Logan Ryan Brings His Jersey-Tough Work Ethic to Giants
New York Giants defensive back Logan Ryan was so excited to get to work with the Giants that begged for an iPad literally before the ink dried on his contract to get to work studying the defensive scheme. He laid out his clothes the night before reporting to his new team Monday, showing up at least three hours before players were supposed to report to work Monday.
Ryan, who grew up in New Jersey and played his college ball at Rutgers, has come home to help bolster a young Giants defensive secondary that, outside of James Bradberry, lacks a solid resume.
Although he wouldn’t say how he’d be contributing to the defensive system, calling that “a G-5 classified, team-first, Joe-Judge-will-tell-you-later” answer, Judge noted that Ryan has the skill set that will allow defensive coordinator Patrick Graham optimal flexibility in how he sets up the defense.
“He’s going to play a variety of roles for us, so if I gave you one answer right there, I’d be lying,” Judge said when asked if Ryan was a cornerback or safety.
“One of his strengths really is versatility. We’re going to play him in different packages all over the field. Really, having a guy like that allows you to play other guys in fewer positions because he can handle a lot of the multiples while these guys are learning the system.”
Ryan also has that Jersey-tough work ethic that Judge has often spoken about wanting to see in his players, whom he wants to represent the tri-state area.
For Ryan, that attitude is something he grew up with as a young boy who played his high school ball at Eastern Regional in Vorhees, New Jersey as a quarterback, and his college ball at Rutgers, where he moved to the defensive side of the ball.
“I think Logan’s a guy who comes to work every day with the right demeanor,” head coach Joe Judge said about Ryan last week.
“He’s a smart guy that plays tough on the field. He’s a player that I noticed through my time with him and then also my time away competing against him that he’s a guy that really improves from year to year.”
One of Ryan’s intangibles is his work ethic. For all he’s accomplished, Ryan is always looking to up the ante in his game.
“I'm just a hard-working kid,” Ryan said when asked what he could contribute toward the representation Judge wants to see. “I was raised that way. I went to Rutgers. I'm in New Jersey, and we worked hard for every win and every loss.
“I got drafted in the third round by New England, and I wasn't guaranteed a dang thing, so I worked hard every single day. When you're 20, 21 years old, and leaving Rutgers a junior, and you get on the practice field with Tom Brady a few months later, you have to grow up quickly.
“I had to take those losses against Tom Brady and that really grew me up. My career has been going by in a flash—eight years in, but I feel I got a lot of great football left in me. I'm just a guy with an average ability who works really hard at it.”
That hard work will continue with the Giants, where it already started.
“I've been studying film about 20 hours a day, a variety of positions,” Ryan said, adding that he only took a short break to see his mother before diving right back into the film on his team-issued iPad.
“My wife and kids are back home in Nashville and I'm up here by myself. I have nothing to do, go watch a ton of film and start preparing for the Steelers, so a lack of film (study) won't be an issue for me. I'm going to do everything I can, preparation wise. Luckily, I played for Pat Graham and I played for Joe Judge before, so it's a system that I'm familiar with.”
And one that given his versatility, the Giants hope he’ll help get started on the right foot.
