Ron Spears

Ronald Darnell Spears (born November 23, 1959) is a former American football defensive end who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at East Los Angeles Junior College and San Diego State and signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 1981. He then was a member of the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.

Ron Spears
No. 78, 79
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1959-11-23) November 23, 1959
Los Angeles, California
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:John Marshall (CA)
College:East Los Angeles JC (1977–1978)
San Diego State (1979–1980)
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Games played:21
Sacks:0.5
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life

Spears was born on November 23, 1959, in Los Angeles, California.[1] He attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles and is one of four of their alumni to play in the NFL.[2] The Los Angeles Times reported him as one of the top area high school performers; he was an all-league selection in football, competed in hurdling for the track and field team and was a center for the basketball team, averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds a game during a portion of his senior season.[3]

College career

Spears began his collegiate career with East Los Angeles Junior College, playing for them from 1977 to 1978 while being a lineman in football.[4][5] He transferred to play for the San Diego State Aztecs in 1979 and transitioned to playing linebacker.[4][6] He appeared in all 11 games and lettered; he saw limited action at the start of the year before seeing more playing time in the second half of the 1979 season.[4][6][7] The Associated Press reported him as being "outstanding" when on the field.[4][6][7] The Daily Times-Advocate noted that he played "brilliantly" late-season and Spears finished the year having totaled 14 tackles, 15 assists, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception.[8] Spears played his final season at San Diego State in 1980, lettering, and was regarded as one of the two-best players at his position on the team.[9]

Professional career

After going unselected in the 1981 NFL Draft, Spears was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.[4][10] He became a defensive lineman with the Cowboys and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram mentioned him as one of the best rookie arrivals.[11] However, he suffered a foot injury prior to the regular season and was placed on injured reserve.[12] He was waived at the final roster cuts in September 1982.[13]

One day after being let go by the Cowboys, Spears was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots.[14] He appeared in seven regular season games, none as a starter, for the Patriots. He also saw action in one playoff game for the team.[1] He impressed the team in training camp entering the 1983 season, but his play declined significantly in preseason and although he made the initial roster, he was released after starting just the opener against the Baltimore Colts.[15][16]

Shortly after being released by New England, Spears signed with the Green Bay Packers as a replacement for the injured Greg Boyd.[17] He appeared in 13 games with one start for the Packers, recording 0.5 sacks as the team went 8–8.[1][18] He was released by the team in May 1984, ending his professional career.[10][19] He finished his four-year stint in the NFL with 21 games played, two as a starter, and 0.5 sacks.[1]

Later life

Spears received a Bachelor of Science from San Diego State and worked six years with information technology companies after his time in the NFL, after which he joined the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in the same area in 1990.[20] He became the Director of Information Technology for the UCSD School of Medicine in 1993.[20]

References
  1. "Ron Spears". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  2. "John Marshall (Los Angeles, CA) Alumni Pro Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  3. Snyder, Don (February 13, 1977). "Boy, Girl Honored for Starring Roles". Los Angeles Times. p. 437. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "Ron Spears Stats". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  5. "Aztecs need help on 'D' to turn '78 record around". Daily Times-Advocate. August 30, 1979. p. 73. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. "Ron Spears College Stats". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  7. "Allen's big day paces Aztec win". Daily Times-Advocate. October 28, 1979. p. 17. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. Maffei, John (August 28, 1980). "Defense will key '80 Aztec chances". Daily Times-Advocate. p. 99. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. Glanberry, Mike (April 4, 1981). "Sports Scene". Los Angeles Times. p. 14. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  10. "Ron Spears NFL Transactions". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  11. "Rivalries at linebacker, fullback should spice Cowboys' camp". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. July 19, 1981. p. 55. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  12. "Randy Hughes On IR Status". Carlsbad Current-Argus. Associated Press. August 19, 1981. p. 25. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  13. Sins, Ken (September 7, 1982). "Night was bad, news was good". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 25. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  14. "NFL roster moves". The Baltimore Sun. September 8, 1982. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  15. Borges, Ron (September 9, 1983). "Spears' departure leaves mystery unsolved". The Boston Globe. p. 46. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  16. "Pats sign free agent Harris". The Daily Item. September 9, 1983. p. 18. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  17. Hughes, John (September 15, 1983). "Packers plead ill health". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 19. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  18. "1983 Green Bay Packers (NFL)". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  19. "Packers waive Spears". Green Bay Press-Gazette. May 29, 1984. p. 19. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  20. Meyer, Roger D. (October 1, 1993). "School Of Medicine Director Of Information Technology Support". University of California, San Diego. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
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