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Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan says he was cut by three different WHL teams
Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan may be one of the best at his craft in the NFL, but he revealed earlier this week that he’s also a three-time Western Hockey League reject.
Punters don’t get much time in the spotlight, but the 32-year-old Regina native briefly became a sensation on Monday when he ran for a key first-down as the holder on a fake field goal attempt. The Seahawks eventually scored a touchdown on the drive and beat Washington 27-17.
Twitter love rolled in for Ryan’s heroics, including an offer by Seattle Thunderbirds public address announcer Tom Helm to have Ryan attend a WHL game.
It turns out the Ryan is quite familiar with the league, and claims to have been cut by three WHL teams as a young goaltender:
According to an interview Ryan did with QMI Agency in January, he gave up hockey for good after being cut by the Wheat Kings:
“I played hockey until I was 17. Midget Triple-A. Travelled all over Saskatchewan, anyway. It kind of ran it course. I tried out for, I think, three different WHL teams when I was 16, 17, 18. ... I haven’t even put on skates in probably 12, 13 years. When I was 18 I tried out for the Brandon Wheat Kings and I was cut. After that I said, ‘I’m done. I’m sticking with football.’ And it’s worked out well for me.”
Ryan attended the University of Regina and was a wide receiver as well as the punter for the Rams. He started his pro career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving on the NFL in 2006. He's been with the Seahawks since 2008.
After seeing that their local rivals had extended an invitation to Ryan, the Everett Silvertips eventually got in on the Twitter conversation and asked Ryan to attend a game in Everett, which is about 25 miles north of Seattle (the Thunderbirds play 20 miles south of Seattle in Kent).
For a guy who was once discarded by a trio of WHL teams, Ryan is now the focus of a local arms race. Which of the two rivals WHL clubs will get him to drop a ceremonial puck first?
Ryan isn’t the first successful athlete in another sport to have a WHL connection. Former American League MVP Justin Morneau played in two preseasons as a goaltender for the Portland Winterhawks in the late 1990s, while fellow baseball player Nyjer Morgan appeared in seven regular-season games for the Regina Pats in 1999-2000.
Scott Sepich is a WHL correspondent for Buzzing the Net. Follow him on Twitter @ssepich. (stick tap to @TBirdsTidbits for the Twitter exchange)
