New Patriots CB Logan Ryan Joins Gresh & Zo
BOSTON (CBS) - One of the newest members of the New England Patriots, cornerback Logan Ryan out of Rutgers, joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Gresh & Zolak on Saturday, excited to get his NFL career started.
"I'm a student of the game; a perfect fit for the Patriots," Ryan, the 83rd overall pick in the draft, told Gresh & Zo. "I'm a guy who is going to go out there and do what I need to do to win games. I'm a corner who is physical; I'm able to tackle in space and play press man-to-man in zone coverage. I love the game of football and have great expectations for myself and the team. I just want to come in and help contribute; be a part of this great organization."
"At Rutgers there was one thing about me and a lot of the players; you have to love football to play there and you have to love football to be a New England Patriot. I love football and I want to be the best player to play," he said confidently. "If you love something you're going to sacrifice for it, and that's something we've done. We learned how to sacrifice and take time away to study film, how to come early to practice and stay late, get those extra lifts in and do all those extra things people aren't willing to do to win championships and win games. That's something we were taught at Rutgers and something I took into my own hands, not just on the football field but in life; how to be a constant professional and do what it takes to be special. That's something that, I feel, a lot of Rutgers people possess."
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"I just want to do my job," he said. "I told the coaching staff that I'm a guy who knows what my job is, whatever that may be. Whatever they ask me to do, I'm going to prepare for and do my job. That's going to help my team win."
Ryan shares a special relationship with Patriots safety Devin McCourty, also a Rutgers alum, who mentored him in his freshman year.
"I can't say enough good things about him," Ryan said of McCourty. "He's been great to the organization so a lot people know about him, but me and Devin have a very personal relationship. I came in as a highly recruited corner, and Devin was the man. He accepted me, and we were roommates in camp. We would room together and he would teach me the defense and I would just watch him in practice. I ended up red-shirting but I learned so much; he taught me how to watch film and how to be a dominant player."
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"I kind of followed in his footsteps playing that boundary corner spot that he played and got to do a lot of great things there. I have to give so much credit to Devin and how he matured me at the age of 18. Now I'm, grown up and a man on my own and I look forward to playing alongside Devin. Just having him there as a support system and as a friend, and still a role model to this day, I can't think of anyone better I want to play with than Devin McCourty."
The Patriots also selected Rutgers safety Duron Harmon on Friday night, and while there isn't much known about the 91st pick in the draft, Ryan says New England got a solid defender.
"I think it's a great situation for both of us," said Ryan "He's a great player that is always going to get better. You see him and he's a physical freak. He's great in the weight room, but he's a smart player that will always have your back. He's not going to leave you hanging out there. I think he's going to be a great Patriot also."
