in the world of the NFL success is often measured not just in victories but in how one responds to adversity for Chad Ryland the transition from college football stardom to the Grand stage at the professional level proved to be a trial by fire his first year in the league was riddled with challenges and yet he prevailed from Maryland to Massachusetts Chad tells his story of the journey to the NFL so draft day um April 9th I was at home it was day three of the draft I don't want to in the most humble way knew I knew I was going to get drafted that day like I performed well in pre-draft um I earned it I knew it was coming so I didn't really want to have a big party I was just at home in Lebanon County with my mom my dad and then um my best friend Colin Jones who I also graduated with here he was with me I invited him over just cuz he's been along for the ride too and my phone starts to ring and it's a Massachusetts area code and it says Foxboro Massachusetts so I was I was like wow like I'm going to the Patriots and my dad wasn't even downstairs at the time it was just me and my mom and call my mom's like well pick pick it up pick it up so I picked it up um and it was coach bel's assistant bearish who's a super good dude he's like hey Chad this is bears with the New England Patriots I'm going to put you on with coach now and it just like that it's like hey Chad how you doing I'm like coach good how are you um he's like good like obviously you're watching the draft I'm guessing I'm like yep I am like you're going to want to watch the TV here uh we're going to make a trade up and and come get you at pick 112 so we're going to make you a New England Patriot happy to have you we'll see you here soon and then just like that hands the phone off to Mr Craft um the owner and Mr craft talked to me for a little bit said how excited he is to to have me on board and see me develop and and help the team win with the 112th pick in the 2023 NFL draft the six time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots select select Chad Ryland kicker Maryland yeah the Maryland kicker all right all right Chad I see you I think the hardest part of the preparation for the NFL is for me I've never done it before um come from a school in Eastern Michigan where we're in the Mac a little bit smaller division one school to the University of Maryland which was a big 10 school and that was certainly much closer to what the NFL is like but at the same time it's completely different um because everyone in the NFL is the best at what they do like the best in the world at what they do it doesn't get better than that so you have to make sure that you're able to raise not only your physical intensity but also your emotional and your mental intensity um because the game's a lot faster guys are bigger faster stronger and you're relied upon a lot more to do your job I mean I don't think there's anyone that really helped me prepare me 100% because no one's done it before around here besides maybe Frank Reich a long time ago who I've never really spoken to um but my parents have been super supportive coach wierson super supportive he text me after all the games um all my friends from back here like the community of lbon county in in general has been super supportive of me which means a lot um cuz sort of when I got out of the social media realm during the season I would still get texts every week from the same group of 25 35 people um that watch the games check in and um would just really be encouraging to me I mean my parents are huge um cuz it was funny I was just watching videos on my phone from when I first started kicking and it's out here at the stadium kicking towards the scoreboard and then my dad's putting the ball down holding it with the wrong hand and leaning the ball out and we're like still making kicks um my dad's been there the whole ride my mom's been there the whole ride and they both support me in different ways um my dad never said no to go to the field never pushed me to go to the field but whenever I wanted to go to the field he would always go no matter what the amount of times and balls my dad has shag for me here Lebon Valley College in the net wherever like he's always always down um to do it my mom my mom could care whether we win or lose as long as I'm safe healthy and and doing things the right way which is a big a big part of my internal ethics morals in terms of how I view what I do um and my dad my dad believes in that too but um I've got two super supportive parents I think they came to all but one home game it's fun I got my family too my whole extended family that texts me after every game everyone's all in and means a lot to a a young kicker and young athlete in general to have a support system