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Matt Ryan (American football)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan (born May 17, 1985), nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football
quarterback
for the Atlanta Falcons
of the National Football League
. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Boston College
.
He was Boston College
's starter from 2005 to 2007, leading them to three bowl victories and a 25-7 record in 32 starts. He threw for 200 or more yards 15 times and is fifth all-time in school history in passing yards and in pass completions. He earned MVP honors at the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl.
In 2007, Ryan led his team to an ACC Atlantic Division
championship and was named ACC
Player of the Year.
During his rookie year, Ryan started all 16 games for the Falcons and led them to the playoffs with an 11-5 season record. He has also earned honors as the 2008 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
from 1979-82. Ryan launched a website during his senior year at BC called Mattyice.com, where fans and media have 24-hour access to video highlights, updated biographical information, statistics and other information about Ryan. He also created an activity named "Folleyball" for NFL Play 60 at NFL Rush.com. Ryan is also an avid golfer and has participated in such tournaments as the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, including Augusta National Golf Club
. Ryan also is part of the Falcons online reading program “Read with a Falcon”.
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was a three-year starter, earned All-East honors from Larunt Lemming Prep Football Report. He captured All-Southeastern Pennsylvania accolades as a senior quarterback in addition to receiving All-City first-team honors in 2002 and second-team recognition in 2001. A three-time All-League selection, he threw for more than 1,300 yards with 9 touchdowns as a senior, finishing his career by completing more than 52 percent of his pass attempts during all three seasons at the helm. Ryan played football, basketball and baseball while in high school and was named captain of all three teams his senior year. He was quarterback
of the football
team in 2002, played small forward
on the basketball
team, and was a pitcher
and a shortstop
on the baseball
team.
due to an injury to Quinton Porter
. He saw his first action on October 2, 2004 against the UMass Minutemen
. He completed two of three passes for 16 yards. He completed his first touchdown
on November 20, 2004 against Temple
on a 32-yard completion to Larry Lester. Replacing the injured Paul Peterson
, he completed eight of 15 passes for 121 yards. He made his first collegiate start on November 27, 2004 in the final game of that season, completing 24 of 51 passes for 200 yards against Syracuse. He also played against North Carolina
in the Continental Tire Bowl. He completed one of his two passes for 13 yards. Matt was also quite proficient in the classroom, and was awarded the 2004 Freshman Male Scholar-Athlete award that same year.
. Porter had some success at the beginning of the year, including winning Atlantic Coast Conference
player of the week for his performance in Boston College's 28–17 win over Virginia. After a 30–10 loss to third-ranked Virginia Tech, coach Tom O'Brien finally went to Ryan for good in the 4th Quarter of the next game against North Carolina
. In ten games (five starts), he completed 121 of 195 passes for 1,514 yards. He had eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had five rushing touchdowns and 94 yards. He started his first bowl game in the MPC Computers Bowl
versus Boise State. He completed 19 of 36 passes for 256 yards and a career-best three touchdowns.
) and passing yards (356 vs. Brigham Young
). He led the team to a 9-3 record including double overtime wins versus Clemson
and Brigham Young. He led the Eagles to a close 25-24 victory on December 26, 2006 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Navy
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. In the season opener against Central Michigan, Ryan sprained his ankle. Against Virginia Tech, Ryan broke his foot on the same leg. Despite these injuries, Ryan only missed one game (against Buffalo
). His 57 pass attempts in the 2006 Wake Forest game tied Shawn Halloran
vs. Syracuse Orange in 1985 and Frank Harris
vs. Army in 1968 for the BC record his 40 pass completions in the 2006 Wake Forest game broke the old school record of 37 by Frank Harris in the 1968 Army clash.
Before the season started Ryan was named to the preseason All-ACC team. Against Wake Forest
, he completed 32 of 52 passes for 408 yards and 5 touchdowns. Boston College also hired a new coach: Jeff Jagodzinski
, a longtime NFL assistant. He continued his hot streak versus Georgia Tech
, going 30-44 with 1 TD and passing for a career-high 435 yards against the staunch Tech defense en route to a convincing 24-10 road victory. After this game, Ryan was suggested as a potential Heisman Trophy
contender. Battling Virginia Tech
through bad weather in Blacksburg, Virginia
, Ryan led an amazing comeback for the Boston College Eagles, passing for two touchdowns with less than 3 minutes to play on October 25, 2007, including the game-winner with 11 seconds left to Andre Callender. However, Matt Ryan's chances to win the Heisman fell sharply after he threw three interceptions in a 27-17 loss to Florida State, an unranked team that had six wins and three losses. However with a strong performance against Clemson his chances were raised substantially. Despite 2 consecutive ACC losses, Ryan and the Eagles found themselves with a trip to the conference championship on the line. Down 10-3 in the third quarter, he led the offense on a game-tying drive, hitting on key passes to Rich Gunnell, Andre Callender and Ryan Purvis
, landing the Eagles at the Clemson 2 early in the fourth.James McCluskey finished the job from there, running it in to even the score at 10-apiece. Shortly thereafter, a Clemson turnover resulted in a BC field goal and a 13-10 lead for the maroon and gold . On November 24, against ACC rival Miami, Ryan surpassed Doug Flutie for the most passing touchdowns in a single season by an Eagle QB with 28 TD's, ultimately ending the season with 31. Despite these records, he struggled with throwing interceptions throughout the year, and finished with 19 (2nd most among college quarterbacks).His five touchdown passes in the 2007 Wake Forest game are one shy of the school record of six, held by Doug Flutie
in 1984 vs North Carolina. For the maroon and gold, it was their first 10-win regular season since 1940 and the first time they had achieved back-to-back 10-overall-win seasons in program history. He led the Eagles to extend the nation's longest bowl winning streak to eight with a 24-21 victory over Michigan State Spartans
in the Champs Sports Bowl
on December 28, Ryan threw three touchdown passes, two to Rich Gunnell and one to Jon Loyte .
Matt Ryan was awarded the 2007 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
, given annually in the United States to the Nation's most outstanding college football senior quarterback, the other finalists for the 2007 award were Hawaii's Colt Brennan, Louisville's Brian Brohm
, Oregon's Dennis Dixon
and Kentucky's Andre Woodson
( all of whom were drafted at the 2008 NFL Draft
)
He was selected to play in the 2008 Senior Bowl
. He also won the 2007 Manning Award
awarded to the nation's top quarterback, beating out eventual Heisman winner Tim Tebow
and eight other finalists for this year's award: Erik Ainge
(Tennessee), Sam Bradford
(Oklahoma), Colt Brennan
(Hawaii), Chase Daniel
(Missouri), Dennis Dixon
(Oregon), Graham Harrell
(Texas Tech), Pat White
(West Virginia) and Andre' Woodson (Kentucky). He also he was named "Eagle of the Year" alongside BC's first ever individual champion Kasey Hill, in November, he was asked to talk at the Boston College Multi-Cultural Thanksgiving celebration where he spoke of family, integrity and devotion. He is featured as the cover athlete for the PS3 version of NCAA Football 09
Ryan scored a 32 on the Wonderlic exam, tying Louisville's Brian Brohm
for the highest score by a quarterback in 2008. He was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Falcons
in the 2008 NFL Draft
He was the second first-round pick of the draft to sign when he agreed to a six-year contract on May 20. The contract had an overall value of $72 million and contained $34.75 million in guaranteed money. The contract made Ryan the 4th highest paid quarterback in the NFL behind Peyton Manning
, Ben Roethlisberger
, and Carson Palmer
, despite never having played a professional game. This helped fuel the discussion regarding whether rookies in the NFL were overpaid and if there is a need for a rookie salary cap. In addition, Ryan has signed endorsement deals with Nike and AirTran. He entered the 2008 season competing against former starter Chris Redman
for the Falcons' starting quarterback position.
becoming the first rookie quarterback to start a season for the Falcons since Steve Bartkowski
in 1975. In the game, Ryan completed his first NFL pass for a 62-yard touchdown to Michael Jenkins, becoming the first quarterback to throw a touchdown on his first career NFL pass since Michael Bishop
of the New England Patriots
in 2000. Ryan was sacked for the first time by Lions defensive player Dewayne White
in his first win. The second game of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
marked Ryan's first interception by rookie cornerback
Aqib Talib
and also by Sabby Piscitelli
. In week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs
, he completed the then-longest TD pass in his career for 70 yards to Roddy White
. The 70-yard touchdown pass to White was the longest pass completion for the Falcons since December 23, 2007, when Chris Redman
threw a 74-yard touchdown pass. In the same game Ryan completed passes to 6 different players. The following week, he threw for 194 yds and two TDs against the Green Bay Packers
. His touchdown passes went to Roddy White and tight end
Justin Peelle
. The following week against the Chicago Bears
Ryan led the Falcons to a comeback win. With 6 seconds left he completed a 26-yard strike to Michael Jenkins that set Jason Elam
up for the game-winning field goal as time expired. Ryan finished the game 22-of-30 for a then career-high 301 passing yards. He also had a key fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Roddy White. On Atlanta's first offensive drive, Ryan completed all five of his pass attempts for 57 yards en route to a Falcons field goal and a 3–0 lead. Ryan was named Diet Pepsi
Rookie of the week for his performance.
On October 30, Ryan was honored as the NFC Rookie of the Month for October following an impressive string of games in which he led the Falcons to a 2–1 record. Ryan became the first player in Atlanta Falcons franchise history to be awarded this honor In week 8 against the Oakland Raiders
, Ryan finished with the highest completion percentage of his career (77.3). He threw for 220 yards and posted a quarterback rating of 138.4. He also completed passes to eight different receivers and the game was his third multiple touchdown game (Green Bay, Philadelphia). His first half passing yardage, completion percentage (81.3) and passer rating (154.2) are all career highs for a half and his two touchdowns tie a first half high, Ryan’s final completion percentage of 77.3 is a career-high along with his passer rating of 138.4. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against the Raiders. He scored his first rushing TD against the New Orleans Saints
on December 7 with a 12-yard touchdown scramble, Ryan also achieved 3000+ passing yards in the 2008 season being only the 2nd rookie to do so. Peyton Manning
was the first. Ryan became the first Falcons rookie quarterback in franchise history to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season after finishing with 206 yards against Tampa Bay, Ryan’s passing total also makes him only the 10th quarterback in club annals to hit the 3,000-yard mark and the first since 1998 when Chris Chandler
threw 3,154. It was also his first overtime win as a starter. He was named the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for games played after his performance by the second time in his career. Ryan finished second amongst rookies in fan Pro Bowl voting (416,468 votes), only behind Titans Runningback Chris Johnson
. Ryan threw for a season-low 134 yards Week 16 against Minnesota Vikings
, ending a streak of nine straight games with at least 200 yards passing, he finished 13-of-24 passing, throwing an 8-yard touchdown passes to Jerious Norwood
in the second quarter; however, with this win Ryan led the Falcons to their first playoff berth since 2004.
He finished the season with 3,440 passing yds, 17 touchdowns (one rushing), and 11 interceptions. He and fellow rookie Joe Flacco
were the first rookie quarterbacks to lead their teams to the playoffs after starting all 16 games of the season. He is also one of the two rookie quarterbacks to throw for over 3,000 yards in their rookie season (the other being Peyton Manning). On December 31, Ryan was named the AP NFL Rookie of the Year.
Ryan made his first playoff start against the Arizona Cardinals
on January 3, 2009. Ryan was 15 years younger than opposing quarterback Kurt Warner
, which is 3rd on the list of biggest age difference of playoff quarterbacks. His first attempted playoff pass was an interception. Ryan completed 26 of 40 passing attempts for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns but was intercepted twice. He threw his first TD in a playoff contest to Justin Peelle
. Atlanta lost the game 30-24. Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith and Ryan became the first rookie Head Coach and rookie quarterback to coach and compete in a playoff game since the Cleveland Rams accomplished the feat in 1945 (the feat was repeated the next day when Ravens Joe Flacco
and John Harbaugh did so.) During the game, Ryan set an NFL playoff rookie record with 26 completions in a single postseason game.
Ryan was voted by his teammates as Offensive Captain alongside Todd McClure
at the end of the 2008 Season. He was first on the depth chart and was the Falcons starting quarterback for the second consecutive season.
In 2009
, Ryan started off the season fast as he threw for 229 yds and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions as he led the Falcons to a 19-7 win against the Miami Dolphins
in the 2009 NFL season opener. In Week 2, Ryan led the Falcons past the Carolina Panthers. Ryan had a career high in touchdown passes (3), completion percentage (78%) and touchdown passes in a half (3). He finished the game 21-28 with 220 yards, 3 touchdowns and a pick. In week 3, Ryan and the Falcons lost to the New England Patriots. Ryan completed 17-28 for 199 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
In Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers
, he completed 15 of 21 passes for 258 yards in the first half, setting a new career-high for the first half of play. Ryan finished the game having completed 22 of 32 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns for a 110.0 passer rating. Ryan tossed a 31-yard strike to Roddy White and he connected to White again in the second quarter with a 90-yard touchdown. The pass and reception for Ryan and White set new career highs. The pass and reception also mark the third longest in franchise history and the longest pass play since 2001. The game was his third-career 300-yard passing outing as the second-year quarterback set a new career-high in total passing yards in a single game.
In Weeks 6 through 9, Ryan generally struggled, throwing more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (6), was sacked 10 times, and had an average passing rating of 65.5. Still, he led the Falcons to two victories in the four games, in part thanks to Michael Turner returning to the form of 2008.
In Week 12, Matt Ryan suffered a turf toe injury during the game against Tampa Bay. Chris Redman
stepped in and managed to win the game by connecting to Roddy White
for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Following this victory, however, the effect of Ryan's absence was compounded by injury to starting running back Michael Turner, and the Falcons suffered losses to both Philadelphia and New Orleans in Weeks 13 and 14. In Week 15, Ryan returned, despite not yet having fully recovered from his injury, and led Atlanta to a 10-7 upset win against the New York Jets
.
In Week 16, the Falcons defeated the Buffalo Bills
in a 31-3 win. Matt Ryan threw for 250 yards with 3 touchdowns, two of them to Roddy White. In the last game of the season, the Falcons defeated the Bucs 20-10.
With a record of 9-7, the Atlanta Falcons attained back to back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history.
Ryan finished the season throwing for 2916 yards with 22 TDs, 14 INTs and a quarterback rating of 80.9. Ryan also rushed for 49 yards and one touchdown.
, Ryan led the Atlanta Falcons to an NFC best 13-3 record, second in the NFL behind only the 14-2 New England Patriots
. He threw for 28 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also led the NFL in fourth quarter comebacks for a quarterback in the 2010 season with six, including his victory against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome in overtime 27-24, beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4 at the Georgia Dome 16-14, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 at the Georgia Dome 39-32, beating the Baltimore Ravens in week 10 at the Georgia Dome 26-21, beating the Green Bay Packers in week 12 at the Georgia Dome 20-17 and defeating NFC divisional rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium 28-24. In the divisional round of the 2010-11 NFL playoffs, the Falcons were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champions, Green Bay Packers with the score 48-21.
Matt Ryan was ranked 52nd of the Top 100 players of 2011 and presented by Jerry Glanville. Ryan was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl
, for the first time of his career.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
.
He was Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
's starter from 2005 to 2007, leading them to three bowl victories and a 25-7 record in 32 starts. He threw for 200 or more yards 15 times and is fifth all-time in school history in passing yards and in pass completions. He earned MVP honors at the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl.
In 2007, Ryan led his team to an ACC Atlantic Division
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championship and was named ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Player of the Year.
During his rookie year, Ryan started all 16 games for the Falcons and led them to the playoffs with an 11-5 season record. He has also earned honors as the 2008 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Personal life
Ryan comes from an Irish Catholic family on both sides, and is the third of Bernice and Michael Ryan's four children. Ryan's uncle, John Loughery, played quarterback at Boston CollegeBoston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
from 1979-82. Ryan launched a website during his senior year at BC called Mattyice.com, where fans and media have 24-hour access to video highlights, updated biographical information, statistics and other information about Ryan. He also created an activity named "Folleyball" for NFL Play 60 at NFL Rush.com. Ryan is also an avid golfer and has participated in such tournaments as the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, including Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
. Ryan also is part of the Falcons online reading program “Read with a Falcon”.
High school career
Ryan attended the William Penn Charter SchoolWilliam Penn Charter School
William Penn Charter School is an independent school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1689 by William Penn...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was a three-year starter, earned All-East honors from Larunt Lemming Prep Football Report. He captured All-Southeastern Pennsylvania accolades as a senior quarterback in addition to receiving All-City first-team honors in 2002 and second-team recognition in 2001. A three-time All-League selection, he threw for more than 1,300 yards with 9 touchdowns as a senior, finishing his career by completing more than 52 percent of his pass attempts during all three seasons at the helm. Ryan played football, basketball and baseball while in high school and was named captain of all three teams his senior year. He was quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
of the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team in 2002, played small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
on the basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team, and was a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
on the baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team.
College career
Before the 2004 season, he was named the backup quarterback for Boston CollegeBoston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
due to an injury to Quinton Porter
Quinton Porter
Quinton George Porter is a Gridiron football quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was on the practice squad for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
. He saw his first action on October 2, 2004 against the UMass Minutemen
UMass Minutemen
The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and...
. He completed two of three passes for 16 yards. He completed his first touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
on November 20, 2004 against Temple
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...
on a 32-yard completion to Larry Lester. Replacing the injured Paul Peterson
Paul Peterson (American football)
Paul Peterson is a former quarterback for the Boston College Eagles. He was the first Boston College quarterback to start his career 6-0, and compiled a 12-2 record for his career at Boston College, including 2 bowl victories in the Continental Tire Bowl and the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl...
, he completed eight of 15 passes for 121 yards. He made his first collegiate start on November 27, 2004 in the final game of that season, completing 24 of 51 passes for 200 yards against Syracuse. He also played against North Carolina
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
in the Continental Tire Bowl. He completed one of his two passes for 13 yards. Matt was also quite proficient in the classroom, and was awarded the 2004 Freshman Male Scholar-Athlete award that same year.
2005 season
At the beginning of the 2005 season, Ryan was named the second string quarterback behind Quinton PorterQuinton Porter
Quinton George Porter is a Gridiron football quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was on the practice squad for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
. Porter had some success at the beginning of the year, including winning Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
player of the week for his performance in Boston College's 28–17 win over Virginia. After a 30–10 loss to third-ranked Virginia Tech, coach Tom O'Brien finally went to Ryan for good in the 4th Quarter of the next game against North Carolina
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
. In ten games (five starts), he completed 121 of 195 passes for 1,514 yards. He had eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had five rushing touchdowns and 94 yards. He started his first bowl game in the MPC Computers Bowl
MPC Computers Bowl
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that has been played annually at 33,500-seat Bronco Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, since 1997...
versus Boise State. He completed 19 of 36 passes for 256 yards and a career-best three touchdowns.
2006 season
Ryan started 11 of 12 games. He completed 243 of 398 passes for 2,700 yards, 14 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also ran for three touchdowns. He was All-ACC first-team and led the ACC in total offense (242.2 yards per game) and in passing yards (245.5 yards per game). He was named ACC Offensive Back of the week 3 times. He set career highs in completions (32 vs. Central MichiganCentral Michigan Chippewas
The Central Michigan Chippewas are the sixteen men's and women's athletics teams of Central Michigan University. CMU was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1950-1970. The school's athletics programs are affiliated with the NCAA and compete in the Mid-American...
) and passing yards (356 vs. Brigham Young
Brigham Young University Cougars football
The Brigham Young Cougars football team is a college football program representing Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Cougars won the national championship in 1984 and have a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer. Since 1965, BYU has claimed 23 conference championships and played in 29 bowl...
). He led the team to a 9-3 record including double overtime wins versus Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and Brigham Young. He led the Eagles to a close 25-24 victory on December 26, 2006 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. In the season opener against Central Michigan, Ryan sprained his ankle. Against Virginia Tech, Ryan broke his foot on the same leg. Despite these injuries, Ryan only missed one game (against Buffalo
Buffalo Bulls football
The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Buffalo located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo's first...
). His 57 pass attempts in the 2006 Wake Forest game tied Shawn Halloran
Shawn Halloran
Shawn Michael Halloran is a former quarterback for the Boston College Eagles and St. Louis Cardinals and currently is head coach for North Forest High School in Houston, Texas.-Boston College:...
vs. Syracuse Orange in 1985 and Frank Harris
Frank Harris
Frank Harris was a Irish-born, naturalized-American author, editor, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day...
vs. Army in 1968 for the BC record his 40 pass completions in the 2006 Wake Forest game broke the old school record of 37 by Frank Harris in the 1968 Army clash.
2007 season
Before the season started Ryan was named to the preseason All-ACC team. Against Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
, he completed 32 of 52 passes for 408 yards and 5 touchdowns. Boston College also hired a new coach: Jeff Jagodzinski
Jeff Jagodzinski
-United Football League:-External links:*...
, a longtime NFL assistant. He continued his hot streak versus Georgia Tech
2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team's coach was former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
, going 30-44 with 1 TD and passing for a career-high 435 yards against the staunch Tech defense en route to a convincing 24-10 road victory. After this game, Ryan was suggested as a potential Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
contender. Battling Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
through bad weather in Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, Ryan led an amazing comeback for the Boston College Eagles, passing for two touchdowns with less than 3 minutes to play on October 25, 2007, including the game-winner with 11 seconds left to Andre Callender. However, Matt Ryan's chances to win the Heisman fell sharply after he threw three interceptions in a 27-17 loss to Florida State, an unranked team that had six wins and three losses. However with a strong performance against Clemson his chances were raised substantially. Despite 2 consecutive ACC losses, Ryan and the Eagles found themselves with a trip to the conference championship on the line. Down 10-3 in the third quarter, he led the offense on a game-tying drive, hitting on key passes to Rich Gunnell, Andre Callender and Ryan Purvis
Ryan Purvis
Ryan J. Purvis is an American football tight end who is currently a Free Agent in the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
, landing the Eagles at the Clemson 2 early in the fourth.James McCluskey finished the job from there, running it in to even the score at 10-apiece. Shortly thereafter, a Clemson turnover resulted in a BC field goal and a 13-10 lead for the maroon and gold . On November 24, against ACC rival Miami, Ryan surpassed Doug Flutie for the most passing touchdowns in a single season by an Eagle QB with 28 TD's, ultimately ending the season with 31. Despite these records, he struggled with throwing interceptions throughout the year, and finished with 19 (2nd most among college quarterbacks).His five touchdown passes in the 2007 Wake Forest game are one shy of the school record of six, held by Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
in 1984 vs North Carolina. For the maroon and gold, it was their first 10-win regular season since 1940 and the first time they had achieved back-to-back 10-overall-win seasons in program history. He led the Eagles to extend the nation's longest bowl winning streak to eight with a 24-21 victory over Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
in the Champs Sports Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
on December 28, Ryan threw three touchdown passes, two to Rich Gunnell and one to Jon Loyte .
Matt Ryan was awarded the 2007 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
, given annually in the United States to the Nation's most outstanding college football senior quarterback, the other finalists for the 2007 award were Hawaii's Colt Brennan, Louisville's Brian Brohm
Brian Brohm
Brian Joseph Brohm is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, Oregon's Dennis Dixon
Dennis Dixon
Dennis Lee Dixon, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and Kentucky's Andre Woodson
André Woodson
Andre' Woodson, Jr. is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and is currently a free agent. Woodson played collegiately at the University of Kentucky...
( all of whom were drafted at the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
)
He was selected to play in the 2008 Senior Bowl
2008 Senior Bowl
The 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl was a college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2007 college football season and prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft. It was played on January 26, 2008 at 3 p.m. EST at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama...
. He also won the 2007 Manning Award
Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
awarded to the nation's top quarterback, beating out eventual Heisman winner Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
and eight other finalists for this year's award: Erik Ainge
Erik Ainge
Erik Douglas Ainge is a retired American football quarterback formerly of the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
(Tennessee), Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
(Oklahoma), Colt Brennan
Colt Brennan
Colton "Colt" James Brennan is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
(Hawaii), Chase Daniel
Chase Daniel
William Chase Daniel is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
(Missouri), Dennis Dixon
Dennis Dixon
Dennis Lee Dixon, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
(Oregon), Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
(Texas Tech), Pat White
Patrick White
Patrick Victor Martindale White , an Australian author, is widely regarded as an important English-language novelist of the 20th century. From 1935 until his death, he published 12 novels, two short-story collections and eight plays.White's fiction employs humour, florid prose, shifting narrative...
(West Virginia) and Andre' Woodson (Kentucky). He also he was named "Eagle of the Year" alongside BC's first ever individual champion Kasey Hill, in November, he was asked to talk at the Boston College Multi-Cultural Thanksgiving celebration where he spoke of family, integrity and devotion. He is featured as the cover athlete for the PS3 version of NCAA Football 09
NCAA Football 09
NCAA Football 09 is a college football video game created by EA Sports, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. The game was announced on February 14, and was released on July 15,...
2008 NFL Draft
| Pre-draft measureables' | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wt | 40 yd 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *224 lb | *5.07s | *24 | *26 | *32 | |||||||||||||||
| (* represents NFL Combine NFL Combine The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general... ) |
|||||||||||||||||||
Ryan scored a 32 on the Wonderlic exam, tying Louisville's Brian Brohm
Brian Brohm
Brian Joseph Brohm is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
for the highest score by a quarterback in 2008. He was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
He was the second first-round pick of the draft to sign when he agreed to a six-year contract on May 20. The contract had an overall value of $72 million and contained $34.75 million in guaranteed money. The contract made Ryan the 4th highest paid quarterback in the NFL behind Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, and Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, despite never having played a professional game. This helped fuel the discussion regarding whether rookies in the NFL were overpaid and if there is a need for a rookie salary cap. In addition, Ryan has signed endorsement deals with Nike and AirTran. He entered the 2008 season competing against former starter Chris Redman
Chris Redman
Chris James Redman is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Louisville.Redman earned a Super Bowl ring with the...
for the Falcons' starting quarterback position.
2008 season
On August 24, Ryan was named the starting quarterback for the September 7 regular season opener against the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
becoming the first rookie quarterback to start a season for the Falcons since Steve Bartkowski
Steve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph "Steve" Bartkowski is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams...
in 1975. In the game, Ryan completed his first NFL pass for a 62-yard touchdown to Michael Jenkins, becoming the first quarterback to throw a touchdown on his first career NFL pass since Michael Bishop
Michael Bishop (football player)
Michael Paul Bishop is a professional football quarterback who is currently on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Practice Squad. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots....
of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in 2000. Ryan was sacked for the first time by Lions defensive player Dewayne White
DeWayne White
DeWayne White is an American defensive end for the Omaha Nighthawks who is currently a free agent. He entered the league as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers top overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft. White tied a team record by recording at least half-a-sack in six consecutive games in 2004. He has...
in his first win. The second game of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
marked Ryan's first interception by rookie cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib is an American football cornerback who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.-Early years:...
and also by Sabby Piscitelli
Sabby Piscitelli
Sabatino "The Goat" Piscitelli is an American football safety for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. In week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, he completed the then-longest TD pass in his career for 70 yards to Roddy White
Roddy White
Sharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...
. The 70-yard touchdown pass to White was the longest pass completion for the Falcons since December 23, 2007, when Chris Redman
Chris Redman
Chris James Redman is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Louisville.Redman earned a Super Bowl ring with the...
threw a 74-yard touchdown pass. In the same game Ryan completed passes to 6 different players. The following week, he threw for 194 yds and two TDs against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. His touchdown passes went to Roddy White and tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Justin Peelle
Justin Peelle
Justin Morris Peelle is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. The following week against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Ryan led the Falcons to a comeback win. With 6 seconds left he completed a 26-yard strike to Michael Jenkins that set Jason Elam
Jason Elam
Jason Elam is a retired American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii....
up for the game-winning field goal as time expired. Ryan finished the game 22-of-30 for a then career-high 301 passing yards. He also had a key fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Roddy White. On Atlanta's first offensive drive, Ryan completed all five of his pass attempts for 57 yards en route to a Falcons field goal and a 3–0 lead. Ryan was named Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi is a no-calorie carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo, introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi-Cola with no sugar. First test marketed in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola, it was re-branded as Diet Pepsi the following year, becoming the first diet cola to be distributed on a...
Rookie of the week for his performance.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Ryan finished with the highest completion percentage of his career (77.3). He threw for 220 yards and posted a quarterback rating of 138.4. He also completed passes to eight different receivers and the game was his third multiple touchdown game (Green Bay, Philadelphia). His first half passing yardage, completion percentage (81.3) and passer rating (154.2) are all career highs for a half and his two touchdowns tie a first half high, Ryan’s final completion percentage of 77.3 is a career-high along with his passer rating of 138.4. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against the Raiders. He scored his first rushing TD against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on December 7 with a 12-yard touchdown scramble, Ryan also achieved 3000+ passing yards in the 2008 season being only the 2nd rookie to do so. Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
was the first. Ryan became the first Falcons rookie quarterback in franchise history to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season after finishing with 206 yards against Tampa Bay, Ryan’s passing total also makes him only the 10th quarterback in club annals to hit the 3,000-yard mark and the first since 1998 when Chris Chandler
Chris Chandler
Christopher Mark Chandler is a retired American football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known for leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 14-2 season in 1998, followed up with an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.-Early years:Chris Chandler was...
threw 3,154. It was also his first overtime win as a starter. He was named the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for games played after his performance by the second time in his career. Ryan finished second amongst rookies in fan Pro Bowl voting (416,468 votes), only behind Titans Runningback Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
. Ryan threw for a season-low 134 yards Week 16 against Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, ending a streak of nine straight games with at least 200 yards passing, he finished 13-of-24 passing, throwing an 8-yard touchdown passes to Jerious Norwood
Jerious Norwood
-2006:In 2006, Norwood played in 14 games and ranked third on the team with 633 rushing yards on 99 carries with two touchdowns to go along with 12 receptions for 102 yards. He also returned 13 kickoffs for 320 yards and tallied three special teams tackles.Norwood was the first player in NFL...
in the second quarter; however, with this win Ryan led the Falcons to their first playoff berth since 2004.
He finished the season with 3,440 passing yds, 17 touchdowns (one rushing), and 11 interceptions. He and fellow rookie Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
were the first rookie quarterbacks to lead their teams to the playoffs after starting all 16 games of the season. He is also one of the two rookie quarterbacks to throw for over 3,000 yards in their rookie season (the other being Peyton Manning). On December 31, Ryan was named the AP NFL Rookie of the Year.
Ryan made his first playoff start against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on January 3, 2009. Ryan was 15 years younger than opposing quarterback Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
, which is 3rd on the list of biggest age difference of playoff quarterbacks. His first attempted playoff pass was an interception. Ryan completed 26 of 40 passing attempts for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns but was intercepted twice. He threw his first TD in a playoff contest to Justin Peelle
Justin Peelle
Justin Morris Peelle is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Atlanta lost the game 30-24. Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith and Ryan became the first rookie Head Coach and rookie quarterback to coach and compete in a playoff game since the Cleveland Rams accomplished the feat in 1945 (the feat was repeated the next day when Ravens Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
and John Harbaugh did so.) During the game, Ryan set an NFL playoff rookie record with 26 completions in a single postseason game.
2009 season
Todd McClure
Todd McClure is an American football center for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State....
at the end of the 2008 Season. He was first on the depth chart and was the Falcons starting quarterback for the second consecutive season.
In 2009
2009 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2009 Atlanta Falcons season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League. The team looked to match or improve upon their 11–5 record from 2008 and return to the playoffs, however the Falcons were eliminated from contention in Week 15...
, Ryan started off the season fast as he threw for 229 yds and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions as he led the Falcons to a 19-7 win against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2009 NFL season opener. In Week 2, Ryan led the Falcons past the Carolina Panthers. Ryan had a career high in touchdown passes (3), completion percentage (78%) and touchdown passes in a half (3). He finished the game 21-28 with 220 yards, 3 touchdowns and a pick. In week 3, Ryan and the Falcons lost to the New England Patriots. Ryan completed 17-28 for 199 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
In Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, he completed 15 of 21 passes for 258 yards in the first half, setting a new career-high for the first half of play. Ryan finished the game having completed 22 of 32 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns for a 110.0 passer rating. Ryan tossed a 31-yard strike to Roddy White and he connected to White again in the second quarter with a 90-yard touchdown. The pass and reception for Ryan and White set new career highs. The pass and reception also mark the third longest in franchise history and the longest pass play since 2001. The game was his third-career 300-yard passing outing as the second-year quarterback set a new career-high in total passing yards in a single game.
In Weeks 6 through 9, Ryan generally struggled, throwing more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (6), was sacked 10 times, and had an average passing rating of 65.5. Still, he led the Falcons to two victories in the four games, in part thanks to Michael Turner returning to the form of 2008.
In Week 12, Matt Ryan suffered a turf toe injury during the game against Tampa Bay. Chris Redman
Chris Redman
Chris James Redman is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Louisville.Redman earned a Super Bowl ring with the...
stepped in and managed to win the game by connecting to Roddy White
Roddy White
Sharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...
for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Following this victory, however, the effect of Ryan's absence was compounded by injury to starting running back Michael Turner, and the Falcons suffered losses to both Philadelphia and New Orleans in Weeks 13 and 14. In Week 15, Ryan returned, despite not yet having fully recovered from his injury, and led Atlanta to a 10-7 upset win against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In Week 16, the Falcons defeated the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a 31-3 win. Matt Ryan threw for 250 yards with 3 touchdowns, two of them to Roddy White. In the last game of the season, the Falcons defeated the Bucs 20-10.
With a record of 9-7, the Atlanta Falcons attained back to back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history.
Ryan finished the season throwing for 2916 yards with 22 TDs, 14 INTs and a quarterback rating of 80.9. Ryan also rushed for 49 yards and one touchdown.
2010 season
In the 2010 season2010 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2010 Atlanta Falcons season was the 45th season for the team in the National Football League. In 2009, the team posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, with a 9–7 record, but did not make the playoffs...
, Ryan led the Atlanta Falcons to an NFC best 13-3 record, second in the NFL behind only the 14-2 New England Patriots
2010 New England Patriots season
The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets...
. He threw for 28 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also led the NFL in fourth quarter comebacks for a quarterback in the 2010 season with six, including his victory against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome in overtime 27-24, beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4 at the Georgia Dome 16-14, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 at the Georgia Dome 39-32, beating the Baltimore Ravens in week 10 at the Georgia Dome 26-21, beating the Green Bay Packers in week 12 at the Georgia Dome 20-17 and defeating NFC divisional rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium 28-24. In the divisional round of the 2010-11 NFL playoffs, the Falcons were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl champions, Green Bay Packers with the score 48-21.
Matt Ryan was ranked 52nd of the Top 100 players of 2011 and presented by Jerry Glanville. Ryan was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...
, for the first time of his career.
Regular season
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Att | Yds | TD | ||
| 2008 | Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
NFL National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
16 | 265 | 434 | 61.1 | 3440 | 16 | 11 | 55 | 104 | 1 | ||
| 2009 | Falcons | NFL | 14 | 263 | 451 | 58.3 | 2916 | 22 | 14 | 30 | 49 | 1 | ||
| 2010 | Falcons | NFL | 16 | 357 | 571 | 62.5 | 3705 | 28 | 9 | 46 | 122 | 0 | ||
| Regular season totals | 46 | 885 | 1456 | 60.8 | 10061 | 66 | 34 | 131 | 275 | 2 | ||||
Playoffs
| Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Att | Yds | TD | ||
| 2008 | Falcons | NFL | 1 | 26 | 40 | 65.0 | 199 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2010 2010–11 NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs for the 2010 season began on January 8, 2011 and led up to Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.... |
Falcons | NFL | 1 | 20 | 29 | 69.0 | 186 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Postseason totals | 2 | 46 | 69 | 66.7 | 385 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0 | ||||
NCAA
- MPC Computers BowlMPC Computers BowlThe Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that has been played annually at 33,500-seat Bronco Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, since 1997...
MVP (2005) - First-team All-ACCAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
selection (2006) - Manning AwardManning AwardThe Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
(2007) - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
(2007)
- First-team All-America by AFCA (20072007 College Football All-America TeamThe 2007 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
) - ACCAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Player of the Year (2007) - First-team All-ACCAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
selection (2007) - 6x ACCAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Player of the week (2007)
Boston College
- BC´sBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
Freshman Male Scholar-Athlete Award (2004) - Scanlan AwardScanlan AwardThe Thomas F. Scanlan Memorial Trophy is an award given by the Boston College Varsity Club to the senior football player outstanding in scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.- Winners :*1947: Vic Palladino, guard*1948: Tom Brennan, running back...
(2007) - "Eagle of the Year" (w/ Kasey Hill) (2008)
NFL
- AP Offensive Rookie of the Year (2008)
- Rookie of the Year by Sporting News (2008)
- All-Rookie Team by Sporting News (2008)
- NFCNational Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Rookie of the Month (October 2008)
- ESPY AwardESPY AwardsAn ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993...
: Best Breakthrough AthleteBest Breakthrough Athlete ESPY AwardThe Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the sportsperson, irrespective of nationality, gender, or sport contested, adjudged to have made the greatest breakthrough in a major international individual sport or North American professional team sport...
(2009) - NEXT AthleteNEXT AthleteThe NEXT Athlete award is given out every year by ESPN the Magazine to one or more athletes chosen as a future leader or trailblazer in their sport...
award (ESPN the Magazine) (2009) - NFCNational Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Player of the Month (November 2010)
NFL Records
- Most pass completions in a playoff game by a rookie quarterback (26)
- First rookie quarterback to start all 16 regular-season games and make the playoffs (accomplished this feat the same year as Joe FlaccoJoe FlaccoFlacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
) (2008)