Colin Ridgeway

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Colin Edwin Ridgeway born 19 February 1937, died 1993 was distinguished as being the first Australian to play in the NFL.

Contents 1 Athletic career 2 VFL career 3 NFL career 4 Murder

[edit] Athletic career

Ridgway was a high jumper who competed at the 1956 Olympic Games and 1958 Commonwealth Games for Australia. He had also competed in the Australian Track and Field Championships from 1955/56 to 1959/60. He won a bronze medal at the 1960 Olympics and then attended Lamar Tech (now Lamar University) in Beaumont, TX, before moving to Dallas to join the Cowboys.

[edit] VFL career

Colin began his sporting career playing Australian rules football. He reached VFL reserves level, playing for the Carlton Football Club in the 1960s.

[edit] NFL career

In 1965 he was recruited by the Dallas Cowboys and played a total of 3 games as a punter. It turned out that the running drop-kicks that are used in Aussie Rules didn't translate well into the American game. But Colin stayed in Dallas and became a successful businessman.

[edit] Murder

Colin Ridgeway was murdered at his University Park home in 1993.