Chester County’s Ryan family was bred to play football, but Atlanta Falcons star quarterback Matt Ryan has largely flown under the media radar — until now.

“He has two brothers that were college quarterbacks,” Roger Groves wrote in a Forbes commentary. “His first cousin is a 6-foot-7, 310-pound left tackle for Notre Dame who some predict may be a first-round draft pick. Then there’s Uncle John (Loughery). He played for Boston College, an inspiration for Matty Ice to do the same.”

In addition to the family influence, the Exton native learned the game from the Downingtown Young Whippets and Marsh Creek Eagles.

“Ryan was not highly recruited coming out of high school,” Groves explained. “He was obscured by his zip code, attending not-so-highly-regarded (from a football perspective) William Penn Charter School. To assure relative anonymity, the football team ran a triple-option offense that threw the ball as often as politicians become priests.”

But now, as the darling underdog, “Ryan will receive more public attention than he has ever experienced. Yet bred to be low-keyed, he will likely be the prince that charms NFL fans and media.”

Read more about the making of Matt Ryan in Forbes here.

Top photo credit: 55thstreet Matt Ryan via photopin (license)