Atlanta Falcons quarterback and Exton native Matt Ryan is ready for a homecoming in the form of a Sunday showdown against the NFL team he grew up cheering for: the Philadelphia Eagles.
“It’s a crazy sports town,” said Ryan, who graduated from Saints Philip and James in Exton and Penn Charter in Philadelphia. “They are very loyal fans. They’re tough fans. It’s a brutal place to go in and play as an opposing team. They’re probably harder on their own than they are on the opposing teams coming in. It’s a tough place to play. I know that firsthand.”
Ryan is having a career year in his ninth season out of Boston College. The MVP frontrunner leads the league in passing yards (2,980), touchdowns (23), and yards per completion (13.7) for a team that is 6-3.
“I don’t think anybody growing up in that area is a fan of anything other than Philadelphia sports,” Ryan said. “They’ve got some pretty passionate fans. I grew up pulling for the Eagles and Phillies and Flyers and Sixers.
“Donovan McNabb was the guy, man.”
Eagles coach Doug Pederson knows his team, which has lost four of its last five games, will have its hands full on Sunday.
“I think Matt is taking care of the football, and he’s just letting the game come to him,” Pederson said of Ryan. “He’s not pressing any issues. He’s an accurate passer. He’s big and tall and strong in the pocket, and he’s just utilizing the strength of his offense.”
