Larger than life Ryan losing weight but not humor

By Simon Evans

"I probably should have had it done about 20 years ago. I thought about it, I kept chickening out. I could always lose weight and then I would go right back," said Ryan, who weighed in at 348 pounds (158kg) at the end of the season.

"I saw a lot of me. That is why I had that surgery," he said, while making clear that he had not suffered any real adverse affects of his obesity.

"I'm healthy - every time I would have a physical, my doctor would say the same thing 'you look great... on paper'. Cholesterol, blood pressure all that kind of jazz was OK.

"But realistically they also told me - 'you've got to lose the weight' - or eventually it can lead to diabetes, it can lead to higher blood pressure, all these different things.

"One thing I know - how many over 50 guys do you see that are 350 pounds, walking this earth? You don't see many of them," he said.

It was family that motivated Ryan to undergo the surgery which drastically reduces stomach capacity.

"I want to see my kids grow older, I want to see my grandkids to go to their games, just like any other parent would want to do.

"I've lost 25 pounds in a little over a week since the surgery. You have to learn to eat like a human, chew your food, small portions.

"When I get down to 200 pounds I am going to challenge (quarterback Mark) Sanchez and these other guys for the GQ editions," he said.

VERBAL JOUSTING

Ryan may be losing weight but he is not in danger of losing his knockabout sense of humor or his ability to treat the NFL's rivalries with the passion of a fan.

The past season saw plenty of verbal jousting between the Jets and divisional rivals, the New England Patriots but Ryan does not see any problem in such talk.

Ryan was fined $50,000 in January when he was photographed making a one fingered gesture at a Miami Dolphins fan who had taunted him at a UFC fight.

"It was a foolish mistake on my part. I just have to be above that kind of stuff. I was above punching the dude in the face but I've just got be above the other part," he said.

It may well be a different looking Ryan on the sidelines on Sundays next season but his aim remains the same.

"You look back, we did have a good season but we didn't reach our goal - which is to win the Super Bowl, that's our only goal."

The Jets reached the AFC championship game but lost 30-17 to the Indianapolis Colts.

(Editing by Justin Palmer)