It's been quite a week for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, highlighted Monday as the star signal-caller arrived at Flowery Branch for a voluntary workout with his teammates before taking his talents to the links to raise more than $90,000 for the Aflac Cancer Center via his foundation's partnership with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).
"Everybody who is here in Atlanta knows just how impactful CHOA is," Ryan said. "I've been lucky enough to be involved with them really since I got down here, but with the golf tournament for the last five years. Money can go in a lot of different directions, but in my personal opinion, there is no better place for your money to go than to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta."
The way Ryan conducts himself in the offseason mirrors the approach he uses to handle his business in the regular season. Entering his eighth year in the league, Ryan is aware of everything that comes with the high-profile role, including big tasks like being fully prepared to lead his team, to the behind-the-scenes responsibilities such as offering radio and television crews with interviews to provide insightful broadcasts for fans.
Voluntary workouts began this week and members of the media had a chance to see the Falcons back at work Thursday morning. Head coach Dan Quinn, QB Matt Ryan and CB Desmond Trufant answered questions in a press conference.
NFL Media's Mike Mayock has served for years as a television analyst and recently highlighted one of the many reasons the Falcons have a "franchise quarterback."
"Matt Ryan is one of the guys that gets it," Mayock told 92.9 The Game this week.
"He understands that like Peyton Manning, like Tom Brady, they have a responsibility to television crews as they come through town every week, and as boring and typical as that may be, having to do it every week, every year, every time I sit down with Matt Ryan, I come away with, 'Man, why didn't I think of that?' — just the way he puts it, how he tells you about the game."
