Background and career
Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was selected eighth overall by the Dolphins in the 2012 NFL draft. In his first seven seasons, Tannehill served as the Dolphins' primary starter. He was traded to the Titans in 2019, becoming the starter midway through the season and leading the team to the AFC Championship Game. Tannehill was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year and received Pro Bowl honors. During his next two seasons, Tannehill helped the Titans clinch consecutive division titles. His final two years were marked by injuries, leading to his retirement after the 2023 season.
Tannehill was born in Lubbock, Texas, and grew up in nearby Big Spring. He attended Big Spring High School, where he played football and basketball, and ran on the track and field team. Tannehill played 10 games as a defensive back as a sophomore. As a junior, he passed for 2,510 yards and rushed for 922 at quarterback. Tannehill took his team to the playoffs as a senior, passing for 1,258 yards and rushing for another 617. He had to miss two games due to a separated shoulder in the second game of his senior year. Tannehill also recorded three receptions for 62 yards and compiled a 39.2 punt average with a long of 84 yards as a senior. He earned second-team District 4-4A honors for both his junior and senior seasons. Tannehill left high school a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com. In track and field, Tannehill competed in hurdling and jumping events. At the 2006 District 4-4A championships, he placed third in the 300 m hurdles (41.24 s) and earned a second-place finish in the triple jump event (13.19 m).
Tannehill redshirted his first season at Texas A&M University after turning down offers from the University of Houston, TCU, Tulsa, and UTEP.
Before Tannehill's second season, Mike Sherman took over as head coach. In summer camp, Tannehill competed against veteran quarterback Stephen McGee and redshirt sophomore Jerrod Johnson for the starting quarterback position. He finished in third place behind starter Johnson and McGee. Sherman's offense utilizes three receivers and moved Tannehill to a wide receiver position. In his fifth game, Tannehill posted a freshman school record of 210 yards on 12 catches. He recorded six receptions for 78 yards in the Iowa State game breaking the freshman school record for receptions and receiving yards. Tannehill finished his redshirt freshman season with 844 receiving yards, which was 11 yards shy of breaking Robert Ferguson's record set in 2000. Tannehill attempted only one pass as a quarterback the whole season. Tannehill expressed his desire to become the starting quarterback at A&M: "I still think of myself as a quarterback; I still want to be a quarterback here at A&M. Hopefully that's the way it turns out. But if things don't happen that way, and Coach thinks I can better help being a receiver, then I guess I'm okay with that."
During the 2009 offseason, Tannehill and Jerrod Johnson competed for the starting quarterback position; Johnson won the job. Tannehill finished the 2009 season with a team-leading 46 receptions for 609 yards and four touchdowns. About 80% of his catches for the season were for first downs or touchdowns. Tannehill picked up All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors for his performance. Tannehill only took eight snaps as a quarterback for the entire season.
Tannehill continued to play wide receiver during the first six games of the 2010 season. Over those six games, he made 11 receptions for 143 yards. Tannehill attempted four passes during the season opener. Tannehill saw extensive action at quarterback during the Kansas game, splitting time with starter Jerrod Johnson. Tannehill finished completing 12-of-16 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns. In his first career start at quarterback, Tannehill led the Aggies to a 45–27 victory over Texas Tech while setting a school record with 449 passing yards. He also made a 33-yard pooch punt, his first career kick. Tannehill quarterbacked the Aggies to a victory over No. 11 Oklahoma, which moved the team into the top 25. He helped the team maintain a ranking in the top 25 with victories over Baylor and No. 9 Nebraska. During the Nebraska game, Tannehill punted twice since the starter was injured. He and his team defeated Texas finishing the regular season. Tannehill was recognized with All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.
