Now this is an Alabama Football Player we can all admire!!

Terry O'Keefe · Oct 28, 2006

I'm certainly glad he's a Texan now!!!

Oct. 27, 2006, 11:34PM
To call Ryans special
states the obvious

By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Where to start with DeMeco Ryans? With his play at middle linebacker? With his maturity? Or with a story or two about the kid himself?

Yes, there. When you hear people talk about athletes serving as role models, Ryans is the kind of person they have in mind.

He graduated cum laude from Alabama with a 3.5 GPA. He finished in seven semesters and throws around phrases such as "time management" and "self-discipline."

He was involved in an array of charitable causes, including serving as spokesman for the local DARE program and working at a shelter for Katrina evacuees. He also raised around $5,000 for Katrina relief efforts by asking his Crimson Tide teammates to donate their $25 per diem.

'Coach' to you

He got the nickname "Coach" at Alabama after ordering that lockers be straightened up. As Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines told the Chattanooga Times Free Press: "DeMeco's the most focused player we've been around in a long while. Some players go to practice and it's three-quarters foolishness, but not him. The other guys know not to mess around with him, because he's there to work."

He might have gotten his work ethic from his mom, Martha Ryans, who raised four kids. When he was growing up in Bessemer, Ala., she worked days at a plastics factory and nights for a cleaning service. She later worked at a steel plant.

"I hated every time I'd see her go to work," he said. "She managed to do it and take care of our family. I have to take care of her now."

He played baseball and football in high school, but his mother was never wild about either.

A 'C' could be painful

"I don't think she likes it even now," he said. "She'll watch a game and call and ask, 'Are you hurt? I saw you limping.' "

So she thought academics were more important?

"I couldn't bring a 'C' home," he said. "She threatened to hurt me."

The Texans knew most of these stories by the time they interviewed him last winter at the scouting combine. Alabama coach Mike Shula called Ryans "our most respected player."

"You could tell he's really sharp," Texans linebackers coach Johnny Holland said. "He has a great demeanor. He's a subtle, quiet leader. He takes his job seriously."

The Texans probably figured they had no chance of landing him since they weren't going to use the No. 1 pick on him, and he figured to be gone by the time they picked in the second round. They were wrong. Even though the Texans preferred to take a running back, they believed Ryans was too good to pass up.

He's one of their few draft-day success stories. He has been on the field for every defensive snap this season and leads the Texans in tackles (54) and quarterback pressures (five). He also relays the signals from the sideline and makes sure guys line up correctly. At the moment, he might be the best defensive rookie in the NFL.

During weeks like this one, after an impressive victory over Jacksonville, the Texans can look at Ryans and Mario Williams and see the beginning of a solid foundation.

For Ryans in particular, the praise is effusive.

"It's unbelievable," Kailee Wong said. "No rookie linebacker I've been around has the presence, awareness or the ability to cope with all the stress the coaches put on you at that position. Nothing fazes him. The game isn't too big for him."

Ryans has a confidence that borders on cockiness. It's not an aggravating cockiness, but the kind of cockiness that comes from being smart and prepared and understanding that he belongs in the NFL just as much as he belonged on the big stage at Alabama.

"This kid is pretty special," Texans defensive coordinator Richard Smith said. "This kid understands football. He's very calm. He says things you'd hear from a veteran player."

Ryans must have had some doubts along the way. He wasn't a can't-miss prospect, and until Alabama got interested, he seemed headed to UAB or Mississippi State.

He adjusted quickly at Alabama, and has done the same thing in the NFL.

"I knew my ability," Ryans said. "I knew what I was capable of doing. I just ended up in the right place. It's a perfect fit. It's a lot of fun. I enjoy it every day I come in. Playing in the NFL is a dream come true. If you don't have the confidence you can do it, you're going to struggle. You just have to go out and do it. Let loose. If you're uptight, you can't go out and have fun and produce."

richard.justice@chron.com
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GORT · Oct 28, 2006

you know I thought a C was passing lol

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Now this is an Alabama Football Player we can all admire!!

Terry O'Keefe Well-Known Member Administrator

GORT New Member

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Now this is an Alabama Football Player we can all admire!!

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