Ryan Torain Ryan Devon Torain ( born August 10 , 1986 ) is an American football running back for the New York Giants in the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft . He played college football at Arizona State University . He has also played for the Washington Redskins . Early years . Ryan lived in Topeka , KS , attending Pauline South Elementary School and both Washburn Rural Middle and High schools . He resided in the Montara Neighborhood before moving to Shawnee Mission during his high school years . Torain attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Shawnee , Kansas . He was a letterman in football , basketball , and track & field . Ryan graduated in 2004 when he was a first team All - League selection and an All - State Class 6A selection in football . College career . Ryan Torain attended Arizona State after graduating from Butler County Community College . He earned second - team All - Pac - 10 honors as a junior and was one of the Pac - 10 ' s elite backs until his senior season was cut short midway through 2007 . Torain ran for 1 , 229 yards in 2006 , becoming ASU ' s first 1 , 000 - yard runner since Delvon Flowers in 2001 and running for the eighth - most single - season yards in ASU history . Compiling the most yards since Sun Devil great Freddie Williams ' total on ASU ' s legendary , undefeated 1975 squad . Ryan totaled the fourth - most rushing yards by a player in his debut season in the history of the Pac - 10 Conference . He ranked 13th in the Nation and second in the Pac - 10 Conference among returning backs in total rushing yards . He also led the team with 10 total touchdowns as a junior . An excellent receiving threat , Torain was ASU ' s second - leading returning receiver for 2007 and led all returning Pac - 10 tailbacks in yards - per - catch average ( 11 . 4 ) and touchdown receptions ( 3 ) . Ryan ran for over 100 yards in seven games and 70 or more yards in 12 of 19 contests . He rushed for career - highs of 191 yards on 24 carries at California on Sept . 23 , 2006 . Torain was listed by ESPN ' s Mel Kiper as the No . 2 senior running back in the nation for 2007 . He appeared in 19 games with 14 starts carrying 323 times for 1 , 782 yards ( 5 . 5 avg . ) . He caught 25 passes for 305 yards ( 12 . 2 avg . ) with five touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns . He averaged 93 . 8 rushing yards - per - game for his career . Professional career . Denver Broncos . The Broncos selected Torain in the fifth round ( 148th overall ) of the 2008 NFL Draft . He fractured his elbow in early August and missed three months of the season . Torain made his NFL debut in a game against the Miami Dolphins , earning only one yard on three carries in a loss . He started his first NFL game on November 6 , 2008 , against the Cleveland Browns . After rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries , Torain hurt his knee as he was being tackled in the second quarter . He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament ( ACL ) and was placed on a season - ending injured reserve . He became the third running back to be out for the season for the Broncos , joining Michael Pittman , and Andre Hall . Torain was waived by the Broncos on August 12 , 2009 , and subsequently reverted to injured reserve . He was released with an injury settlement on August 16 . Washington Redskins . On April 19 , 2010 , Torain was signed by the Washington Redskins , whose head coach , Mike Shanahan , as then - head coach of the Denver Broncos , had drafted Torain in 2008 . On September 4 , 2010 , Torain was released by the Redskins , but was re - signed to the practice squad on September 24 , 2010 , and was elevated to the 53 - man team roster as Brandon Banks was released . In his first game back he had 7 carries for 46 yards with a 6 . 6 yard average . Ryan was designated to replace Clinton Portis as the principal running back . Portis suffered a groin pull during the Redskins ' Week 4 victory at Philadelphia . After a 70 - yard , 1 - touchdown performance against the Eagles , Torain served as the Redskins ' primary running back for the next five weeks . He had a 100 - yard game and two touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts , then a career - high 125 yards against the Chicago Bears . Torain suffered a hamstring injury the next week in a game against the Detroit Lions . He returned after his injury and rushed for 172 yards in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . He was waived on December 27 , 2011 . New York Giants . On November 27 , 2012 , the New York Giants signed Torain after their second string running back , Andre Brown , was placed on injured reserve with a broken fibula . Torain re - signed with the Giants on the first day of free agency for the 2013 season on March 12 , 2013 .