The 2011 Scouting Report: Former walk-on corner who has made some significant contributions at cornerback in 2009 when injuries took a toll on the secondary ... Great attitude and work ethic ... Begins preseason camp as the backup behind Jordan Mabin.
2011: Former walk-on ... Notched one solo tackle at Boston College ... One tackle vs. Eastern Illinois ... Played in 28 career games with one start (vs. Penn State in 2009) ... Saw significant playing time at Nebraska and totaled four tackles ... Had two tackles vs. Minnesota ... Credited with one tackle and one pass breakup vs. Texas A&M ... Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
2010: Played in 11 of 13 games ... Reserve cornerback and special teams contributor ... Academic All-Big Ten ... Named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (compiled a 3.7 or better GPA for the 2010-11 academic year) ... NU's nominee for the College Football Rudy Awards ... Former walk-on who earned a scholarship in 2010 ... One tackle vs. Illinois State and at Rice.
2009: Played in eight games with one start ... Walk-on ... Career-best five tackles and one pass breakup in first career start at cornerback vs. Penn State (started in place of Sherrick McManis) ... Made the most of his first significant playing time against Indiana, blocking a punt that led to a safety and helped spark NU's 25-point comeback win vs. the Hoosiers ... Named team's special teams player of the week vs. Indiana ... Also tabbed the Big Ten's special teams player of the week by ESPN.com ... Credited with two tackles and one pass breakup at the CB position vs. Indiana ... Played in season opener against Towson and notched a pass breakup.
2008: Appeared in one game vs. Michigan ... Named team's special teams practice player of the week vs. Iowa.
2007: Did not see action ... Named team's special teams practice player of the week vs. Purdue.
High School: Two-time second-team All-Lakeshore Conference defensive back (2005-06) ... All-Racine County defensive back (second-team selection in 2005, honorable mention in 2006) ... 2006 team captain ... Team's Most Improved Player in 2005 ... For career (2005-06), totaled 8 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries, 107 solo tackles, 60 assisted tackles, 4 TFL's, 5 blocked kicks, 3 sacks and 2 defensive TD's ... Helped the Broncos win back-to-back conference titles in 2005-06 (2005 title was school's first since 1977) ... Also helped the Broncos gain their first playoff berths since 1998, including the school's first at home ... Broncos went 6-5 his junior year and 9-2 (7-0 league mark) his senior season ... Returned an interception 85 yards with no time remaining in the first half of a game vs. Waterford to take the lead and clinch a playoff berth ... Returned a blocked punt for a game-winning TD vs. Westosha Central in 2005, which ended an 11-game losing streak ... Also lettered in basketball and played baseball ... National Honor Society and Honor Roll each year ... Coached by Jeff Urban.
Personal: Born Ricky John Weina Jr. ... Son of Ricky and Tiffany Weina ... Economics major and business institutions minor.
The Weina File
Q: Name five favorite songs (and artist) on your I-Pod:
A: Renegade -- Jay-Z; Fighters -- Lupe Fiasco; Man On The Moon -- Kid Cudi; The Truth -- Jason Aldean; Small Change -- Dispatch
Q: If you could dine with anyone from any period in history, who would it be and why?
A: My grandma
Q: What is the greatest lesson in life that you have learned?
A: Live life to the fullest, take chances, and do what makes you happy
Q: A song that best describes you and why?
A: Everything I Am -- Kanye West
Q: Something people would be surprised to know about me is:
A: I really enjoy cooking
Q: My favorite place to visit is and why?
A: Hawai'i because the weather is great, the beaches are amazing, and the scenery is beautiful
Q: Which current NU football player is the biggest jokester on the team and why?
A: Scott Concannon, because he is just always messing around
Q: My favorite thing about NU is and why?
A: It is one of the best schools in the country and Chicago is in its backyard.
Q: Best part about being a Northwestern football player is:
A: It is a great experience that prepares me for the "real world"
Q: Describe Coach Fitzgerald in five words or less:
A: Passionate, smart, poised
Q: Describe your position coach in five words or less:
A: Wise, Great teacher, Funny, Experienced
Q: Most humbling experience:
A: Playing Big Ten football
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement and why?
A: Getting into Northwestern and contributing to the football team
Q: The best book I have ever read is and why?
A: Kite Runner
Q: The person that inspires me the most is:
A: Both my parents, they are really strong people who have overcome a lot to make me who I am today
Q: When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be:
A: Barry Sanders, Brett Favre or LeRoy Butler depending on the position
Q: My favorite pregame ritual is:
A: Listening to music, mostly up-tempo rap
Q: If you could have a starring role in any film already made, which movie would you pick and why?
A: Gladiator, I think the role suits me well
Q: My favorite food is:
A: A nice, juicy steak
Q: My favorite thing about playing at Ryan Field is:
A: The home crowds
Q: Best thing about Northwestern is:
A: Being so close to Chicago
Q: My ultimate SportsCenter highlight would be:
A: Making a game winning INT return to lead Northwestern to a Rose Bowl victory.
Q: My favorite television show is and why?
A: I like SportsCenter for obvious reasons, but I also like The Office, 30 Rock, and Tosh. O because they are hilarious
Q: If I were not playing football, I would be:
A: Probably trying to play some other sports, maybe just dominating Intramurals -- haha.
Q: The three words that best describe me:
A: Hard-working, competitive, yet easy-going
Q: My football-related superstition is:
A: I am not very superstitious, but I like to keep my dress for each game pretty similar and I have a handful of songs that I listen to no matter what.
Q: If the Big Ten expands in the future, pick one school you'd like to see added and why?
A: I would like to see Notre Dame because it would create an interesting "rivalry" and they would bring competitive teams for most sports to the Big Ten. Also, I would like to beat them.
Q: Which FORMER NU football student-athlete has had the most impact on your Wildcat career and why?
A: Besides Coach Fitz and Coach Brown ... Curtis Spears, he is my mentor and he has provided me with some good advice for the future.
| DEFENSE | |||||||||||
| Season | Games | UA | A | Total | TFL | Sacks | PD | INT | FF | FR | BLK |
| 2009 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 30 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 0.0-0 | 0.0-0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |