Ralph Ortega

Ralph Ortega (born July 6, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and early 1980s. Ortega played college football for the Florida Gators, earning first-team All-American honors in 1974. A second-round pick in the 1975 NFL draft, he played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins.

Early life

Ortega was born in Havana, Cuba in 1953, but moved to Miami, Florida with his family when he was a child. Ortega played high school football for legendary coach Nick Kotys at Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables, Florida, and was a shot-put specialist on the track and field team. Two of his Coral Gables Cavaliers football teammates, defensive back Neal Colzie and fullback-linebacker Glenn Cameron, were first-round 1975 NFL draft picks of the Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively.

In 2007, thirty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized Ortega as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football. Memorably, in 1973, he helped the Gators beat the Auburn Tigers for the first time at Jordan–Hare Stadium in fourteen visits. Ortega's big play was a crushing tackle that caused a fumble by Auburn tailback Chris Linderman inside the Gators' five yard-line shortly before halftime. The Gators won 12–8, with Auburn's only points coming near the end of the game. The Gators' coach, Doug Dickey, was carried from the field by his players after the game. At the time, it was called "one of the greatest moments in Florida Gators football history."

Ortega finished his four-season college career with 357 tackles, twelve forced fumbles (eight recovered), and five interceptions. In a 2006 article series written for The Gainesville Sun, the Sun sports editors recognized him as No. 40 among the top 100 players of the first century of Florida Gators football.

Professional career

Ortega enjoyed a six-year professional football career in the NFL. He was chosen in the second round (29th overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He was a starting linebacker in , and a key component of the renowned "Grits Blitz" Falcons defense, before being relegated to special teams in . He was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a future third-round draft pick in . He finished his NFL career with the Dolphins in . During his six NFL seasons, Ortega played in eighty-one regular season games, intercepted five passes and recovered seven fumbles.

Life after the NFL

Ortega still lives in Miami.

Ortega's son, Buck Ortega, played college football for the Miami Hurricanes as a quarterback and tight end from 2001 to 2004, after winning the Florida Class 2A state high school football championship as the quarterback for Gulliver Preparatory School in 2000. Ortega served as an assistant coach for his son's Gulliver Prep team, and had a close mentor relationship with future NFL star defensive back Sean Taylor, one of his son's Gulliver Prep teammates and close friends.

His son Buck went on to play in the NFL as well. Most notably, Buck played on the New Orleans Saints in 2010, the year they won the Super Bowl.

His twin daughters, Jacqueline and Jennifer, played Division One volleyball at Davidson College.