West Virginia: Ryan Switzer
To some, Ryan Switzer just didn’t fit the suit. To Larry Fedora, however, Switz was just fine.
That’s why Fedora pushed hard to land the Charleston, WV, native because he fit perfectly into how Fedora wanted to run his spread offense at North Carolina. Switzer was a running back in high school but transitioned into a slot receiver at Carolina. Oh, and he returned punts, a lot of them and for a lot of yards, often ending up with him crossing the goal line in the process.
Switzer was a star at UNC in every sense of the word despite being just 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.
“Ryan was extremely talented coming out of high school as a running back,” Fedora said late in the 2016 season. “We targeted him as a wide receiver and he has everything you need — great quickness, runs good routes, unbelievable speed, great vision, works very hard… And he certainly has the skills to play at the next level.”
Before getting to the NFL, Switzer had to prove he could get the job done in the ACC. No problem, as he garnered some kind of ACC or national honor in each of his four seasons at UNC: First-team All-America (FWAA) return specialist & second-team CBS Sports All-America in 2013; third-team All-ACC in 2014; First-team All-America All-Purpose, First-team All-ACC specialist, third-team All-ACC WR in 2015; First-team All-ACC WR, third-team specialist in 2016.
Switzer set UNC records for career receptions (244), career receiving yards (2,907), career punt return yards (1,082), career punt return touchdowns (7) and single-season receptions (96 in 2016) and owns the all-time ACC record for most punt returns (seven) for touchdowns.
As a senior, Switzer caught 13 or more passes in games three times, including a two-game stretch in which he hauled in 30 passes for 366 yards and a score in wins over Pittsburgh and at Florida State. He had nine career games with 100 or more receiving yards and caught 18 touchdown passes in his career.
His electrifying speed, shiftiness, passion and how much he cared will be remembered for long time in Chapel Hill. Perhaps at no time was the latter more obvious than after his final home game as a Tar Heel.
Switzer had a big day catching 13 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown but that wasn’t important to him compared to the bigger picture. Carolina lost to N.C. State, 28-21, and Switzer was devastated.
“Regardless of how you play, you want to win and you want to go out on the right note,” he said. Pausing before responding and then fighting back tears. “But I don’t regret anything. I played my heart out, I now the guys in that locker room did ad we’ve done that for four years. I can look back and be proud of what I’ve done. Just proud of giving Carolina football everything I had since I’ve been here.”
In two years in the NFL, Switzer has played full seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s played in 32 games, caught 42 passes for 294 yards, one touchdown, has run the ball 10 times for 26 yards, returned 54 kickoffs for 508 yards and a touchdown and returned 59 punts for 508 yards and a touchdown.