June 28, 201610 yr Yes he was. And the originator of that Ryan Family charm. I always liked Buddy Ryan.
June 28, 201610 yr The Eagles held their preseason summer camp where I went to college while Buddy was the HC. Lots of great players on that team....Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Randall Cunningham. They were a lot of fun to watch, and Buddy was a big reason why. My friends and I spent many hours watching the Eagles practice.
June 28, 201610 yr I've had the privilege of meeting Buddy several times. Very interesting guy, always a big fan both personally and as a coach. Prayers to the family.
June 30, 201610 yr Always seemed like the kind of guy that would tell you what he thought and didn't care what you thought about it. Lots of stories about him and Ditka challenging each other to fight during the Bears days and we all know he was going to pound Gilbride into corn meal. One tough old dude.
June 30, 201610 yr Did not know he lived in Shelbyville, Ky. He has lived in Ky a long time and had a thoroughbred farm. Here is an article talking about his fight with cancer. Mark Story: Facing cancer, Buddy Ryan remains a fighter | Lexington Herald-Leader Adopting Kentucky An Oklahoma native, Ryan developed an affinity for the commonwealth of Kentucky during his days as a Jets assistant. He eventually bought a horse farm in Anderson County. "I bought the place in '76 when I was coaching with the (Minnesota) Vikings," he said. "The reason I bought in Kentucky, I was living in New York and coaching with the Jets, and I'd drive home through Kentucky to Oklahoma, particularly during the month of June which we got off (from work). "We were looking for a place to retire. I said, What about the San Francisco area?' But my wife liked Kentucky. And I did, too. So I bought a home and a farm here. Even when we weren't living here, it felt like home." In recent years, Buddy has moved from Anderson County to Shelbyville. He did that, in part, to be closer to his wife, Joanie. She suffers from Alzheimer's and is in a facility in Louisville designed to care for those who suffer from that ailment. "A terrible disease," Ryan says, "just terrible."
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