Matt Ryan (American football) facts for kids
_DSC_4628_(51555290664)_(cropped).jpg)
Ryan with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021
|
|||||||||||||
| No. 2 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | May 17, 1985 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 | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Matthew Thomas Ryan (born May 17, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Most of his career was with the Atlanta Falcons. People often called him "Matty Ice".
Matt Ryan is one of the top ten quarterbacks in NFL history. He ranks high in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, and touchdowns. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles. In his senior year, he won the Manning Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The Falcons chose him as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft.
Ryan quickly made a big impact. He led the Falcons to the playoffs in his first year. This earned him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. During his time in Atlanta, he helped the team reach the playoffs six times. They 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.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Matt Ryan grew up in Philadelphia. He went to William Penn Charter School. He was a starting player for three years in football. He also played basketball and baseball. He was captain of all three teams in his senior year.
In football, he threw for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. He completed more than half of his passes each season. Many colleges offered him scholarships. He chose Boston College because it was close to home. He also liked its strong football program and focus on academics.
College Football Journey
Starting at Boston College
Matt Ryan started at Boston College in 2003. He "redshirted" his first year, meaning he practiced but didn't play in games. In 2004, he became the starting quarterback due to an injury to another player. He played his first college game on October 2, 2004. He threw his first touchdown pass later that year.
In 2005, he became the second-string quarterback. But he soon became the starter again. He played in ten games, starting five. He threw for 1,514 yards and eight touchdowns. He also ran for five touchdowns. He helped Boston College win the MPC Computers Bowl. The team finished ranked #18 in the country.
Becoming a Star Quarterback
In 2006, Ryan started 11 of 12 games. He led the conference in passing yards with 2,942. He also threw 15 touchdowns. He was named to the All-ACC first-team. He played through injuries, including a sprained ankle and a broken foot. He only missed one game that season. He set new school records for completions in a game.
In 2007, his senior year, Ryan was named to the preseason All-ACC team. He had an amazing season. He threw for 408 yards and five touchdowns against Wake Forest. He then threw for a career-high 435 yards against Georgia Tech. He led Boston College to a big comeback win against Virginia Tech.
Ryan finished the 2007 season with 4,507 passing yards. He also threw 31 touchdowns. He won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Manning Award. These awards go to the nation's best college quarterbacks. He was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year. Boston College later retired his jersey number 12.
College Awards and Stats
Matt Ryan earned many awards during his college career:
- MPC Computers Bowl MVP (2005)
- First-team All-ACC (2006, 2007)
- Manning Award (2007)
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2007)
- First-team All-America (2007)
- ACC Player of the Year (2007)
- 6× ACC Player of the Week (2007)
Here are some of his college statistics:
| Season | Team | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 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
The Atlanta Falcons picked Matt Ryan third overall in the 2008 NFL draft. He signed a big contract, making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks. He also signed endorsement deals with Nike and AirTran.
On August 24, 2008, Ryan was named the Falcons' starting quarterback. He was the first rookie quarterback to start for the Falcons since Michael Vick in 2001. In his first NFL game, he threw a 62-yard touchdown pass on his very first play. This made him the first quarterback since 2000 to throw a touchdown on his first NFL pass.
Ryan quickly showed his talent. He led the Falcons to a winning record of 11–5. He threw for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He and Joe Flacco were the first rookie quarterbacks to lead their teams to the playoffs after starting all 16 games. In the playoffs, the Falcons lost to the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2009, Ryan continued to lead the Falcons. He threw for 2,916 yards and 22 touchdowns. The team finished with a 9–7 record. This was the first time in Falcons history they had back-to-back winning seasons.
The 2010 season was very successful for Ryan and the Falcons. They had an NFC-best 13–3 record. Ryan set career highs with 28 touchdowns and 3,705 passing yards. He led the NFL with six fourth-quarter comebacks. He was invited to his first Pro Bowl.
In 2011, Ryan led the Falcons to a 10–6 record. He passed for 4,177 yards and 29 touchdowns. The Falcons made the playoffs but lost to the New York Giants.
The 2012 season saw Ryan lead the Falcons to an 8–0 start. He set personal records with 4,719 yards and 32 touchdowns. The Falcons finished 13–3 and earned the top seed in the NFC. Ryan won his first playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. He led a game-winning drive that ended with a field goal. In the NFC Championship, the Falcons lost a close game to the San Francisco 49ers. Ryan was named to the Pro Bowl for the second time.
The 2013 season was tough for the Falcons due to many injuries. Ryan still threw for 4,515 yards and 26 touchdowns. He became the Falcons' all-time leader in passing yards.
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 passing yards in a win against the New Orleans Saints. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the third time.
The 2015 season was inconsistent. The Falcons started 5–0 but then lost many games. Ryan finished with 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The team ended with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs.
MVP Season and Super Bowl LI
The 2016 season was incredible for Matt Ryan. He started strong, throwing for 334 yards in the first game. In Week 4, he set a team record with 503 passing yards and four touchdowns. His teammate Julio Jones also had a record 300 receiving yards in that game. Ryan and Jones were the first quarterback-receiver pair in NFL history to achieve such high numbers in one game.
Ryan had a career-high 4,944 passing yards and 38 touchdowns. He threw a touchdown pass in all 16 games, the only quarterback to do so that season. He was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl. After the season, he was named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He also won the Bert Bell Award.
As the second seed in the NFC playoffs, Ryan led the Falcons to victory over the Seattle Seahawks. He threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. In the NFC Championship game, Ryan led the Falcons 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 win sent the Falcons to Super Bowl LI.
In Super Bowl LI, the Falcons faced the New England Patriots. Ryan threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons had a big lead, 28–3, in the third quarter. However, the Patriots made a historic comeback and won 34–28 in overtime. Despite the loss, Ryan became the first Falcons quarterback to pass for over 1,000 yards in a single postseason.
Later Years with the Falcons
In 2017, Ryan continued to play well. In Week 1, he threw an 88-yard touchdown pass. In Week 2, he threw the first touchdown pass in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In Week 10, he became the fastest quarterback to reach 40,000 passing yards. He did it in 151 games, breaking Drew Brees' record. He led the Falcons to the playoffs again. They beat the Los Angeles Rams but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
.jpg)
On May 3, 2018, Ryan signed a new five-year contract. In Week 2, he scored two rushing touchdowns in a game for the first time. In Week 3, he threw a career-high five touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. In Week 14, Ryan reached 4,000 passing yards for the eighth straight season. This made him the third quarterback in NFL history to do so. He finished the 2018 season with 35 passing touchdowns and a career-high 39 total touchdowns.
In 2019, Ryan continued to set records. In Week 11, he passed Warren Moon for 10th all-time in NFL passing yards. In Week 13, he became the 10th quarterback in NFL history to reach 50,000 career passing yards. He finished the season leading the NFL with 408 pass completions.
In 2020, Ryan passed John Elway for 9th all-time in NFL passing yards. He had a game where three different wide receivers gained over 100 yards, a first for the Falcons. He finished the season with 4,581 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.
The 2021 season was Ryan's last with the Falcons. He reached 5,000 career completions, becoming the seventh quarterback in NFL history to do so. He also passed Eli Manning for 8th all-time in NFL passing yards. He finished the season with 3,968 passing yards and 20 touchdowns.
Time with the Indianapolis Colts
On March 21, 2022, the Falcons traded Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts hoped his experience would lead them to success. In his first game with the Colts, he passed 60,000 career passing yards, becoming the second fastest to do so. In Week 6, he passed Dan Marino for seventh all-time in passing yards.
Ryan played in 12 games for the Colts in 2022. He finished with 3,057 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. The Colts had a tough season. On March 15, 2023, Ryan was released by the Colts.
Retirement and Legacy
After the 2023 season, on April 22, 2024, Matt Ryan officially announced his retirement from football. He signed a special one-day contract with Atlanta to retire as a Falcon. Ryan was honored by being inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor on October 3, 2024. This is a special recognition for important players in the team's history.
Career Highlights and Records
Matt Ryan achieved many impressive things in his career:
- NFL Most Valuable Player (2016)
- NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2016)
- AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2008)
- First-team All-Pro (2016)
- 4× Pro Bowl selections (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016)
- NFL passer rating leader (2016)
- NFL completion percentage co-leader (2012)
- Bert Bell Award (2016)
- PFWA Offensive Player of the Year (2016)
- PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year (2008)
- FedEx Air Player of the Year (2016)
- 10× NFC Offensive Player of the Week
He holds several NFL records:
- Most regular season wins by a quarterback in his first five seasons: 56 (tied)
- 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
He also holds many Atlanta Falcons franchise records:
- Only Falcons quarterback to lead the team to an 8–0 start
- Most wins in a regular season by a starting quarterback: 13 (2010 and 2012)
- Fewest interceptions in a regular season by starting quarterback – 7 (2016 and 2018)
- Most career quarterback wins: 120
- Career leader in Completions, Pass Attempts, Passing Yards, and Passing Touchdowns.
- Career leader in Passer Rating.
- Most 4,000+ passing yard seasons: 10
Personal Life
Matt Ryan was born to Michael and Bernice Ryan. He is one of four children. His family is of Irish descent and Catholic. His uncle, John Loughery, also played quarterback at Boston College. Ryan enjoys playing golf. His cousin, Mike McGlinchey, also plays in the NFL.
Ryan is involved in community programs, like the Falcons' "Read with a Falcon" online reading program. He grew up as a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Matt and his wife, Sarah, have three sons. They welcomed twin boys in 2018 and their third son in 2023.
In 2019, Ryan made a small appearance on the TV show Schooled. In June 2020, he donated $500,000 to a fundraiser he started to help the black community in Atlanta. In May 2023, Ryan joined CBS as a football analyst. He became part of their pre-game show The NFL Today for the 2024 season.
See also
In Spanish: Matt Ryan (fútbol americano) para niños
