Ron McCartney

{{Short description|American football player (born 1954)}} {{Use American English|date=October 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography |name=Ron McCartney |number=56 |position=Linebacker |birth_date={{Birth date and age|1954|7|20|mf=y}} |birth_place=Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. |height_ft=6 |weight_lb=220 |height_in=1 |high_school=Stonewall Jackson (WV) |college=Tennessee |draftyear=1976 |draftround=2 |draftpick=53 |pastteams= * Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|1977|1979}}) |highlights= * First-team All-SEC (1975) |statlabel1=Fumble recoveries |statvalue1=4 |pfr=McCaRo21 }}

'''Ronnie L. McCartney''' (born July 20, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning outstanding defensive player of the game honors in the 1974 Liberty Bowl.<ref name="liberty">{{Cite news |date=October 15, 1975 |title=Vols' McCartney Ready for War |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19751015&id=mqwwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pPoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5605,4004083&hl=en |access-date=September 7, 2015 |work=Lakeland Ledger |page=1B |via=Google News}}</ref>

==Career== After playing college football as a defensive end at the University of Tennessee, he was selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 1976 NFL draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1976 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1976/draft.htm |access-date=February 25, 2024 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="ron">{{Cite web |title=Ron McCartney Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McCaRo21.htm |access-date=February 25, 2024 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=liberty/> He spent the entire 1976 season with the Rams on the injured reserve list.<ref name="bear">{{Cite news |date=September 9, 1977 |title=Bear Out for Season |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19770909&id=pdkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9BIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7136,1568967&hl=en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512231741/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19770909&id=pdkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9BIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7136,1568967&hl=en |archive-date=May 12, 2016 |access-date=September 7, 2015 |work=The Milwaukee Sentinel |page=12 |via=Google News}}</ref><ref name=gilliam/> After the Rams waived him before the 1977 season, he was picked up by the Falcons.<ref name=bear/><ref name="gilliam">{{Cite news |date=September 9, 1977 |title=Falcons' Gilliam Latest Veteran to Put on Waivers |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19770909&id=YL0qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XWcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6698,3489553&hl=en |access-date=September 7, 2015 |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |page=2-C |via=Google News}}</ref> He spent three seasons as a linebacker for the Falcons, playing in 45 games from 1977 through 1979.<ref name=ron/> He recovered four fumbles during his career.<ref name=ron/> The Falcons cut him before the 1980 season.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 20, 1980 |title=Falcons Cut Moriarty, Jones to Reach Mandatory 60 Limit |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19800820&id=6WUvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wjQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5956,2724478&hl=en |access-date=September 7, 2015 |work=Rome News-Tribune |page=6-A |via=Google News}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCartney, Ron}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:American football linebackers Category:Los Angeles Rams players Category:Atlanta Falcons players Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players Category:Players of American football from Charleston, West Virginia Category:American football defensive ends Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Stonewall Jackson High School (Charleston, West Virginia) alumni