Richard Ash (American football)

Richard Ash (born August 4, 1992) is an American football defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Western Michigan University.

Early years

Ash attended Pahokee High School, playing for the Pahokee Blue Devils football team, while being teammates with Janoris Jenkins and Merrill Noel. In his sophomore year, Pahokee went 14–0, beating Newberry 53–14 at the Florida Citrus Bowl for the 2008 FHSAA Class 2B State championship.

He accepted a scholarship from the University of Michigan, where he was a reserved on the defensive line and recorded 3 career tackles. At the end of the 2013 season, he transferred to Western Michigan University. As a fifth-year senior, he appeared in 13 games (12 starts), while registering 42 tackles (third on the team) and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars

Following the 2015 NFL Draft, Ash was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. He was cut on September 4. He was signed to the Jaguars' practice squad on September 6. On January 1, 2016, he was signed to the active roster to play against the Tennessee Titans.

He was released on September 3, and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on October 25. He was released by the Jaguars on November 26, and was re-signed to the practice squad.

Dallas Cowboys

On December 28, 2016, Ash was signed by the Dallas Cowboys off the Jaguars' practice squad, with the team suffering multiple injuries along the defensive line and losing defensive end Zach Moore to the San Francisco 49ers. He was acquired to provide depth to play the last game of the season and rest Tyrone Crawford, Cedric Thornton and Terrell McClain for the playoffs.