‘It’s been quite the ride’: Jon Ryan retiring from football

After an 18-year professional football career, Jon Ryan is hanging up the cleats.

“It’s been quite the ride. I look back now and it all seems like a dream. I still can’t quite believe it all happened the way it did,” the 41-year-old punter told The Green Zone on Thursday.

While Ryan’s career saw him reach the top of the mountain while in the NFL and a stint with his hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders, it all began in Regina.

Growing up, Ryan spent hours playing football on the fields in the Queen City and pretending to be his favourite players.

“It just depends on the year,” Ryan said. “It was always a Saskatchewan Roughrider, whether it be (receiver) Ray Elgaard or (quarterback) Kent Austin or (centre) Bob Poley. Not so much Bob Poley, but I wanted to give him a shout-out. It was always a receiver or a quarterback. When I was kicking, I was always Dave Ridgway.”

Ryan played football for the Sheldon-Williams Spartans in high school and then continued on to play as a receiver/kicker hybrid for the University of Regina Rams.

Saskatchewan Roughriders punter Jon Ryan. (File photo courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders)

After spending years in the seats at Taylor Field cheering on the Riders, he got a chance to play on that very field as well.

“It meant more in high school to be able to play actual tackle football on there and play on the Rams. I think it was always special for me as a guy growing up in Regina and having season tickets for the Riders since 1990 and to be able to play on the same field as my heroes, it was always special for me,” Ryan said.

When the 2004 CFL draft came around, it wasn’t the Riders who ended up selecting him. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers drafted him in the third round (24th overall).

“I just wanted a chance to play pro football. I would have played for anyone who gave me the opportunity,” Ryan said. “It would have been great to play for the hometown team. I always owe it to (Winnipeg) for giving me that opportunity.”

After the 2005 season — and after leading the CFL with a 50.6-yard punting average — Ryan attempted to head down south and join an NFL team.

“It was surreal. Leaving the CFL, I was going to do everything I could to make the NFL,” Ryan said. “Right after my last game in the CFL, I moved to a Motel 6 in Phoenix, Arizona. I could kick every day by myself, so when I started to get those workouts in the NFL, I wanted to take advantage of that opportunity. Most guys never get that opportunity so I knew that when I got in there, I had to make the best of it.”

The decision ended up being a good one, with the Green Bay Packers signing him to a contract.

“You kind of have to pinch yourself a little bit and try not to be too much of a geek and get a little starstruck, but it was tough,” Ryan said.

During his time in Green Bay, he was able to get his dad Bob — who was stricken with cancer — to a game in 2006. Bob died later that year.

“That was definitely one of the great memories of my career. This guy drove me to practice, whether it be lacrosse, hockey (or) football practice. Not only would he drive me but he would stand there and watch the entire practice day after day after day. He never missed a game and almost never missed a practice,” Jon said.

“It’s one of my fondest memories and (I’m) just so glad my family got to come watch me play one time.”

During the 2007 season, Ryan was cut by the Packers but signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2008. After the 2009 season, Ryan signed a six-year, $9.1-million contract with the club.

“They offered me a contract that changed my life. It was really nice to be in that organization,” Ryan said.

After a few years there, the team finally reached the top of the NFL with a 43-8 Super Bowl XLVIII win over the Denver Broncos on Feb. 2, 2014.

Jon Ryan posing with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2014. (Jon Ryan/Twitter)

“At that point in my career I had already been in the pro football ranks for (a number) of years but we had so many young guys who didn’t really realize what was going on and I kind of realized that was the golden age of Seattle football and I really embraced it all,” Ryan said.

“That run that we had together, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world because it was so special.”

In August 2018, Ryan was released by Seattle and spent a few days with the Buffalo Bills.

After sitting out the rest of the 2018 season, he chose to finally live out a childhood dream in 2019 and sign with the Riders.

“There was a number of reasons and No. 1 was just my love for football. I wanted to play as long as I could and I wasn’t ready to be done yet. Growing up in Regina and being the biggest Rider fan, it was a dream of mine to put on the green and white,” Ryan said.

“When that opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t pass it up. I was just so happy to come home and play in front of my nieces and nephews — I have 12 of them in Regina — my three siblings and my mom. For them to be able to come to every game was pretty cool.”

Ryan spent two seasons with the Riders but wasn’t re-signed for the 2022 season. He signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but was traded to the Edmonton Elks. He played his final game on Oct. 21.

While football has always been his love, he doesn’t foresee himself coaching — at least not yet.

He is a part-owner of baseball’s Portland Pickles and Cleburne Railroaders.

“There’s nothing right now (in terms of coaching),” Ryan said. “I have some other business interests with my baseball stuff that I’ve already stepped into. For now, I’m just going to move on with the baseball world I’ve created in the last five or six years.

“I’ll still be watching football and I’ll still be a huge football fan.”