Riggs racked up 46 tackles in 2009 season, already has 4 sacks this year

By Jackson Santy ’13
The Roundup

As the Brophy football team runs onto the field every Friday night, there is one player who stands out.

Standing 6’0 and weighing 245 pounds, No. 62 Danny Riggs ’11 can easily strike fear in the eyes of his opponents.

“I love football,” Riggs said. “It’s a chance to express myself in a different manner, it’s an opportunity to create bonds with my teammates that will last forever.”

Riggs is a nightmare for opposing offenses.

According to Maxpreps.com, Riggs racked up a total of 46 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries last season. Riggs currently has four sacks so far this season.

The first time Riggs stepped onto the field for his first varsity start against Centennial last year, he was “ready to prove himself.” He knew his opponents “were bigger and stronger,” but that didn’t stop him from playing his best.

He recovered three fumbles in that game.

Riggs said his biggest inspiration is his grandfather. The two are very close as his grandfather is currently fighting cancer.

As a sign of admiration before every game, Riggs writes his grandfather’s name on his socks.

“What people don’t know about me is, I’m really a loving guy off the field.” Riggs said. “However, on Friday nights it’s a different story.”

Amongst all the commotion in the locker room before games, Riggs sits and waits.

Before games, he said he is very quiet for the first five minutes, and soon begins to pep talk himself progressively getting louder and louder as kickoff approaches.

Then he releases the beast from within. Riggs and teammate Josh Dennard ’11 literally crawl out onto the field “preparing for the hunt.”

Dennard said crawling on the field was something the two started last year.

“It’s a way of saying: Hey, I’ve got your back.” Dennard said. “Let’s lead this team together.”

“From day one of our freshmen year Riggs and I became good friends,” Dennard said. “Blood would not make (him) any closer to me as a brother.”

Editors Note: In the interest of full disclosure, writer Jackson Santy ’13 is a football team manager, but this article was edited by staff members who are not affiliated with the team.