Matt Ryan Press Conference Transcript

Opening Statement…
"I am just very happy to be back here at BC. It is certainly a special weekend for myself and my family. It was great to be here over the summer for that press conference earlier prior to the season starting. To have some teammates there and to get that news and to celebrate with people but I am really looking forward to tomorrow, I think it is going to be a lot of fun. I am excited to be back for a game, it's been a while since I have been able to come back to campus for a game and with that I will open it up for questions."

On the vibe in the locker room while in the national picture in 2007…
"It was a lot of fun to be a part of that team. We had some great players, great wins and the vibe in the locker room is what you would expect – it was tight. We were a tight-knit group of guys. My fifth-year senior class had about 17 guys, which was the largest fifth-year class, so we had guys that had been around each other for a while. A group that put in a lot of hard work together and saw it come to life and it was awesome. Some of my best football memories are from that season and that team and it was fun to be a part of that."

On the idea of leaving early and how 2007 affected his stock…
"Well, I wasn't good enough to leave as a junior, I sent my stuff in and I was only a third- or fourth-round pick. I definitely felt like my stock rose my senior year but, in all honestly, I never really gave much thought to it. I am certainly happy with how things turned out for me."

On seeing the retired jerseys in Alumni Stadium as a player…
"We practice a lot in the stadium and I remember in summer conditioning and doing all those kinds of things and in the corner of the end zone on that left-hand side you would see those names and jerseys retired up top. You always hope you play well enough that it could happen but I never really sat there and thought about having my name up there with them. For me, I was more focused on just getting to start. Get the starting job and then after that you improve and help our team win games. Looking back now, it's surreal to think that tomorrow it will go up there and hopefully I will be able to bring back family members and show them at one point I was pretty good here. It is a really nice way for BC to honor me and I am humbled to be here to celebrate that this weekend."

On if the ACC prepared him for the NFL…
"I felt very well prepared when I left school and got to Atlanta. I think part of that were the defenses that we faced in the ACC. We were playing against professional players week in and week out. I remember one of the defensive lines we played my sophomore year from NC State had Mario Williams, who was the No. 1 overall pick, and Manny Lawson, who was a top-20 pick. Those were the type of players who you were going against. Certainty it prepared me for the type of players you are going against in the NFL. I felt that it was a great conference to play in. One of the big things that happened in my time here (at Boston College) was that my first two years, we were in the Big East and my last three years we were in the ACC. I felt like the level of talent in the ACC was through the roof and I felt like it was the right move for us at the time."

On his fondest memories of BC off the field…
"Some of my favorite memories have nothing to do with football. There are a lot of good times that I had here with teammates and friends. I met my wife here. That is probably the most important thing that happened during my five years here. When I come back, it's great to see all of the progress this place has made. One of the buildings I lived in does not exist anymore. Edmonds is down. It looks like some of the other ones I lived in are going to be down pretty soon too. But the construction here has been amazing. It has been cool to see how much this place has developed since I went here less than 10 years ago. I have a lot of great memories of nights in dorms with friends – a trip or two to MaryAnn's – just a lot of great memories.

On following the BC Football team as an alum…
"I watch every chance I get. Luckily, we get a lot of the games in Atlanta, which is good. The ACC Network games – BC has been on. It was great to see them play NC State and get the win. I was able to watch that game. I think all of the alums – all the guys who played here – follow. It's a part of who we are and a source of bragging rights at times in our locker room in Atlanta. I certainly follow and support the staff and the players as much as I can."

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