Ryan eagerly awaits his 'job interview'
by MATT RYAN, as told to JAY GLAZER, FOXSports.com
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| BC quarterback Matt Ryan: "Instead of wearing a suit, tie and dress shoes inside somebody's corporate headquarters, I'll have shorts, cleats, a football and the field will be my board room." (Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images) |
I have the biggest job interview of my life on Tuesday. That's how I'm viewing my personal Pro Day — the day I have set to showcase my skills and talent up close and personal for every team, coach, scout and GM who wishes to attend. But it's not just a workout ... it's an interview for the biggest job of my life.
Instead of wearing a suit, tie and dress shoes inside somebody's corporate headquarters, I'll have shorts, cleats and a football and the field will be my board room.
I've been waiting and working my whole life for this job interview. Instead of presenting a resume, I'm going to present all the different throws I can make. I can't tell you how jacked up I am to throw in front of people who have the power to hire me.
Remember in my last diary column I wrote that I decided not to throw at the Scouting Combine, waiting instead for my pro day? Well, what I didn't realize at the time was how much watching the other guys throw that day would affect me. I don't regret my decision to not throw in the least but since then I've been Jonesing to throw, chomping at the bit to showcase what I can do. I saw the other guys do it and since then my competitive juices have been flowing while waiting to let it rip.
I flew into Boston on Thursday and will work out with my guys Friday, Saturday and Sunday before taking off on Monday. At this point, it's all about making sure that everything leads to optimum levels on Tuesday.
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But these next few days are the least of my preparation for next week. I've been thinking about Tuesday for months.
You know how as a little kid you'd go outside by yourself but in your mind take a snap in front of thousands and throw the winning pass in a huge game? As you get older, you don't really lose that. I still have those dreams but they have shifted a bit.
I've been working out for months in Arizona at API (Athletes Performance Institute) going through my drills and I'll envision I'm making these throws in front of the Dolphins, Falcons, Ravens and Chiefs. I'm dropping back and making the perfect throw in front of a bunch of coaches and scouts. Just writing about it right now it's hard to hold back my excitement.
I've been working my butt off for this day and actually for the start of my pro career. For the last three months I've worked with two specialists, throwing and working out with them five days a week. I work with a quarterbacks coach named Mike Kruczek (former Arizona Cardinals QB coach and offensive coordinator as well as a former All-American QB at my alma mater) and my trainer Ken Croner a few times a day. I know I can make any throw in any situation but we've taken some advanced steps to strengthen my game even more.
Ken has this pretty cool bungee cord he connects to me that allows him to pull me in different directions during my drop-back and throws. The honest truth is you'll never in a game be able to drop back and throw a ball the way you do in the yard or in practice. Instead, you're throwing rushed, pushed, pulled, falling, leaning, stepping in all different directions. Ken uses these cords to pull me from a variety of angles with different force to strengthen my core, footwork, throwing motion and transition while simulating being sacked, chased, banged around or hurried.
Compared to the work with Ken and Mike, my Pro Day should be a breeze. As for the day itself, I'm looking at it as a job interview but preparing for it as if it's a game. I'm looking to get those same nervous jitters I get the night before the game, the same feeling I have on game day. I've been doing it for so long that I like that nervous energy and use it to my advantage.
Right now I have a meeting set up with David Lee, the Dolphins quarterbacks coach, before my workout and my agents have told me that several teams will likely want to talk with me after I throw. I'm looking forward to tackling the day, looking forward to nailing my job interview. I'm looking forward to following through with what I've visualized for all these days.
But most of all, I'm looking forward to when it ends, when my dad and other family and friends and I can go and hit the Union Street Bar and Grill in Newton Centre to celebrate the biggest job interview of my life.
I can visualize any football situation but Tuesday night should have no comparison. I'm really close with my dad so sitting there with him when it's all over and all the scouts and coaches have cleared out, that's one thing I really can't visualize how great it's going to be.
In a week or so, I'll tell you all how it went.
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