Sports

Ari & Isaac’s Super Sporty Spotlight: Matt Ryan

Ari Shemesh and Isaac Shrader

May 3, 2024

Tom Pennington

On April 22, 2024, iconic player and seasoned veteran quarterback Matt Ryan announced his retirement after 15 seasons in the NFL. Matt Ryan signed a one day contract with the Atlanta Falcons in order to officially retire with the team that drafted him and played the largest part in making him the elite quarterback that he is known as today. Ryan will forever be loved by the city of Atlanta, and the entire National Football League, for the incredible impact he made on and off the field throughout his career, as well as for the insurmountable achievements he made along the way. While his career had its ups and downs, he undoubtedly made his mark on the league and became one of the best players in his position, so now that his retirement is official, let’s look back on the staple of Falcons football.

Despite the fact that it is not talked about nearly as much as many other famous NFL quarterbacks, Matt Ryan’s career is definitely one of the most notable in the league’s history. Throughout his career, Ryan racked up 62,792 passing yards and 381 passing touchdowns, with only 183 interceptions. Out of his 15 years in the NFL, Ryan spent 14 on the Atlanta Falcons, where he would become the franchise’s leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts, completions, passer rating and wins.

Although Matt Ryan experienced one of sports most iconic comebacks in Super Bowl 51, his overall season was not one which should be forgotten. In the 2016-2017 season, Ryan won the MVP award and the Bert Bell award, with 4,944 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, and a passer rating of 117, while only throwing seven touchdowns the entire year. In week four alone, Ryan set the franchise record with 503 passing yards in one game, 300 of which went to receiver Julio Jones, making them the first quarterback-receiver duo to do so. Additionally, he was the only quarterback in the league to throw a touchdown in every game of the season. As a result of his incredible accomplishments that season, it is widely considered to be one of the best quarterback seasons in NFL history.

In addition to his fantastic achievements in the game of football, Ryan has made a meaningful impact in his community throughout his career, and he uses much of his NFL success for good. In June of 2020, during the Black Lives Matter protests, Matt Ryan and his wife, Sarah, started “ATL: Advance The Lives”, which is a program based in Atlanta that seeks to provide opportunities to black youth in the city and contribute to their success by removing barriers put in place by systemic racism. This foundation partners with after school programs and community outreach in order to implement its mission. In addition to “ATL: Advance The Lives”, Ryan is also a partner in the “Believe & Achieve Foundation” which seeks to provide basic needs to struggling families in their community, while also working to teach them skills necessary to succeed in life. Overall, while being known as one of Atlanta’s most successful athletes, Ryan is also known for his charitable works and his deep love for the community that he calls home.

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It is safe to say that Matt Ryan had one of the best NFL careers of all time. However due to his philanthropic work, through his organizations and foundations, he will be remembered across the league as an example for years to come. Although he is officially retiring, Ryan’s career will be used as an inspiration for young players, both in the NFL and across the sports world.

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About the Contributors

Ari Shemesh, Reporter

Ari Shemesh, a senior at Adams, is excited to be back for his second year as a member of The Tower, and is eager to finally get back on the reporting grind. This year, Ari is hoping to spend more quality time with his friend David Nagy, amongst others (Isaac Shrader), while continuing to write for The Tower and learn valuable writing and reporting skills While his mornings are spent being an incredibly successful reporter, , Ari is starting his fourth year on the John Adams tennis team, where he dominates every afternoon. When given time to chill, Ari likes to play video games, watch movies, and watch or play sports with his family and friends. Furthermore, Ari enjoys spending his summers at an overnight camp, where this past summer break, he cleaned toilets and dishes for two months. Ari’s favorite classes in school are history and English; He is also a member of NHS, and spends time volunteering at the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley. Ari is very excited to start his final year as a reporter and a student at Adams. His one request this year is that you guys help him finish the year with more reads than Isaac Shrader.

Isaac Shrader, Reporter

Isaac Shrader, a senior at Adams, is in his second year as a sports reporter for the Tower and is ready to get back in on the action. Since a young age, Isaac has always had a passion for creating stories. He initially joined The Tower to explore new types of writing, as well as learn more about the world through a journalistic lens. Isaac values honesty and creativity in what he writes and hopes to grab the attention of a diverse group of readers through his articles, while also providing accurate, engaging information, particularly about sports. In addition to writing for the Tower, Isaac is captain of the John Adams Men’s Swim Team (which you should join if you want to be involved in the universally agreed upon best sport at John Adams High School) and a member of the National Honors Society. Isaac enjoys attending various sporting events at Adams, along with the fun sports culture that comes with it. Writing for The Tower has been a very rewarding experience for Isaac and he hopes to continue providing accurate news to the John Adams School Community. Isaac encourages Adams students to read The Tower because of the accurate, engaging information it provides. He hopes that students go to the sports page, where they will likely be able to read one of his articles. If you ever stumble across Isaac outside of school, he’ll likely be doing some of his favorite things such as listening to music, writing, hiking, watching sports, or spending time with friends and family. Isaac hopes to be able to share his creativity and knowledge with those who take the time to read his articles and asks that you help him have more reads this year than his fellow reporter, Ari Shemesh.