Desmond Ridder

The National Football League provides an equal and fair opportunity for every player to demonstrate their potential and solidify their place. The players use the league to showcase their skills and advance their careers. Desmond Ridder, the current Falcons’ quarterback has utilized the opportunity to make a name for himself. He has already left a mark on the league and his potential remains to be seen.

Desmond Kelly Ridder, popularly known as Desmond Ridder, is an active American football quarterback. Presently, Ridder is a part of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. As of October 2023, he is 24 years old.

Ridder started playing football during high school and continued playing in college. He played college football at Cincinnati and earned AAC Offensive Player of the Year consecutively in 2020 and 2021. The Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League selected Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The young quarterback is extremely talented and has significant potential.

Desmond Ridder’s Personal Information

Desmond Ridder Early Life

Ridder was born on 31 August 1999 in Louisville, Kentucky U.S. His single- mother and maternal grandmother raised him as his biological father was not present during his childhood. Before enrolling in St. Xavier High School, Ridder attended Holy Family Parochial.

Ridder started playing high school football at St. Xavier High School. As a senior, he recorded 1,319 passing yards and 9 touchdowns. Furthermore, he led the Tigers in rushing with 668 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was named All-Metro as a senior in high school and Rivals.com rated him as a two-star recruit, while 24/7 Sports rated him as a three-star recruit.

He received an offer from Eastern Kentucky also however he committed to play college football at the University of Cincinnati. During his senior year, he signed the National Letter of Intent.

College Career:

2017-2018 Seasons: As a Redshirt Freshman, Ridder was the Bearcats’ starting quarterback. He recorded 2,445 passing yards and 20 touchdowns along with 583 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He earned the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Rookie of the Year.

2019 Season: Ridder concluded his season as redshirt sophomore with 179 of 325 passes for 2,164 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions along with 650 rushing yards and five touchdowns. For his performance, he secured the MVP of the 2020 Birmingham Bowl. He completed 14-of-24 passes for 95 yards and one touchdown along with 105 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a 38-6 win over Boston College.

2020 Season: In the 2020 season, Ridder achieved a significant breakthrough and delivered remarkable performance. For his performance in a game against SMU on 24 October 2020, he secured the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week. In the 42-13 win, he recorded 13-of-21 passes completions for 126 yards and 1 touchdown along with rushing eight times for 179 yards and three touchdowns.

He concluded his regular season with 2,296 passing yards,19 touchdowns and six interceptions along with 592 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 9 games. He was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year.

2021 Season: In a game against Notre Dame, he completed 19-of-32 passes for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns along with rushing for 26 yards and a game-winning touchdown in the fourth-quarter. He was named the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week.

After an invincible 12-0 regular season, Ridder and Bearcats went for 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game. After defeating the Houston Cougars in a 35-20 win, Bearcats became the last major undefeated team going into the postseason and also the first Group of Five Team to make the playoffs.

Ridder concluded his final season in college with 30 passing touchdowns, 6 rushing touchdowns and eight interceptions only.

Desmond Ridder Family Background

Ridder was born in 1999 and his mother was just 15 years old at the time of his birth. His mother Sarah Ridder along with his grandmother, Jan, raised Ridder. Throughout his childhood, he never had his biological father by his side. It is known that his father was of African-American decent and his mother is Caucasian. Therefore Ridder has a blended ethnic background.

Ridder always said that his maternal grandmother inspired him to play football. She taught him how to throw a football for the first time. He also acknowledged and credited his single-mother for his upbringing and supporting him continuously.

His mother, Sarah later married his stepfather and had a daughter, Tia. Ridder’s half-sister Tia, is also a successful sportsperson and plays softball.

Desmond Ridder Wife

Ridder is married to his high school sweetheart Claire Cornett. The couple tied the knot on 15 July 2022 in front of family and friends in an intimate wedding ceremony. They have been happily married for one year now.

Claire Cornett is from Kentucky and attended Assumption High School. Later, Ridder and Cornett went to the University of Cincinnati together. Cornett graduated with a degree in political science in 2020. It is claimed that the couple have been together since 2016. They prefer to keep their personal lives private.

In 2021, the couple welcomed their daughter.

Desmond Ridder Kids

In April 2021, Ridder entered fatherhood as he and his wife Claire welcomed their baby girl, Leighton Elizabeth. Ridder shares a beautiful bond with her beloved daughter and truly cherishes every moment with her.

Desmond Ridder Social Media

Ridder is an active user on social media. He frequently shares pictures with his followers on Instagram. As of October 2023, Ridder has 104K followers on Instagram and his official Instagram username is @desmondridder. He has 25.9k followers on Twitter and his Twitter username is @desmondridder. Ridder often shares pictures with his wife and little daughter. The number of his followers is dynamic and expected to increase in the coming time.

Desmond Ridder Net Worth

Ridder’s net worth is estimated at approximately $2 million. Ridder’s NFL contract with the Falcons and endorsement deals with the biggest brands in the world are the primary contributors to his net worth. Ridder signed a 4-year contract with the Falcons worth $5.36 million however the exact amount he earns from his endorsement deals remains undisclosed.

Desmond Ridder Professional Career

Desmond Ridder participated in the NFL Scouting Combine after finishing his impressive collegiate career at Cincinnati. At the end of the pre-draft process, many recruiting experts suggested that Ridder would be the first-round to the third-round pick. After Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett and Matt Corral, he was rated as the fourth-best quarterback prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Ridder Started his professional journey with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. The Falcons picked him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He signed a 4-year contract with the Falcons worth $ 5,362,959.

2022 Season/Rookie Season: Head coach Arthur Smith announced Marcus Mariota as the starting quarterback for the Falcons and Ridder was selected to serve as the backup.

In December 2022, Ridder was announced as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season as Mariota was benched.

In week 15, Ridder played his NFL debut match against the New Orleans Saints. He finished off the game with 13-of-26 completions for 97 yards and no interceptions along with 38 rushing yards. There were no touchdowns scored by the debutant quarterback in the 18-21 loss.

In week 17, the 20-19 victory over the Arizona Cardinals was Ridder’s first career NFL win. He recorded 19-of-26 for 169 yards.

In week 18, he recorded 19-for-30 for 224 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-17 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Desmon Ridder completed his rookie season with 708 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions along with 64 rushing yards and an 86.4 passer rating.

Desmond Ridder’s Career Stats

Desmond Ridder’s Achievements

Ridder has showcased his talent and expertise in a short span of time. He possesses significant potential and he has proven himself time and again. Here is a list of his achievements till now and many more are anticipated in the future:

College- Career Achievements:

· Ridder was named AAC Offensive Player of the Year for two consecutive years.

· In 2018, he secured AAC Rookie of the Year.

· He earned First-team All-AAC twice. (year 2020 and 2021)

· In 2021, he was named the Birmingham Bowl MVP.

· In 2020, he secured the Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week.

Desmond Ridder’s Contract

Ridder signed a 4 year contract with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL worth $5,362,959. The contract includes a signing bonus amount of $1,080,336, a guaranteed amount of $1,080,336 and an average annual salary of $1,340,740.

Desmond Ridder’s Endorsements

Desmond Ridder is a famous NFL player and has managed to compile quite a list of the endorsement deals with the renowned brands all over the world. The list includes brands such as BYLT Clothing, BOSE, Candy Digital, Dr. Pepper, Fedex, Vrst, Cross Jeep and Cryospring Cold Plunges.

Desmond Ridder’s Investments

Ridder has invested in 19 companies, from clothing companies to sports equipment companies. Below is the list of his business ventures:

• RX3 Growth (Equity Firm)

• Taxa Outdoors (Outdoors Lifestyle)

• Full Swing (Golf Technology)

• Therabody (Recovery Devices)

• CorePower Yoga

• Manscaped (Men's Grooming Products)

• Tocaya (Restaurant)

• Hydrow (Rowing Machine)

• Super Coffee (Protein Coffee)

• Orgain (Protein Products)

• Hydrant (Hydration Powder)

• Victor (Premium Pet Food)

• Mavis Discount Tire (Tires)

• Ant Money (Investment App)

• Mack Weldon (Clothing)

• Nom Nom (Natural Pet Food)

• Chemical Guys (Car Care)

• Prive Reveaux (Sunglasses)

• Hims (Men's Personal Care)

Desmond Ridder’s Physical Attributes

Ridder is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 211 lbs, as per the NFL Scouting Combine records. He has a 32.75-inch arm span and his hand span measures 10 inches. He recorded one of the fastest times by a quarterback with a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. His speed and agility play a significant role in the game.

Desmond Ridder’s Diet

There are no specific details available about Ridder’s diet however by observing his physique, it’s evident that he maintains a healthy diet.

Desmond Ridder’s House

Information about Ridder’s house is not publicly disclosed.

Desmond Ridder’s Cars

Ridder has maintained a private life. There is no information available regarding his car collection.