Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Saluki quarterback Ryan West will transfer
04/08/2015 | 12:00:00 | Football
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University football head coach Dale Lennon announced today that quarterback Ryan West will transfer at the end of the school year.
A fourth-year junior, West played in 13 games during his career at SIU and made six starts. For his career, he completed 55 percent of his passes for 1,274 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
"Ryan is a tremendous competitor and a terrific young man and we wish him the very best," said Lennon.
The Oswego, Ill. native started two games late in the 2014 season against Missouri State and Northern Iowa in relief of Mark Iannotti. The Salukis beat the Bears, 32-22, and West threw a career-high three touchdown passes. Iannotti returned the following week to start the season finale against Illinois State.
"I haven't played a full season since my senior year of high school," West explained. "I've had my opportunities to win the starting spot, and those opportunities unfortunately didn't fall my way. I just want to play ball. I have two years, football doesn't last forever, and I want to take full advantage of it."
West started the final four games of the 2013 season after starting quarterback Kory Faulkner got hurt. His record as a starter at Southern was 4-2.
"Southern Illinois has been nothing but good to me with the relationships I've established here," West said. "Everyone involved with the football program has helped mold me into the person I am today and I will forever take that with me."
West was one of four quarterbacks battling for the starting job in spring drills, alongside Iannotti and redshirt freshmen Sam Straub and Matt DeSomer.
