National Football League

Report: Rex Ryan once went to jail for fighting with brother Rob

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:47 a.m. ET

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James Parziale

Buddy Ryan once threw a punch on the sidelines at Kevin Gilbride. It's safe to say the apples don't fall far from the tree.

New Bills coach Rex Ryan and his twin brother Rob, defensive coordinator for Saints, have always proclaimed to be very close. Though they've never coached together, their relationship has always been something that's intrigued NFL fans since their father was the famed inventor of the 46 defense and helped lead the Bears to their only Super Bowl win in 1985.

Well, in a fantastically crafted piece by the Buffalo News, we learn a little something about the Ryan twins.

Check out this choice excerpt about a time when Rex "ended up in jail after he broke Rob's nose" over a disagreement the two had that started as a bit of a brotherly brawl. It came several days before the Bears romped over the Patriots, 46-10, to cap an 18-1 season in January 1986.

They were students at Southwestern Oklahoma State. Rob wanted to take a lady on a date and needed Rex to be his wingman. Rex wasn't down for the mission because he'd already met Micki, the woman he would marry.

Rob: "I was a solo rider and had a babe on the line. But she had a friend. I said, 'You know, come on. Be a team player.'"

Rex: "I said, 'Dude, I'm staying at home today.'€‰"

Rob: "So after a few hundred beers I said, 'You need to help out.' He didn't, so I was pissed and got in a wrestling match with him. I think he was a lot more sober than I was."

Rex: "I was bigger and was just going to throw his ass down. But he reversed me and got on top. So we went at it. We ended up outside, and here he comes."

Rob: "I ran after him, and he had a right hand waiting for me. I never saw it coming. Still haven't seen it."

Rex: "I got him good, and it was over. I felt terrible. I couldn't believe I hit my brother like that."

Rex was furious and, as keeper of the car key, drove off to clear his head. Tatters of a bloody shirt hung off him.

"I get pulled over by a cop. He sees me and doesn't know what he's got," Rex said with a gleaming-white smile. "I said, 'I just got in a fight with my brother. You can take me back there, and he'll explain it.'

"They take me to jail and then called my brother. He said, 'Nah, leave him in there.'"

Rob's ankle was broken during the wrestling portion of the match, and his nose broken during the boxing portion. When they arrived in New Orleans for Super Bowl week, Rob's ankle was in a cast. "We both had black eyes," Rob said. Buddy wasn't amused.

The story goes into a lot more details about the Ryan family, giving a lot of insight to Rex's last year with the Jets and some interesting takes from his mother, Doris Ryan. 

That said, we also recommend treading lightly if you encounter a member of the Ryan family, since more often than not this is how the story ends.

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