Buddy Ryan, the mind behind one of the best defences in the history of the National Football League, passed away on Tuesday.
Ryan's agent confirmed that he had been involved in a long battle with cancer, and had passed away at the age of 82.
As part of the Chicago Bears coaching staff, he created a defence which took the team to victory in Super Bowl XX, breaking records along the way with their dominance.
Buddy Ryan's 1985 Bears D scored more points than it allowed in the postseason. Two defensive TDs and a safety, only allowed 10 points.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) June 28, 2016
Ryan's two sons, Rex and Rob, both followed in their father's footsteps and entered the game as coaches, who now work together as head coach and defensive coordinator at the Buffalo Bills.
RIP coach Buddy Ryan. I had the privilege of playing for both his sons. #85BEARSd pic.twitter.com/vNeOJ3O0YL
— Braylon Edwards (@OfficialBraylon) 28 June 2016
Speaking on ESPN radio on Tuesday morning after learning of Ryan's death, head coach of that Super Bowl winning side, Mike Ditka, said "the '85 Bears wouldn't have been the '85 Bears without Buddy Ryan. The players absolutely loved him."
Right behind Mike Ditka, the 85 Bears made sure to carry Buddy Ryan off the field after winning the Super Bowl #rip pic.twitter.com/eZLwHkpcjG
— Michele Steele (@ESPNMichele) 28 June 2016
Noting that the two didn't always get along, Ditka said there was a lot of respect between them, which was part of their dynamic: "We had our differences, but they were never anything that could have gotten in the way of the football team [...] what he did defensively worked, it couldn't work for anybody else."
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