football
Author: Jeff Shearer
Auburn, Alabama – Former Auburn offensive lineman Victor Riley, who was an All-American as a senior in 1997, died Monday at the age of 49, his family announced.
Riley, who arrived from Swansea, South Carolina in 1994, earned a starting spot in the first four games of the season and remained there for the rest of the year.
Riley was a versatile four-year letterman, leading Auburn to a 35-12-1 record from 1994 to 1997. The Tigers earned a top-10 ranking at the end of Riley's freshman season and won the SEC West Championship as a senior. He won the First Team Coaches National Player of the Year award in 1997.
“We used to be a pretty good tackling duo,” former Auburn teammate and first-round NFL pick Willie Anderson posted on X. “One of the most athletic big men I've ever seen.”
Riley is listed at 6-5, 321 pounds and earned All-SEC first team honors in his junior and senior seasons. He started 34 of the 42 games he played at Auburn, starting at guard and tackle.
Before Riley's senior season, Sporting News ranked him as one of the top six offensive tackles in the nation.
Drafted in the first round (27th overall) by Kansas City in the 1998 NFL Draft, Riley played for the Chiefs (1998-2001), Saints (2002-04) and Houston Texans (2005). played a season.
Riley started 93 of the 111 games he played in the NFL and recovered two fumbles.
Jeff Shearer is a senior writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff shearer
