Matt Ryan (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matt Ryan

Ryan with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021
No. 2
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1985-05-17) May 17, 1985 (age 40) Exton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Penn Charter (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College:	Boston College (2003–2007)
NFL Draft:	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Career history
Atlanta Falcons (2008) Indianapolis Colts (2022)
Career highlights and awards
NFL Most Valuable Player (2016) NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2016) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2008) First-team All-Pro (2016) 4× Pro Bowl (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016) NFL passer rating leader (2016) NFL completion percentage leader (2012) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2008) Bert Bell Award (2016) Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor Manning Award (2007) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2007) ACC Player of the Year (2007) ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2007) First-team All-American (2007) 2× First-team All-ACC (2006, 2007) Boston College Eagles Jersey No. 12 retired
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 8,464 Passing completions: 5,551 Completion percentage: 65.6% TD–INT: 381–183 Passing yards: 62,792 Passer rating: 93.6
Player stats at PFR

Matthew Thomas Ryan (born May 17, 1985) is an American former professional football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Most of his career was with the Atlanta Falcons.

People called him "Matty Ice". Ryan holds many records for the Falcons team. These include most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and wins. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles. In his final year, he won the Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards. The Falcons chose him third overall in the 2008 NFL draft.

Ryan quickly made a big impact. He helped the Falcons reach the playoffs in his first season. This earned him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. During his time in Atlanta, he led the team to six playoff appearances. He also won three division titles. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. His best season was in 2016. He was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP). He also led the Falcons to Super Bowl LI. In his last season, Ryan played for the Indianapolis Colts. After retiring, he became a football analyst for CBS Sports.

Early Life and High School Football

Matt Ryan grew up in Exton, Pennsylvania. He went to William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. He was a starting player for three years there. He earned honors like All-East from a football report.

As a senior quarterback, he was named All-Southeastern Pennsylvania. He also received All-City first-team honors in 2002. In his senior year, he threw for over 2,000 yards. He also had 19 touchdowns. He completed more than 52% of his passes in all three seasons.

Ryan was a captain for three sports teams in high school. He led the football, basketball, and baseball teams. He played quarterback in football. He was a small forward in basketball. In baseball, he was a pitcher and shortstop.

He started getting scholarship offers in his second year of high school. Schools like Purdue and Georgia Tech offered him scholarships. He visited Boston College in his junior year. He decided to commit to them in August 2002. He wanted a university close to home. He also looked for a strong football program with good academics.

College Football Career

Starting at Boston College (2003–2004)

Ryan started at Boston College in 2003. He did not play in games his first year. This is called a redshirt year. In 2004, he became the starting quarterback. This happened because another player was injured.

His first college game was on October 2, 2004. He completed two passes for 16 yards. His first touchdown pass was on November 20, 2004. He threw a 32-yard touchdown pass. He started his first game on November 27, 2004. He threw for 200 yards and one touchdown. He also played in the 2004 Continental Tire Bowl. Ryan won the 2004 Freshman Male Scholar-Athlete award.

Taking Over as Starter (2005)

In 2005, Ryan was the second-string quarterback. He became the main starter later in the season. He played in ten games and started five. He completed 121 passes for 1,514 yards. He had eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for five touchdowns.

He started his first bowl game in the MPC Computers Bowl. He threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Boston College won the game 27–21. This helped the team finish ranked #18.

Leading the Team (2006)

Ryan started 11 of 12 games in 2006. He completed 263 passes for 2,942 yards. He threw 15 touchdowns and ten interceptions. He also ran for four touchdowns. He was named to the All-ACC first-team. He led the ACC in total offense and passing yards.

He was named ACC Offensive Back of the week three times. He set career highs in completions (32) and passing yards (356). He led the team to a 9–3 record. This included two double-overtime wins. He played through ankle and foot injuries that season. He set a school record with 40 pass completions in one game.

Senior Year Success (2007)

Ryan and the Boston College Eagles line up on offense in the 2007 ACC Championship game.

Before his senior year, Ryan was named to the preseason All-ACC team. Boston College got a new coach, Jeff Jagodzinski. Ryan had a great game against Wake Forest. He threw for 408 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw for a career-high 435 yards against Georgia Tech.

He led an amazing comeback against Virginia Tech. He threw two touchdowns in the last three minutes. His chances for the Heisman Trophy were high. He finished the season with 31 touchdowns. He also broke Doug Flutie's school record for single-season passing touchdowns.

Ryan earned many awards in 2007. He was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year. He also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. This award goes to the best senior college quarterback. He won the Manning Award for the nation's top quarterback. He finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.

He was on the cover of the PlayStation 3 version of NCAA Football 09. In 2016, Boston College retired his jersey number.

College Awards and Honors

College Statistics Overview

Matt Ryan played four seasons for Boston College. He redshirted his first year. He improved greatly each season. By his senior year, he was one of the best college quarterbacks.

Season	Team	Passing								Rushing
		Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2003	Boston College	Redshirt
2004	Boston College	35	71	49.3	350	4.9	2	3	91.5	12	−3	−0.3	0
2005	Boston College	121	195	62.1	1,514	7.8	8	5	135.7	37	94	2.5	5
2006	Boston College	263	427	61.6	2,942	6.9	15	10	126.4	51	−35	−0.7	4
2007	Boston College	388	654	59.3	4,507	6.9	31	19	127.0	68	2	0.0	2
Career		807	1,347	59.9	9,313	6.9	56	37	126.2	168	58	0.3	11

Professional Football Career

Joining the Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan was chosen third overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2008 NFL draft. He signed a six-year contract worth $72 million. This contract made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks. This was unusual for a player who had not yet played a professional game.

Rookie Season Success (2008)

Ryan takes a snap against the Raiders on November 2.

On August 24, 2008, Ryan became the Falcons' starting quarterback. He was the first rookie quarterback to start for the Falcons since 2001. In his first NFL game, he threw a 62-yard touchdown pass. This made him the first quarterback to throw a touchdown on his first NFL pass since 2000.

He led the Falcons to a comeback win against the Chicago Bears. He threw for a career-high 301 yards. He was named Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week. He also became the NFC Rookie of the Month for October.

Ryan scored his first rushing touchdown in December. He also became the second rookie to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season. He led the Falcons to their first playoff spot since 2004. Ryan was named the AP NFL Rookie of the Year. He also made the All-Rookie Team.

In his first playoff game, he completed 26 passes for 199 yards. He threw two touchdowns. The Falcons lost 30–24. Ryan set an NFL playoff rookie record for completions.

Becoming a Team Leader (2009)

Ryan was voted Offensive Captain by his teammates. He started the 2009 season strong. He threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in a win. In Week 2, he had a career-high three touchdown passes.

He threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers. This was his third game with over 300 passing yards. He threw a 90-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White. This was the third-longest in Falcons history.

Ryan suffered a toe injury in Week 12. He missed some games. He returned in Week 15 and led an upset win. The Falcons finished with a 9–7 record. This was their first time with back-to-back winning seasons. Ryan finished the season with 2,916 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Leading the Falcons to the Playoffs (2010)

In 2010, Ryan led the Falcons to a 13–3 record. This was the best record in the NFC. He set career highs in touchdowns (28) and passing yards (3,705). He also set team records for attempts (571) and completions (357). Ryan led the NFL with six fourth-quarter comebacks.

In the playoffs, the Falcons lost to the Green Bay Packers. Ryan was invited to his first Pro Bowl. He was ranked as the 52nd best player in the league.

More Playoff Appearances (2011–2015)

In 2011, Ryan led the Falcons to a 10–6 record. He passed for 4,177 yards and 29 touchdowns. He earned his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. The Falcons made the playoffs but lost in the Wild Card Round.

In 2012, Ryan led the Falcons to an 8–0 start. He set personal records in completions (422) and touchdowns (32). He also had a career-high 4,719 passing yards. The Falcons finished 13–3 and were the top seed in the NFC. Ryan won his first playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. He threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl again.

In 2013, Ryan signed a five-year contract extension. He became the Falcons' all-time leader in passing yards. The team had a tough year, finishing 4–12. Ryan still had good individual games. He passed for 4,515 yards and 26 touchdowns.

In 2014, Ryan led the Falcons to a 6–10 record. He threw for 4,694 yards and 28 touchdowns. He had a career-high 448 yards in a win over the Saints. He also set a career-high for completion percentage (87.50%) in a win over the Buccaneers. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time.

The 2015 season was inconsistent. The Falcons started 5–0 but finished 8–8. Ryan had 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

MVP Season and Super Bowl LI (2016)

Ryan's #2 jersey worn in Super Bowl LI at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The 2016 season was amazing for Ryan and the Falcons. He threw for a team-record 503 yards in one game. His teammate Julio Jones also had a team-record 300 receiving yards. They were the first duo to do this in NFL history. Ryan set an NFL record for most games with at least 200 passing yards (46 straight).

He finished the season with a career-high 4,944 yards. He also had a career-high 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. His 9.3 yards per attempt was best in the NFL. He threw a touchdown pass in all 16 games. Ryan was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl. He was named First-team All-Pro. He won the NFL Most Valuable Player and NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards.

The Falcons reached Super Bowl LI. Ryan led them to a 36–20 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He then led them to a 44–21 win over the Green Bay Packers. He threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a fifth touchdown. This sent the Falcons to the Super Bowl.

In Super Bowl LI, the Falcons led 28–3 against the New England Patriots. However, they lost 34–28 in overtime. This was one of the biggest comebacks in sports history. Ryan passed for over 1,000 yards in the postseason. He had a very high passer rating of 135.3.

Later Years with the Falcons (2017–2021)

In 2017, Ryan continued to set records. He threw an 88-yard touchdown pass in the season opener. In Week 2, he threw the first touchdown in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In Week 10, he became the fastest quarterback to reach 40,000 passing yards. He broke Drew Brees' record.

He also set the record for most passing yards through 10 seasons (41,796). The Falcons made the playoffs again. They beat the Los Angeles Rams. But they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the next round.

In 2018, Ryan signed a new contract. It was worth $150 million over five years. He had two rushing touchdowns in a game for the first time. He also threw a career-high five touchdowns in another game. He reached 4,000 passing yards for the eighth straight season. This made him one of only three quarterbacks to do so. He finished the season with 35 passing touchdowns. He also had a career-high three rushing touchdowns. He even caught his first career pass for a touchdown!

In 2019, Ryan continued to put up big numbers. He threw for over 300 yards in many games. He passed Warren Moon for 10th all-time in NFL passing yards. He also became the 10th quarterback to reach 50,000 career passing yards. He led the NFL with 408 pass completions.

In 2020, Ryan passed John Elway for 9th all-time in passing yards. He had a game where three different receivers gained over 100 yards. This was a first for the Falcons. He finished the season with 4,581 passing yards. He also led the league in passes completed and attempted.

In 2021, Ryan reached 5,000 career completions. He also passed Eli Manning for 8th all-time in passing yards. He had a strong game against the New Orleans Saints. He finished the season with 3,968 passing yards.

Time with the Indianapolis Colts (2022)

On March 21, 2022, the Falcons traded Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts. In his first game, he passed 60,000 career passing yards. He was the second-fastest to do so. In Week 6, he passed Dan Marino for seventh all-time in passing yards. He threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns in a win.

He suffered a shoulder injury later in the season. He was benched for a few games. He returned as the starter after the coach was fired. In one game, the Colts had a 33–0 lead at halftime. But they lost in overtime. This was the largest comeback in NFL history. Ryan finished the 2022 season with 3,057 passing yards. He had 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His 14 touchdowns were a career-low.

Retirement and Legacy

On March 15, 2023, the Colts released Ryan. He officially announced his retirement on April 22, 2024. He signed a one-day contract with Atlanta to retire as a Falcon. Ryan was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor on October 3, 2024.

NFL Career Statistics Overview

Matt Ryan had a long and successful NFL career. He played 234 regular season games. He threw for over 62,000 yards and 381 touchdowns. He also played in 10 playoff games.

Regular Season Statistics

Postseason Statistics

NFL Awards and Honors

NFL Records Held by Matt Ryan

• Most regular season wins by a quarterback in his first five seasons: 56 (tied with Russell Wilson)
• Consecutive NFL games with at least 200 passing yards (64 games)
• Most passing yards in first 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 years in NFL history.
• Most pass completions in first 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 years in NFL history.

Atlanta Falcons Team Records

Personal Life

Matt Ryan is the third of four children. His parents are Michael and Bernice Ryan. His family is of Irish descent and raised as Catholics. Matt's uncle, John Loughery, also played quarterback at Boston College.

Ryan enjoys playing golf. He has played in celebrity golf tournaments. His cousin, Mike McGlinchey, played college football at Notre Dame. He was later drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.

Ryan is part of the Falcons' online reading program, "Read with a Falcon." He grew up a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.

In 2017, Ryan announced he and his wife Sarah were expecting twins. In 2018, their twin boys were born. In 2023, they welcomed their third son.

In 2019, Ryan appeared on the TV show Schooled. The show also talked about his high school sports career.

In June 2020, Ryan donated $500,000 to a fundraiser. He started it to help the black community in Atlanta.

In May 2023, Ryan was hired by CBS as a football analyst. He joined their pre-game show The NFL Today for the 2024 season.

Images for kids

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  Ryan being introduced before the Falcons' 2009 regular season opener on September 13

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  Ryan against the Ravens in 2014

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  Ryan and his teammates in a game against the Washington Redskins

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  Ryan speaking to Defense Secretary Mark Esper in 2019

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  Ryan in 2021

See also

In Spanish: Matt Ryan (fútbol americano) para niños