Rex Ryan shares memories of father Buddy: 'He was one tough sonofagun'
The football world lost legendary coach Buddy Ryan this week. The architect of the 1985 Chicago Bears' all-time great defense died at age 85.
Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan, one of Buddy's twin sons to coach in the NFL alongside brother Rob, shared memories of his father with The MMQB's Jenny Vrentas.
Ryan said he was surprised to hear his father had died, if only because Buddy had overcome so many previous health challenges with his typical tenacity.
"He had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease; all those bouts of cancer he has had; numerous strokes; congestive heart failure. He actually beat encephalitis before," Rex said. "He eventually just couldn't take it - I guess, with all that stuff piling up, it just got him. And you know what, the one thing that is amazing is, he couldn’t hear, he could barely talk at the end, his teeth were falling out from all the radiation, he broke his back like three different times - and he never complained one time. Not one time. He was one tough sonofagun."
Vrentas' piece also includes anecdotes about Buddy's experiences in the Korean War, whether the '84 Bears were actually better than the famed '85 Bears, and something called the "Cheeseburger Blitz." It's an excellent read.
Buddy Ryan's funeral will be held Friday.