Ryan excited to play in Canada again
Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan would like to kick the habit.
Ryan has yet to celebrate a victory at Rogers Centre, where the Seahawks are to oppose the Buffalo Bills in an NFL game on Sunday.
As a CIS rookie in 2000, Ryan played for the University of Regina Rams when they lost 43-39 to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Vanier Cup, which was played indoors in Toronto. In addition, Ryan was 0-for-2 at Rogers Centre as a member of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Nonetheless, the Reginaborn Ryan — a seventh-year NFLer — is looking forward to playing a game in his home country for the first time since Aug. 1, 2005, when the Toronto Argonauts defeated Winnipeg 34-27.
“I’m pretty excited about it,’’ Ryan said.
“When the schedule came out in May, they told me about it right away. I kind of had it circled on the calendar, because something I’ve always wanted to do is play an NFL game in Canada. It’s a bit of a dream come true.’’
Ryan’s personal cheering section will include approximately 15 members of his family, including his mother (Barb) and one of his sisters (Jill).
“It’s so cool to be playing in Canada but, at the same time, Toronto is 600 miles farther from Regina than Seattle is,’’ Ryan noted.
“It’s an extra 1,000 kilometres, really, so it’s not that close.’’
Ryan will be the lone Canadian player in the game, which is technically a Bills home date. Since 2008, the Bills have played one game per season in nearby Toronto.
That, too, is a bonus for Ryan. Instead of punting outdoors in Buffalo in midDecember, he will be able to enjoy the great indoors.
“It’s a great place to punt,’’ said Ryan, who is averaging 46.7 yards per punt this season, with a net of 41.7. “Whenever you get to punt in a dome, it’s a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to that part of it.’’
Ryan has spent the past few days looking forward, being that he has been inundated with inquiries from his teammates.
“The last two or three games, there have been nonstop questions, like ‘Where do I eat?’ and ‘What’s Toronto all about?’ ’’ he said. “I’ve been having a lot of fun with it.
“People are really expecting a lot of snow. I tell people that Toronto is a real melting pot with a lot of culture.’’
A culture change in Seattle has helped the Seahawks post an 8-5 record this season.
With three regular-season games remaining, the Seahawks have already posted their highest victory total since Ryan joined the team in 2008. The Seahawks were 7-9 in each of the past two seasons.
“I think we’re finally starting to see some of the fruits of our labour,’’ said Ryan, who spent his first two NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers. “I’ve been here with this new staff (led by head coach Pete Carroll) for three years, and I can really feel a build over the last two years, working into this year. I knew that eventually it had to hit where everything started to come together, and it definitely has this year.
“For this team, it sounds like a cliche but the sky’s the limit. If we keep on doing what we’re doing, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and we’re going to maybe get into the playoffs and surprise.’’
One of the surprises has been rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, who has made a smooth transition to the NFL.
“The way we’re going, we might not surprise some people,’’ Ryan said. “We’re really not the big underdogs anymore.
“The quarterback situation has been fantastic. Russell has been unbelievable, kind of far exceeding everyone’s expectations of what he was going to do in his first year. It’s one of those things where he has done so well, and it couldn’t happen to a better guy.’’