Welcome to the 2022 FCS Jersey Countdown. Leading up to the start of weekly college football odds and Week 0 games on Aug. 27, HERO Sports will name the best returning FCS player by jersey number, 99-0. Due to rosters being updated at different times for teams across the country and to keep things consistent, jersey numbers are based on last season’s rosters.
The 99-0 countdown central page can be found here.
Note: Jersey numbers are based on 2021 rosters.
47: Ryan Greenhagen, LB (Sr.) — Fordham
Greenhagen’s illustrious college career comes to an end after this season, but he’ll have plenty of more football ahead of him.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pounder has been a tackling machine since 2018 when he totaled 65 tackles, 15 TFLs, and eight sacks. Greenhagen earned HERO Sports Freshman All-American and Second Team All-Patriot League honors. In 2019, he was named a HERO Sports Sophomore All-American and an All-Conference First Team selection with 123 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks.
The awards kept flowing in during the spring season, perhaps more of a sign of respect for Greenhagen considering he only played in two of Fordham’s three games. He still put up 22 tackles, two TFLs, and one sack in those two games. Greenhagen was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, was a First Team All-Conference pick, and earned All-American honors from Stats Perform and HERO Sports.
Greenhagen was off to a stupidly dominant season last fall. Unfortunately, it came to an end after five games with a season-ending injury. Greenhagen still incredibly eclipsed the 100-tackle mark in those five games, finishing with 102 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks, and one interception.
In the season-opener against Nebraska, Greenhagen broke the NCAA record with 31 total tackles. It was originally 30 tackles until a correction postgame added one more tackle.
Greenhagen then had 28 tackles against Monmouth, 17 tackles against another FBS opponent FAU, 17 tackles against Stony Brook, and nine tackles versus Lafayette.
He is a grad student this season and a team captain. Fordham will have a tremendous LB duo with Greenhagen and James Conway. Greenhagen enters 2022 with 312 career total tackles (No. 4 in school history), 184 solo tackles (No. 5), and 35.5 TFLs (No. 5). He looks to climb the record books and continue to attract NFL attention. He was named on the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 list. Josh Buchanan ranks him the No. 44 small-school prospect. And NFL Draft Diamonds ranks him the No. 29 small-school prospect.
