League MVP.

Ryan finished his career as the Colgate and Patriot League's all-time leader in total offense with 9,435 yards. He was the first Patriot League quarterback to pass for over 7,000 yards and rush for over 2,000.

The holder of 13 Colgate records in total offense and passing, he led Colgate to three straight appearances in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, and four straight winning seasons.

Ryan was named to the 15th and 25th Anniversary All-Patriot League Teams as the only quarterback selected. And in 2008, Ryan was added to Colgate University Athletics Hall of Honor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://athletics.colgate.edu/hallofhonor/profile.asp?id=257&fname=&lname=&sport= |title=Ryan Vena Football Class of 2000 |publisher=Colgate University |work=www.athletics.colgate.edu |accessdate=April 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140415030434/http://athletics.colgate.edu/hallofhonor/profile.asp?id=257&fname=&lname=&sport= |archivedate=April 15, 2014 }}</ref>

==Professional career==

===af2===
In 2002, Vena began his arena football career in the af2, playing for the [[Albany Conquest]] for two seasons and a third season in 2006. Vena had his most success playing for the [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers]] of the af2 from 2007 to 2009. During that time, the Pioneers played in [[ArenaCup VIII]] and [[ArenaCup X]], and was named the MVP of [[ArenaCup VIII]]. During the regular season, the Pioneers went 41–7 while Vena was at the helm. In 2007, Vena was named Offensive Player of the Year and the MVP of the ArenaCup.

===Columbus Destroyers===
Vena began his AFL career with the [[Columbus Destroyers]] in 2004. Vena was the Destroyers primary quarterback, throwing 3,081 passes, 57 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, Columbus finished the season 6–10. In 2005, he returned and competed with [[Matt D'Orazio]] all season long for the starting quarterback position.

===Iowa Barnstormers===
When the [[Arena Football League]] returned in 2010, Vena was a member of the [[Iowa Barnstormers]]. The Barnstormers began the year with [[Brian Villanueva]]. But in the first game of the year against the [[Chicago Rush]], Villanueva threw three interceptions without a touchdown, and Vena came in as a replacement. He started the rest of the season, throwing 3,924 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 22 rushing touchdowns.<ref name="af"/>

===Philadelphia Soul===
In 2011, Vena moved to the [[Philadelphia Soul]] and began the year as the backup behind [[Justin Allgood]]. But after the Soul started the year 1–3, Vena replaced Allgood as the team's starter, and finished out the season and broke the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback at the time, with 23.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.arenafan.com/teams/Philadelphia_Soul-99/schedule/ | title=Philadelphia Soul | access-date=2024-01-05}}</ref>

===AFL statistics===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2 | Year !! rowspan=2 | Team !! colspan=7 | Passing !! colspan=3 | Rushing
|-
! {{tooltip|Cmp|Passes completed}} !! {{tooltip|Att|Passes attempted}} !! {{tooltip|Pct|Completion percentage}} !! {{tooltip|Yds|Passing yards}} !! {{tooltip|TD|Passing touchdowns}} !! {{tooltip|Int|Interceptions}} !! {{tooltip|Rtg|Passer rating}} !! {{tooltip|Att|Rushing attempts}} !! {{tooltip|Yds|Rushing yards}} !! {{tooltip|TD|Rushing touchdowns}}
|-
|[[2004 Arena Football League season|2004]] || [[2004 Columbus Destroyers season|Columbus]] || 238 || 377 || 63.1 || 3,081 || 57 || 10 || 115.49 || 65 || 226 || 14
|-
|[[2005 Arena Football League season|2005]] || [[2005 Columbus Destroyers season|Columbus]] || 88 || 147 || 59.9 || 1,061 || 16 || 9 || 83.74 || 17 || 49 || 2
|-
|[[2010 Arena Football League season|2010]] || [[2010 Iowa Barnstormers season|Iowa]] || 317 || 498 || 63.7 || 3,924 || 78 || 23 || 107.87 || 80 || 272 || 22
|-
|[[2011 Arena Football League season|2011]] || [[2011 Philadelphia Soul season|Philadelphia]] || 276 || 448 || 61.6 || 3,840 || 70 || 22 || 107.74 || 54 || 161 || 20
|- class="sortbottom" style="background:#eee;"
| colspan=2 | '''Career''' || 919 || 1,470 || 62.5 || 11,906 || 221 || 64 || 107.37 || 216 || 708 || 58
|}
''Stats from ArenaFan'':<ref name="af">{{cite web | url=http://www.arenafan.com/players/?page=players&player=3506&pageview=career | title=Ryan Vena | publisher=arenafan.com | accessdate=August 11, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Colgate Raiders quarterback navbox}}
{{Columbus Destroyers starting quarterback navbox}}
{{Iowa Barnstormers starting quarterback navbox}}
{{Philadelphia Soul starting quarterback navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vena, Ryan}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Albany Conquest players]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Colgate Raiders football players]]
[[Category:Columbus Destroyers players]]
[[Category:Iowa Barnstormers players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Red Bank, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Soul players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Monmouth County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers players]]

Ryan Vena - Revision history

imported>WikiOriginal-9 at 02:39, 27 June 2025