Ryan Smith's Cornhole Biography

Reuben Snyder

I am ACL Pro Reuben Snyder from the Mid-East Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the ACL. Like many back yard parties to pre game tail gating.

Pj Sarro

I am ACL Pro PJ Sarro from the Northeast Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the American Cornhole League. I probably started like everyone else did , in the backyard at cookouts messing around over a few drinks , then my dad decided to raise money for the VFW that he worked at by having a cornhole tournament. A local board maker let him borrow boards for being able to put a table up to showcase his company in return, 2 guys showed up and cleaned up on all of us only giving up 2 points the whole tournament ( happened to be against me and my partner ). After the tournament one of those guys came up to be and said “ why haven’t I seen you around before you're pretty good” my response was “ I didn’t know cornhole was a thing outside of cookouts” , fast forward about 2-3 months I went to a byop tournament being held by the guys that let us borrow there boards, let’s just say it didn’t go to well,I then thought damn I’m not that good at this so i started to practice a little here and a little there. Until our Regional singles tournament which was a split tournament doubles were in one spot and singles was the next day on the marina where they film Wicked Tuna , so I went and played and finished 5th in singles just in the money. The hard work is starting to pay off , so I continued to play in every weekly blind draw and every tournament I can make and here I am now fast forward a year being able to sign Pro with the ACL

Dean Norton

I am ACL Pro Dean Norton from the Northwest Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the ACL

The first time a I played cornhole was about 2 years ago in the backyard at my parents house at a family BBQ. I played for hours that day and just was not very good at it. My competitive side took over a little bit and I went out and bought regulation boards and bags. As soon as I got everything in the mail I took a week of vacation off work and I played 7 days straight about 12 hours a day and I was finally able to throw a flat bag. I watched a ton of cornhole videos on you tube and any where else I could find it to try and learn the strategy aspect of the game. I find now that the more I practice the better I continue to get. It has sense took off for me and I am enjoying every minute of it. The people that I have met throughout my travels is honestly the best part.

Derek Fateiger

I am ACL Pro Derek Fateiger from the Carolina Conference and this is my story of how and when I started playing cornhole and worked my way up to an ACL Pro. When I was in high school me and my step dad heard about a cornhole league close by. We thought we were good and it sounded fun. Turns out we weren't very good. Me being competitive pushed me to get better and here we are 10 years later.

AJ Sims

I am ACL Pro AJ Sims from the South-West Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the American Cornhole League.

Matt Guy

I am Matt Guy ACL Pro from the Mid-South Conference and this is my story of how and when I started playing cornhole and worked my way up to an ACL Pro. Former horseshoe pitcher that switched over to cornhole. Began playing in tournaments since the year 2000. Formerly an ACO Pro and switched over to an ACL Pro in the 2020/21 season.

Chris Caudill

I started playing Cornhole while camping and at family parties and gatherings. That lead into finding some small bar leagues which turned into locals, regionals, conferences and opens. I've played for about 10-12 years but competitively for only about 4. Had a couple close friends as my partners but my favorite partner to compete with is my sons CJ and Cameron. My wife travels with me to tournaments and is my biggest cheerleader and statistician. We make the best of cornhole weekends by camping near tournaments or being "tourists" in whatever town we are in. I've met so many people through the Cornhole community that are such great friends now. In 2020 we moved from Maryland (Mid-Atlantic conference) to Florida. We never skipped a beat after finding all he places to play Cornhole down here. Meeting Dave at Cornhole Addicts several years ago at COBS in Philly was a blessing not only for sponsorship but for a great friendship as well!

Jay Rubin

I am Jay Rubin aka Jaybirdie Bird ACL Pro from the Great Lakes Conference and this is my story of how and when I started playing cornhole and worked my way up to an ACL Pro. I started playing cornhole in backyards, alleys, and bars here in Chicago 10-11 years ago. For about 2 years I would play in a local country station tournament but usually got destroyed in the sweet 16. Took 6 years off due to not having a partner. I showed up at a local tournament in Villa park back in 2015, and beat a really solid team that was well known. That victory opened up all the avenues I needed when it came to finding a partner. My first 2 years I would go to 5-10 local type of tournaments a year to get a sense of what I was really up against. During that time frame, I realized I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to be considered one of the best. 2 years ago I figured out how to throw a flat bag, which immensely helped my slide game. After that I started working on pushing, step outs, covering/blocking, airmailing, and the strategic side of the game. Once I had a good feel for all the tools needed to be successful, I decided to give the ACL a shot. In my first season I finished 25th in singles, and 36th in the overall rankings. During the summer of 2018 I elevated my game even more by winning several $1000-$3000 tournaments, while taking down some of the best players in the game. Some of my biggest accomplishments so far this season is 13/13 in regional singles, won a conference doubles, and a National in advanced doubles on ESPN. I'm currently competing for the $10,000 devour player of the year title, and also for player of the year in the ACL season. Still have a lot of work to do in order to accomplish either. Looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years brings me in my career!