Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Ryan has become defensive line force for Rams

He's been one of the few bright spots on defense

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Clifton Ryan plays a position where it's easy to go unnoticed.

Defensive tackles, and in particular nose tackles like Ryan, do the grunt work.

They bang bodies with other 300-pound behemoths on every play.

They fill space so opposing running backs have no holes to run through, they tie up blockers so the linebackers can run unimpeded to make tackles.

"He is one of those guys that gets in there and battles every day on the interior line," Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole said of the 6-foot-3, 324-pound Ryan. "It is not a pretty position. You don't get a lot of credit sometimes when you are playing well because it is a position that kind of gets lost sometimes. There is nothing glamorous about the defensive tackle position, but he has done a nice job for us and hopefully he'll continue to get better."

Ryan, a fifth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, is having a breakout season for the winless Rams (0-6).

"I guess you could say that from an individual standpoint, but I want some wins," Ryan said. "I would trade any personal accolades for a couple of victories. As far as individual performance goes, a lot of credit goes to my teammates for pushing me and helping me get better week-in and week-out, and my coaching staff for keeping me accountable. I just want to be consistent. I am not trying to be a superstar or anything. I just want to fit in this system and keep on doing what I am doing right now."

Ryan's performance can't be truly measured in his statistics. He has fairly modest totals -- 21 tackles, a sack and a pass defended this season -- but rookie middle linebacker James Laurinaitis wouldn't have racked up a team-high 59 tackles if Ryan wasn't doing his job.

"Clif may not have been playing in the league a long time, but he seems like a seasoned veteran," Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "He gets in there, he battles, and he's vocal. He is one of those guys that show up every day in practices and those are the kind of guys you like."

Ryan said the difference between this season and his first two seasons in the NFL is maturity.

"I had to learn how to be a pro," Ryan said. "When I first got here, I had no idea how to prepare each and every week. I've been around Leonard, James Hall, Hollis (Thomas) his short period here, Corey Chavous, Torry Holt -- those guys prepared to be able to play like this," Ryan said. "Every week you have to take pride in your job and take pride in what you put on the field. To me it's just maturity in preparation week-in and week-out."

Ryan is both a student and a fan of the game. He studies each opponent in detail every week and he watches film of other NFL defensive tackles like Minnesota's Pat Williams, Green Bay's Ryan Pickett, San Diego's Jamal Williams and New England's Vince Wolfork looking for ways to improve his game.

"To be involved in something, you have to know your opponent," Ryan said. "You have to know other guys you are competing with at your position. I never know if I'm going to need a job again.

"I have to know the best at my position, so I can be on their level or above their level so I can stay in this business for a long time. I love this game. I take pride in my work. You should know the ins and outs of what you are involved in."

Ryan said he is looking forward to playing against quarterback Peyton Manning and the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts (5-0) this Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.

"Honestly, this is a dream come true playing against Peyton Manning, a guy that I have watched since I was 10 or 11 years old when he was at Tennessee," Ryan said. "That's why you play the game, to play guys like this. They have two Hall of Famers on their roster in my opinion, Peyton on offense and (defensive end) Dwight (Freeney) on defense."