Rex's book - Ingles

Rex Ryan has extended his general approach — open, blunt, direct and in some instances offensive — from the spoken word to the written one. In his book, “Play Like You Mean It,” Ryan produced an inside look of his first two years as the Jets’ coach and, perhaps fittingly, managed to spark the same reactions.

Some found the book insightful. Others found it refreshing. Still others, particularly the former players Ryan criticized and the crosstown rival Giants that Ryan tweaked, found it typical, and not in a positive sense.

Ryan discussed the book Monday with the Jets’ beat reporters. The meeting came before he appeared on the “Late Show With David Letterman” and after he made a cameo on “CSI: New York.” Ryan spent much of the meeting clarifying sections of the book, even explaining why he chose to write it.

To critics of his outspoken style, Ryan said: “I’ll say this; get used to it. Because the best is yet to come. I just think it’s our time.”

There remained only one subject Ryan refused to address, the foot fetish videos discovered late last season that starred a woman who bore a close resemblance to Ryan’s wife. Ryan always addressed the topic as a personal matter, which is how he handled the subject in his book.

Ryan did say that Wes Welker, the Patriots receiver who made several references to feet during a news conference before the Jets-New England game, apologized to Ryan and his wife at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Ryan said he accepted the apology.

“I never talked about it then,” Ryan said. “And I’m not going to talk about it now.”

Among other highlights: Ryan wrote that he considered New York a Jets town, not a Giants one. He even called the Jets the big brother of their crosstown rivals, who won the Super Bowl three seasons ago. This drew rebukes from the Giants, including defensive end Justin Tuck, who erroneously stated Ryan had never won a Super Bowl. (He did as an assistant with the Ravens.)

On Monday, Ryan called Tuck a “fine young man” and a “great player.” But Ryan also said: “When I say something, I believe it. The facts are we played better than the Giants the last two years. Those are the facts.”

In the book, Ryan was particularly critical of the former Jets safety Kerry Rhodes, now with Arizona, and defensive end Vernon Gholston, who was released this off-season. Ryan reiterated Monday that he told the former Jets coach Eric Mangini not to draft Gholston, whose combine workout Ryan considered “phony.”

Ryan said that he did not consider Gholston phony and that Gholston improved during his tenure. But, Ryan added, “When you look at the combine he put up, it wasn’t what you saw on tape.”

Ryan said that Rhodes could win defensive player of the year honors if he played to his potential.

Instead, Ryan said that Rhodes took offense to the amount of responsibility Ryan handed to Jim Leonhard, who came with Ryan from Baltimore.

“I don’t think Kerry gave it to us,” Ryan said.

“I always say it. Guys can play in the N.F.L. They just can’t play for the Jets.”

Ryan also said his father, Buddy, recently had surgery for an undisclosed type of cancer and was out of intensive care. Ryan said that he tried to read parts of the book to his father, who could not stay awake. Ryan gave his father the first copy of the book and dedicated it to him.

With the lockout back on, Ryan has scheduled some book signings. But really, he wants to get back into coaching football. As for his style, Ryan said: “I know it rubs people the wrong way. But I said I’d be true to myself. This is how I think.” (source New York Times)