The Ice Man Cometh

Former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan addressed media, alumni, staff and former teammates before a packed house in the Yawkey Athletics Center Wednesday, a day after BC announced it would retire the jerseys of Ryan and former linebacker Luke Kuechly this fall.

"I don't think I would have ever anticipated coming back for an event like this," Ryan said, in his typical humble fashion. "I always feel really good coming back to campus. Today is a little bit different. I was beyond overwhelmed. I never thought this would happen, really."

For many others in the room, however, Ryan's jersey retirement was a no-brainer. Few players in Boston College football history have made a bigger impact on and off the field as "Matty Ice." His football credentials would qualify any athlete for enshrinement; Manning Award winner, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, ACC Player of the Year. His senior season, he led the Eagles to an 8-0 start and a No. 2 national ranking en route to their first-ever appearance in the ACC Championship Game. He was selected third overall in the NFL draft, becoming BC's highest draft pick ever – in any sport.

Yet those who surrounded him during his years as a Boston College student-athlete remember him for simpler things that were still on display as he arrived in the Yawkey Center today. He took time to say hello to every old friend, pose for every selfie and talk to every media member who approached him. Following the press conference, Ryan and former teammates Jamie Silva and Gosder Cherilus spoke to the current team, then shook every hand before Ryan was whisked away for lunch with BC President William P. Leahy.

"In the long history of Boston College Athletics, this happens rarely," Athletics Director Brad Bates said in introducing Ryan. "Matt Ryan and Luke Kuechly are extraordinary athletes. They're even better people."

Ryan thanked his teammates, saying "I happened to be surrounded by the best in the country. None of it would have been possible without them." He also gave a nod to fellow honoree Kuechly, saying "he's as good as it gets; I hate playing against him (in the NFL)."

Kuechly's jersey will be retired at the Eagles' October 22 game against Syracuse, while Ryan will be honored at the November 19 game against Connecticut.

Kuechly is the most decorated defensive player in BC football history, sweeping every major postseason award and etching his name into the record books in only three seasons. He was the recipient of the Dick Butkus Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award and is BC's only two-time consensus first-team All-America selection. He, too, has been lauded for his character off the field, which was exemplified when he returned to the BC campus after his first year in the NFL to finish his Boston College degree.

Previously, Boston College has retired the numbers of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Doug Flutie and Outland Trophy winner Mike Ruth and the jerseys of eight other standouts: Art Donovan, Bill Flynn, Gene Goodreault, Mike Holovak, Lou Montgomery, Charles O'Rourke, Tony Thurman and Louis Urban.

(7/6/2016) Matt Ryan Jersey Retirement Press Event

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