Skip to content
Eagles
Link copied to clipboard

Buddy Ryan was 85, not 82

WHEN FORMER Eagles coach Buddy Ryan passed away Tuesday, initial reports listed his age as 82. Among those was a press release from the Eagles. But Ryan was really 85, his longtime agent and executor Jim Solano later confirmed.

"Buddy Ryan was born on Feb. 17, 1931," Solano said. "There are two stories about why it was always listed wrong; I don't know which one is true. Either the Jets just got it wrong when they hired him (in 1968), or Buddy told them the wrong date because he wanted them to think he was younger" as a first-time NFL assistant, who would have been about to turn 37.

"This wasn't an issue until he filed for social security" and had to provide documentation, Solano said.

Ryan always did relish a little controversy, so this seems fitting.