James David Ryan

The code for his arrival went into effect in 1986 when James David "Buddy" Ryan was introduced to the national media with those six quoted words as head coach of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Earlier in his distinguished career, people said the same thing when he was an assistant coach with the New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.

He was a winner then, too.The Jets and Bears won Super Bowls when Ryan ran their defenses, and the Vikings were in several.

After winnning Super Bowl XX, the Bears' defenders carried him off the field.To this day, Ryan remains the only assistant coach afforded that honor.

In 1993, they uttered "There's a winner in town" in Phoenix, Ariz., when Ryan was hired as head coach and general manager of the Arizona Cardinals.Known notoriously around the league as cheapskates, they dumped him in 1995 and haven't fared well since.

Come to think of it, the entire NFC East is a shadow of what it was when Ryan, the late Tom Landry, Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells where patroling the sidelines for the Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins and New York Giants.
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Parcells got back into coaching, Gibbs fled to NASCAR and Ryan turned to horses, the boyhood love of a kid growing up in the Southwest.
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Ryan is not a hero, or a magician.There isn't a phoney cell to his existence.He's an intense; competitive; complex, yet humble; realistic, down-to-earth kind of guy whose name was synonymous in the NFL with defensive excellence.

He never expected to be loved or followed blindly.But many of his old players call often out respect and admiration.

Ryan could coach, charm and motivate a defensive end like Reggie White or pass rushing linebacker like Wilber Marshall into greatness.
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His teams didn't always win, but Ryan was always a winner.Out of necessity, if nothing else.He had to win as a high school player in order to earn a college scholarship when growing up during the great depression in Frederick, Okla.And he had to win in order to stay alive as a United States Army sergeant leading men into battle during the Korean War.

Currently, the NFL's teams are sweating and heaving through two-a-day practices and this marks the sixth year for Ryan's absence.But he's still represented by his, and wife Joanie's twins.Rex is the defensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens and Rob handles New England's linebackers.