Matthew Thomas Ryan, also known as ‘Matty Ice,’ is a quarterback in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons. At Boston College, he led his team to three consecutive bowl victories. During his collegiate tenure, he was named “Most Valuable Player” at the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl. The Atlanta Falcons selected him as the third overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. He achieved honors such as ‘NFL Rookie of the Year’ for his outstanding performance in his rookie season. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his proficiency as a player. In 2015, he was ranked 77th on the ‘Top 100 NFL Players’ list. He was dubbed ‘NFL Offensive Player of the Year’ and ‘NFL Most Valuable Player’ the following season. After signing a $150 million, five-year extension with the Falcons, he recently became the NFL’s highest-paid athlete and the first quarterback to earn at least $30 million per year. In addition to football, he is an ardent golfer. He has participated in competitions like the American Century Golf Classic.
Youth and Early Life
Matthew Thomas Ryan was born on 17 May 1985 in Exton, Pennsylvania, to Irish-descended Roman Catholic parents Michael and Bernice Ryan. He is the middle sibling of four. He attended Philadelphia’s William Penn Charter School.
As a young football player, he performed admirably and received distinctions such as ‘All City First Team’ and ‘All City Second Team’ recognition. As a senior, he completed his high school tenure by throwing for over 1300 yards and nine touchdowns. Additionally, he was proficient in basketball and baseball.
Matt’s Academic Career
Matt Ryan enrolled at Boston collegiate in 2003 and made his college football debut in October 2004. He completed two passes for sixteen yards in his first game against the UMass Minutemen. He received the Freshman Male Scholar-Athlete Award the same year. He guided his college team to three consecutive bowl victories from 2005 to 2007.
During his college tenure, he received numerous awards, including the Manning Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and the Most Valuable Player award at the MPC Computers Bowl.
Matt’s Professional Profession
Matt Ryan was selected third overall by the Atlanta Falcons during the 2008 NFL Draft. He inked a six-year, $72 million contract. This made him the NFL’s fourth highest-paid quarterback. Approximately at the same time, he also signed endorsement deals with Nike and AirTran.
He was selected as the starting quarterback for the 2008 season opener against the Detroit Lions. He became the first Falcons rookie quarterback to begin a season since 2001. Michael Jenkins caught his first NFL touchdown pass, which he threw for 62 yards, after a strong performance in the game. This made him the first quarterback since Michael Bishop in 2000 to throw a touchdown pass on his first NFL pass.
In a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White, the longest of his career at the time. He completed passes to six different players the following week. He completed passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. In October, he was named the NFC Rookie of the Month, becoming the first Falcons athlete in franchise history to receive this honor.
He completed the season with over 3000 passing yards, becoming the first Falcons rookie quarterback in history to accomplish this feat. He was named the 2008 NFL Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie Team by the Associated Press. At the conclusion of the season, his comrades voted him “Offensive Captain” due to his performance.
During the 2009 season, he was injured and forced to miss several games. Despite this, he finished the season with 2916 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and an 80.9 quarterback rating. On the list of the NFL’s Top 100 Players of the Year, he was ranked as the 52nd-best player after a season in which he continued to perform admirably. Additionally, he was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl.
As his career progressed, he demonstrated that he was one of the greatest NFL players. In 2012, he was named to the Pro Bowl once again. He was also included on the 2013 NFL Top 100 Players list. He passed for 455 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions during the 2013 season. During the 2014 season, he earned the second-highest quarterback rating of his career. He completed passes totaling 4,694 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
He continued to perform well throughout the 2015 season, despite his team’s inability to qualify for the playoffs. His final season stats included 21 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. Ryan’s 2016 season was extremely significant, as he recorded a career-high 4944 yards and 38 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Even though the Falcons made it to the Super Bowl, they were defeated by the Patriots, 28-34.
In 2016, Ryan was dubbed the NFL Most Valuable Player and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his performance. He also won the Bert Bell Award. In 2017, he was recognized as one of the NFL’s Top 100 Players for his outstanding play during the previous season. In 2018, he signed a $150 million, five-year extension with the Falcons. This made him the NFL player with the highest salary in history.
Matt’s Personal Life
Sarah is the name of Matt Ryan’s wife. On April 8, 2018, she gave birth to twin sons named Marshall and John (Johnny). In addition to football, he is an avid golfer who participates in tournaments like the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic.
Estimated Net Worth
American football athlete Matt Ryan has a net worth of $70 million and earns $30 million annually. Ryan is best recognized for his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons. After a successful college tenure at Boston College, the team drafted him for the first time in 2008.