Chad Ryland - Maryland Kicker & NFL Combine Invitee - Ep. 020

welcome to the American grown podcast hosted by Austin Sullivan the American grown podcast will focus on people from different walks of life and their journey to where they are now now turn up your volume and settle in for a great episode hi I'm Austin Sullivan this is the American grown podcast recorded inside the colortech Creative Solutions Studios today we have Chad Ryland he is a graduate student and kicker for the University of Maryland he went from kicking in the Cedar Bowl to being a team captain for the terapin at the recent duk's Mayo Bowl in North Carolina and recent NFL combine invite Chad welcome to episode 20 of the American grown podcast ah thanks Sully appreciate you having me on I like 20 too a little even number there that feels pretty good you like that yeah no I appreciate you making it in and and join me for uh for this episode and I want to start off with a nice easy question uh what is a terapin for all the listeners out there yeah for everybody out there that doesn't know what a terapin specifically a Maryland terapin is um it's a turtle probably one of the lower mascots in terms of intimidation Factor but up there in terms of uniqueness with I think there's only one school in the country where they mascots of terpin and it's the University of Maryland that's awesome yeah honestly I had to do a little research before he came along I'm like what the Y what the heck's a Terrain like I just thought maybe some kind of uh bird is what I thought but uh no I was way off so let's start off growing up here in Lebanon County what was that like yeah no so I grew up only child um two parents that are super supportive everything I ever did whether it's Sports um when I was in the band in elementary school middle school anything they were super supportive along with my extended family and growing up in Lebon County like started off normal and then I slowly started to become a bigger f in a small pond and I wanted to Branch out and see where I could go college- wise um grew up playing soccer and baseball my whole life um mainly a soccer guy played travel soccer year round and then baseball in the spring um got to high school played Varsity soccer as a freshman and all four years in high school played varsity baseball from sophomore year through senior year and then started kicking football my junior year and yeah start kicking that sort of took off and directed my career path took the words right out of my mouth I say it took off for you for sure uh so let's let's hit on the soccer and and the baseball stuff how did you go from I mean I guess soccer isn't a far stretch but like baseball and then into to football like how did you want to play football like who was it was it your father like who said hey you should try kicking yeah no it was part partially my dad um and then partially too we had watched it was at cedarest Cedar Crest played lower dolphin and the kicker for lower dolphin at the time was Joe Julius who went play for pen State um he's a name some people might know and watched him kick the ball through the back of the end zone really have a good like and knowing his soccer background dad's like hey maybe that's something you could do have some fun doing more of a fun thing just to get the experience playing football um not necessarily thinking that would lead to my college right my and future yeah for sure so you know while you're while you're playing soccer baseball was it ever on your mind to be like oh yeah I'm going to try football yeah no it it really wasn't until we got a pair of the metal kicking sticks that sort of support the ball so you can practice and then two footballs and going out to the field and starting to kick and starting to kick and then all of a sudden I'm back to the 40 yard line um one of my first or second times out a 50 yard field goal and it happened to be at lvc where the lvc football team was holding a meeting in the bleachers really or like they were waiting for the coach to come out talk to him whatever and I'm on the field like well they're not using the field I'm going to keep kicking some of the guys saw me kicking kicking pretty good as a high school between right before my junior year so soft more summerish they start heckling me a little bit tripping at me and then keep backing up and I'm at the 50 yard line dad's like you sure you want to yeah yeah in front sure you want to do this I'm like let's let's bang it like let's hang it and bang it um end up drilling it and all those guys are going like kind of crazy like they stop the heckling and sort of switch to like this oh this guy's legit and I was and I and honestly I didn't I didn't know didn't know anything like I was just out there kicking I I actually think I was taking my steps backwards so a lot of times you'll see guys walk backwards okay um so their eyes are always on the ball towards the target I completely turned my back took one two three steps turned around go two over and then kick and and made it but I was very young very inexperienced but it was that sort of was the Catalyst um that's a sign right there I mean make and I got to ask you you mentioned about the walking backwards do you still you don't still walk like that turn no I'm uh that could be your signature though that could have been like I don't know I might have got made I might get made fun of um yeah but then if you kick like that like you're doing but yeah side to point well that's good that's awesome I mean so and I I read a little bit about you doing some research that you and it blew my mind you and your dad would sneak in maybe not sneak in but okay crawl under the fence at Earl bolt Stadium here at Cedar Crest and that's kind of where you would practice kicking yeah yeah no I can I can go full into detail about that now because I'm long gone and I actually think they keep it open now a lot of the time so kids don't have to do what I did anymore but uh on that visitor bleacher side closer to the scoreboard there's like a double wide gate that's a big gate um and I don't know if it's from what water runoff or whatever but there's big enough Gap that uh a High School Junior and senior whatever I was at the time all those years um and his 50-year-old father could could slide under throw the ball bag over and then go up on the field kick and exit the same way yeah now whose idea was it was this your idea or was it both you and your dad I think it was a partial of both cuz we always like I always like kicking on Turf okay cuz the grass isn't that well maintained over at the high school so whenever we'd kick on the grass I if I didn't kick well or what I would get visibly upset my dad didn't like the Grass either and yada y yada so we're like screw it we're we're going we're we're kicking on the turf like it's there to get better let's get better um and most Pro I mean most I think almost all fields are now for the most part it's rare that it's grass now did you at the time or maybe now looking back did you look at that as as bonding with your father 100% yeah yeah I think football um has really brought my dad and night closer we were already super close both my parents but for even my whole like my whole family all of a sudden we're kind of a football family we never never were so we're we're in it pretty deep but it definitely those those days out there with my dad days and nights um where it's just me and him it's certainly because he's seen my highs he's seen my lows he sees the product I put on the field Saturdays and hopefully Sundays um so he knows everything and then my mom does as well she's coming she's walked around the track a couple times just to be there but my dad's shagged more footballs than than I can count yeah well shout out to your father and and your mom you know shout out to both of them seriously you know After High schol school what were your plans yeah no College was always the plan but honestly I didn't know what it was going to be in terms of was I going to play was I going to be a regular student because I did have some academic opportunities to have money to go to schools um but deep down I knew I wanted to play and it was I think my junior year winter um when IID went to my first Kohl's kicking camp where I then performed well got invited to this underclassman challenge which was essentially the top 50 under classman that weren't going to be rising seniors the next year yeah which was down in Orlando Florida to come and compete so it was all the best guys together um got ranked 24th or somewhere between 24 and 26 in the country for my class and that's when I'm like okay maybe I can go kick college football okay so then once that happened I sort of started to get obsessed with the college football watching YouTube videos of like all these different schools their facilities the gear they get like I like I was going full speed towards college football and what's crazy is I didn't have any offers rolling into my senior year high school sure coaches would pull through to the high school a lot of division two division three and and some division one FCS like your New Hampshire Maine Lehigh those sort of smaller division one schools yeah um and I don't know why but I had this un I don't even know like this belief that I knew I was going to go play high level college football and it went all the way through the year went on my first division divion one FBS visit to Eastern Michigan December where I met coach Nunes saw the facilities sort of got introduced everything um didn't have an offer at the time yet it was just a visit go back home about two weeks pass get a call from coach crate and say hey we want to offer you come play football here um what do you think I'm like well coach I really appreciate it but I'd like to see yeah everything one more time make it back out there go on a visit not an official visit still unofficial with my parents to see everything one last time talk to coaches a little bit more and uh remember we go up in the office sort of have the sit down with Coach kraton coach Nunes who was my special teams coordinator my parents and there and my parent I think was my dad or my mom like what do you want to do I'm like I'm going to commit here so when they came in I told him like hey coach like I want to take you up on the offer um I want to commit and I just remember like I was like I just started crying well yeah it's a b it's huge it was crazy cuz I didn't I never thought that uh I was going to play division one football yeah and I deep down I did but like at the same time nothing was Secure so you know you went to what was it Cole's kicking like kicking C so that kind of that got you hooked it sounds like 100% that really got you hooked and then you said he just had this like gut feeling uh what' you say started like senior year of high school that yeah sort of that junior senior year high school when I got ranked I'm like okay I'm a top 25 guy five star guy in my class for kickers like I want to keep CL like I liked having that ranking of I obviously wasn't the best but I'm very very good yeah so it's kind like that competition with yourself then okay 100% 100% so then okay so you tell your parents hey I'm committing of course it's emotional right it's a big big step forward yeah um what was your time like at Eastern Michigan it was phenomenal um I was really fortunate to win the job as a freshman from a guy that was a couple year starter all Mac guy how was he how did he take it not not the best um yeah he he ended up leaving the team he sort of just departed once it was week one happened I started everyone knew I was starting made my field goal week two um this is probably the biggest if one of the biggest if not the biggest moment I college career was week two at Purdue as a true freshman I hit a game-winning field goal there nice um to knock off Purdue as a we were obviously still an FBS school but a group of five School compared to a power five Big 10 school and we beat them there as a I'm a freshman kicking a game-winning field goal um what was that like that was incredible I I didn't even know it was one of those things again I didn't know what I was doing um it was probably for the best that I didn't know what I was doing okay um cuz you're still when you say you didn't know what you're doing like yeah you knew the the steps in the process but yet it's my third year of football yeah yeah okay it's division one football holy yeah that's true it's your third year of football yeah in front of uh whatever 40 50,000 people that were in Ross a stadium in Indiana at Purdue University yeah that's that is kind of crazy when you think about it cuz I didn't think about you're right so your thirdy year football I mean people have played peee football Football all the way up through and here third-year football you have a natural Talent you're hungry to better yourself and then you know here you make this huge field goal to win the game yeah it was uh one of the one of the top moments for me athletically and then that was probably one of the most exciting nights to go back to campus with some of the guys and celebrate we celebrated accordingly that night and that sort of really also like sort of put the cherry on top of uh a big win well deserved for sure so now at Eastern Michigan did you go I think I saw was it two bowl games two or three there three yeah three bowl games at Eastern Michigan played in the chamelea bowl in mountgomery Alabama played in the Lend or the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit Michigan and then the Lending Tree Bowl in Mobile Alabama yeah didn't win a single bowl game at Eastern Michigan though no no that was that was an emotional uh oh I bet that was a hurder it's high and lows for sure highs and lows yeah no it was uh we lost on walk-off situations too first game we lost on walk-off field goal second game we lose to pit Kenny picket who I think is a starting quarterback for the Steelers yeah so he uh they won they threw like a fade in the end zone with like a minute left to beat us in that game and then the last bow game Liberty and Malik Wills just uh did US dirty wow so you're at Eastern Michigan you're having fun right you're learning the position clearly cuz you only been it for three years so there's always you can always learn you can always better yourself still am yeah perfect who there or throughout your career so far is there any mentors you want to shout out anybody that's influenced you yeah no I think my parents are the biggest um because they've come to every game supported me in the highs supporting me in the lows um my special teams coordinator at Eastern Michigan who brought me there Jay Nunes who's now at the University of Oklahoma okay doing Special Teams um he's sort of like a second father to me and then my partner in crime out there which is punter Jake Julian who graduated last year played with the Patriots for a little bit in preseason wow this past preseason um those combination of those four people out there and then a man named Bruce dishno who introduced me to Athletes In Action which helped me find my faith out there between those five people they certainly shaped the direction of my my college career and life tying in faith and and of course your family and everything it's a big move going from PA out to Michigan so how did you find that cuz sometimes a lot of a lot of people can't even handle like you know from here to let's say Temple or here to pit missing family missing friends missing what you know I mean so you're moving out of state picking up your whole life what was that like yeah no it was something that was the best for me um and big move you said for like 514 miles yeah um big eight hours but no it was the best possible thing that could have happened for me um and I i' encourage anyone that listens to this or doesn't listen to this I always tell them like get out get out of leban County for even if it's for a couple months like yeah see what's out there experience something different cuz the Midwest it's a different culture it's different landscape different weather um it's just a whole lot different and it helps shape you especially when you're away from your family like I was I was on my own yeah that's what I'm saying doing everything which was awesome because I also have two super supportive parents that have their hands on a lot in my life and have helped me a lot which I'm more than thankful for but just being out there and having to a find my faith perform athletically and academically um it was fun it forces you to grow up grow up quick you have to mature and and manage time you know manage your time correctly um quick shout out because you'd mentioned and I'm I apologize my memory is bad but the group you mentioned where you found you know help find your faith in all this yeah that so that's called athletes and action and that's something that's on a lot of college campuses predominantly at the division one level where it's a Christian based group of athletes at a given school um they'll meet once a month to twice a month um and get together and just talk about their faith go through whatever the leader for the group so for me it was Bruce dishno um had planned for that monthly meeting and just really being supported by a group of people that a of the same interest at performing a high level athletically but also off the field um spiritually yeah which was something I really really benefited from and then at Maryland it was FCA so Fellowship of Christian athletes similar concept just a different name um so between AIA and FCA you can find either of those groups at at every every major division one school that's that's awesome I knew nothing about I'm sure a lot of the listeners didn't that that's out there and available to you cuz like I said it can be tough anytime like I said you leave your you leave your your base your family your friends everything you know and you're just kind of thrown into this especially being an athlete having to perform get to practices and then keep a keep up with school work that's a lot yeah no and it's I honestly dedicate my whole career and success especially over the last three years to to my faith to Jesus Christ my savior like that because if you look at back my stats from freshman year even sophomore year I wasn't good wasn't even close to good I was fortunate enough to have a job win the job and play but nowhere near my potential and I think you look at how my career turned and started going positive it's when I dove more into my faith and realized why I am playing why I do things what my goal is at the end of the day you committed yourself more to your faith and then in exchange or in return you're seeing a benefit on the field I definitely think they go hand in hand I definitely do um yeah it's certainly not transactional where it's like I read my Bible five times a day so I'm going to go I'm going to go five for five in the game yeah right but it just really put in perspective why I'm playing I'm playing to use the gift that God gave me to bring glory to him I'm not playing for the 70,000 fans that are in the stands so when I make I miss I'm I'm okay like I'm I'm really good that's a great mindset to have and that's why I think I don't a I don't get nervous and and B you're never going to catch me too emotional on the field good bad ugly you got to have that even ke yeah it's very rare to see me worked up on the field and it's interesting before we started recording I'd mentioned about my grandmother's church I always call it that and St Marks thank you St Marks yes I even it was don't tip my tongue I'm like I should say St Marks because my grandmother used to be in the the choir out there she would sing and I remember you know you being young guy and you go up and and do the candle lighting and everything especially on Christmas and the holidays um and the deems were there you know they they always singing everything so it's just it's amazing to see from there to where you are now and that you're still you know Keeping the Faith and still investing in that 100% now it's it's crazy how everything in life Builds on each other and it's it's the farther I go the more I can like look back and see how certain things impact in my life to help shape the direction I'm going and how things have happened let me ask you this what do you think about Tim TBO he's awesome I love I love how open he is about his faith not afraid to speak about anything um and a lot of times I like listening to him he's got some stuff on YouTube you I'll listen to when I go for a walk really really good speaker with great values and I think he's a really good man he seems like a great guy very down to earth he has a lot of Charities he helps out with and he really donates his time you know to others let's get back to Eastern Michigan Y and then how did you transfer to the University of Maryland yeah so uh my transfer year was actually my co year so the 2020 season in Eastern Michigan where we only played six games that didn't count so I got an extra year of Eligibility essentially and my coach coach nun had left for Oklahoma got a job over for Oklahoma home state wife's fames from there I'm like he called me up I'm like yeah like he had turned down some job offers previously yeah um to stay for my last year in my pter Jake's last year but when he got that Oklahoma I'm like you got to take that like I'm not there's no hard feelings for me for you taking that job and we talked all season probably about once a week he would ring me up or I would ring him up and we'd talk but that's what caused me to transfer Jake was gone he had left for the draft and the New England Patriots coach Nunes was gone so my two main guys at Eastern football were out um like I know I'm good enough let's let's go test the waters somewhere a little bit bigger entered the transfer portal and my phone started buzzing like right away like I was just ring ring ring and my whole goal was to get somewhere before Spring ball um so I could get there do winter workouts with the guys and they would really I feel like I was a part of them I didn't want to be around rental Guy where I came in at the end of summer I'm just there for 4 months the season then all right see you by so I really got close with the guys out there but my offers coming out of the transfer Port I had Maryland ruter West Virginia Liberty so those were all places like and Virginia Tech those were all places I could go right away had some interest from some other schools like Duke Oregon Utah some others too but like I couldn't get there for the winter and spring ball okay and that was my one of my priorities like I need to be somewhere I can get integrated with the team guys know who I am they know what I'm about what I'm going to bring to the table um I think looking back at this season that really translated I was a captain three times this year like the guys respect me the guys knew what I'm about and I knew what the guys were about and how to get the best out of them so that was sort of my my reasoning for going quick and early it shows that you care cuz you're right just walking on and being like Oh yeah I'm the stud kicker and this and that and everyone's kind of like oh who's this guy you know what I mean but to help and be there to build the team communicate with them and they get to know you as a person you know really and know what you're about and get to know your character because a lot of times you know I think people judge each other on what they see or on social media and this and that but for you to invest that time put that time in I think it was the right decision for sure no doubt yeah um 100% And that's that's something I'm really thankful for that coach locks gave me the opportunity to do um come in early and be a integral part of the team really like that that made all the difference throughout the season yeah what's it what was it like playing for Coach lockley he was awesome um I loved playing for him honestly he's a high intensity guy he knows what he wants what the finished product he wants on the field is how we get there he was at the University of Alabama um and I think he was cooc in 2018 when they won the National Championship so he's been around Nick Sav the Alabama football where like the top top tier seen takes to win knows what it takes and that's what he's trying to do at the University of Maryland which I think is is well on its way having won back-to-back bowl games now but he was just super he's a player Centric coach um where he wants the guys to get and have everything that they need feel they need to be successful um big proponent of nil guys getting their paycheck like he understands um really well and I think that's why a lot of guys really like playing for him um now he's intense don't get me wrong like yeah he give you stuff as easy as he'll take it away um if you're not acting to the standard that set which I think is an awesome way to because it can't just be all give give give from the coach and not see a product or right what you want sounds like you hold holds the players to a high standard extremely extremely yeah so you mentioned nil can you tell the listeners a little bit about it because something pretty new to college sports for all the listeners what is it nil stands for name image and likeness and that is related to the players in terms of their image so before you couldn't or let's just say Chad Ryland couldn't walk into ANM pizza and they give me 10 free pizzas because I'm Chad Ryland whereas now they could in exchange for a Instagram post a commercial something that trades obviously either monetary amounts for ads or just anything commercialization of college sports where that wasn't allowed before but now it is and you fully support that 120% I'm all about the guys if coaches can get paid to do commercials coaches can leave whenever they want to hit the portal I'm all about the players um having rights to to get those same things I definitely agree I mean at the end of the day the players and not the coaches they put the time in also but players are busting their ass out there and working very hard when it is the athletes themselves that everybody's really there to see 100% I think for some of these guys have met to come from some pretty steep backgrounds um in areas of the country where some of that nil money makes all the difference because there's guys that are sending their scholarship checks home because Mom Dad brother sister need the extra help financially and they can help provide it so I think that nil aspect really helps a lot of guys out that people don't think people don't think about it like that yeah I didn't even think about that but it probably is huge depending on the sum of money but anything probably helps for some of these guys so now how do you balance your college life and what must be some intense training I'm obviously done collegiately now and I'm going to be transitioning to pre-draft um but while I was in college working school and obviously football it's a lot there's some long nights and early mornings where it's I really don't feel like doing school work after practice but I know I have to do it because if I don't do it all of a sudden I'm ineligible and then I'm not playing on Saturdays and then all of a sudden everyone's like what the hell Chad like what can't handle your business I'm all about doing job do your job you don't have to do anybody else's but do your job and that comes academically and then athletically as a part but now they I'm a big procrastinator to a school work are you um yeah I wouldn't think no I don't do my school work early I usually wait but I always get it done and I've always gotten good grade so it's ironic how how it works out that if um CU my dad used to murder me for that in high or high school I'd wait till the last minute in high school and then yeah and he'd probably be like why you waiting somehow I'm still got good grade National Honor Society all that academic all Mac whatever like we're we're rolling it works that's funny I would have never thought of that it's a balance game well right you know what's important you get done first and put it off you get it but you always get it done like you said yeah do easy easy do hard hard there you go what training did you have to uh endure to become one of the best kickers in the Big 10 I think a lot of it as a kicker is a lot of my own um offseason where I'm going in the offseason to work with specific coaches and get around groups of guys that are talented guys and can drive me to get better um but I think a lot of it growth for me was off the field so mentally okay how my mindset is off the field how I interpret things how I go about my daily life um was a big factor and then two just the recovery off the field I went from not really doing anything to now I cold tub every day really the season yeah and my body felt as good as it's felt all year like I never hit that midseason slump where it's like I'm not performing because I'm tired I felt energized I felt fresh every every Saturday but yeah no it it's just never really never really taking a day off or I shouldn't say day off but never taking my foot off the gas to Tap The Brak I might get off the throttle to like ease up and go a little bit slower right but at the end of the day my foot is always on the gas p on the gas you're moving forward there's people in front of me that I want to jump and there's people that behind me that are trying to jump me I love it right it's an everyday grind and it's what you put in is what you get out and for me I've seen seen that pretty true cuz I was a 24th best kicker in my class which is relatively low that's not necessarily a power five type ranking but it's a group of five so I ended up going to Eastern like I did and then the time and experience I got out of Eastern helped Propel me to where I'm at now when you say like working out do you have a gym around here that you want to shout out that you go to regularly I don't actually I don't work out it I never work out what when I'm home I'm usually home for 3 or 4 days and I'm I'm chilling out so like these three days I'm it's a short visit it's I'm I'm chilling out I'll stretch I'll do some core I'll do some push-ups in the living room but I'm not I'm not lifting too heavy I'm always our our weight room um down at the University of Maryland and people can look it up on YouTube and Google whatever is top tier he's got all the sensors the gadgets the cameras the iPad like it's it's topnotch so it's we're spoiled um down there in terms of the the tools to work out with yeah okay I just wasn't sure if there was anybody locally but that makes sense cuz your time here you're spending with family friends like you said kind of taking your foot off the gas a little bit just to kind of recuperate and and get a little bit of you know rest and relaxation definitely yeah no I'm I'm full I'm in full relax mode right now that's perfect yeah um this is a good one because this impressed me I'm like this guy's amazing when you nailed your longest field goal 53 yards against Michigan and in the same game you hit a 52 y as well yeah what what was going through your mind I mean you're playing Michigan and you hit a 53 yards that's that's really impressive n thank you yeah no it's it's a testament to the hard work that I put in all four years of my career and then also the work of the guys Long Snapper Ethan G um excuse me and then the holder Colton Spangler and the guys blocking um like it it's game day it's a true team effort to make kicks I don't think enough people realize that NFL college high school like it's a full operation it takes everybody yeah it's not just the kicker cuz bad snap screws up the op screws up the kicker bad hold botches the kick but at the big out I mean 110,000 people yeah I went to school right down the road a lot of people don't know Eastern Michigan's only five minutes down the road from the University of Michigan okay so it's like the little brother um to Michigan so I grew up or not grew up spent four years in Michigan night life at Ann Arbor everything an arbor seeing all these Michigan fans Michigan this that the other kind of how Penn State is here so deep down I had that sort of personal Vendetta against Michigan and honestly a lot of these bigger schools because they didn't no one took a shot on me big schoolwise yeah Eastern was the only school that gave me a real oper yeah give you a shot um so I've I had that personal Vendetta all year um of just wan to go out prove myself against these big schools and I was so dialed in for that game I don't even remember the kicks like I almost black out when I'm on the field um I'm that locked into what I need to do but that first one the 53 going towards the South End Zone um that was a tough end to kick in I had struggled all game or warm-up going that way missed a couple even shorter and you watch their guy Jake Moody that game he missed a 43 yard like bad left and then I hit the 53 going that way I wasn't I knew I had the leg to hit it um but everything had to go right and fortunate for us it everything did go right yeah um trusted the training and preparation it worked shout out to Ethan and Colton yeah out 100% yeah I guess that does make a lot of sense cuz if the snap's bad or the holds off you know it overall it'll affect how you kick the ball yeah 1.3 seconds that's what we're rolling in really yeah snap hold kick is 1.3 seconds so that's not a lot of time to correct anything or you know you got to get it perfect on that first try yeah no you're you're rolling full speed you're rolling full speed is there you know I know you say you you kind of black out cuz you're so focused when you're kicking but um you know what goes through your mind before a big game honestly I'm just excited to Showcase my ability at this point like I want the stands to be full like as many people as possible and I want the lights to be on I want the sky cam behind me like I want dang you love the pressure like I want it that gives me my adrenaline fix like I I love that I I tell PE people ask me sometimes like what makes you conf like how do you go about things I'm like I'm delusional almost about how good I am at what I do like I'm the best and no one can tell me otherwise that's sort of the mindset I've adopted over the last two years um and it's worked out but at the same time I know I'm obviously not the best because you guys got got guys like Justin Tucker out there for the Ravens nail and everything in sight so I know there's a lot a long way to go but I'm also confident in my ability and then kick them out there to attempt like I can make it I love that confidence and I think it's huge like I always say here at colortech like I'm a big proponent of promoting ourselves and what we do like on Google on Facebook on social media things like that because at the end of the day it's like who's going to talk about you or who's going to talk about your capabilities more than yourself like who's going to believe in you more than yourself and a lot of times it's it's just you and your close Circle you know maybe your your family for sure hopefully they support and then you got your couple friends maybe that really believe in you you know but a lot of times there's a lot of naysayers and people won't they won't take that risk on you yeah at the end of the day I want to be confident not like I mentioned Moody missed a kick going that way but Jake's also a guy that I respect a ton at Michigan we're going to be the top two guys coming out in this year's draft and he had hit a 50 yarder going the opposite direction that game so like he he's a very talented kicker I don't want to anything to say like I was trying to throw him under the bus certainly not but now I have a lot of respect for anyone that kicks and performs well at that high of a level and he's certainly a guy respect there you go the next one I want to segue into is Duke's mayale Bowl you guys won 16 North Carolina State they had 12 now I'm not good at numbers but 10 of those 16 points came from you yeah no I I was fortunate to have three field goal opportunities and then the one extra point I was glad I got to go out with three field goals that mattered um at the end of the day that's all I want I want kicks that matter um I don't want the we're up by 50 and I got a kick a 32 y because we got the third string quarterback in and we stalled out like I want yeah I want ball games I want to make an impact Well you certainly did that game yeah that game I was able to and Bank of America Stadium is what it's called the Caroline Panthers so it was it was just it just felt right everything about that day that game felt right yeah yeah you were just on it you felt I felt incredible that game cuz I saw was like 37 some thousand in attendance and then I forget some two million or something watching on TV yeah yeah no there was a good crowd there probably 2third of them NC State fans but it got loud a couple times and they only had the lower bow fil they didn't even open up the top okay the top section what is it like cuz I've only you know played of course here at Cedar Crest you know I didn't get to play in college or anything what is the noise like at these big games like what is the atmosphere like it gets loud especially for a field goal because everyone knows it's fourth down there's points on the line so go to a place like the big house where playing Michigan in front of 110,000 yeah and probably 109,000 of those are Michigan fans it gets pretty loud at but at the same time it's they're there to watch me watch us um so I want to give them a show I want I want to make it look good I want to do it in style and and then we roll and and we're fortunate enough to do that this year but big games in general i' I rather playing big games than small games um and and have it be loud make it loud make it loud turn it up I'm loving it awesome no Chad that's great cuz I mean like I said the attitude positivity and that mindset I think will will help take you a long way um so I think I know the answer is question but I'm going to ask it anyway maybe I'm wrong I don't know uh what's your favorite recent achievement my favorite recent achievement um that's tough I mean I've been blessed a lot recently um just got invited to the NFL combine yesterday got invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl a couple of day or couple months two months ago maybe it was but I don't know getting that combine invite yesterday was pretty sweet yeah um that's what I thought it would be yeah no I that's awesome not everybody gets to do that um and that's something didn't I thought I would get the invite but at the end you don't know until you know yeah um and seeing that email pop up that I got invited I was like wow like I'm actually I'm going to the NFL combine in Indian nais yeah that's awesome serly thank you yeah I had to look up some numbers and and I'm like I got to I got to check into this in the United States roughly 339 million people and my wife's like well that's you can't really use that stat because that includes babies and kids and people that never played football I said okay you're right so I looked up the amount of football players is roughly 72,000 roughly and out of that I think it was only 340 get an invite to the combine yeah it's crazy dude that's insane yeah it's crazy I'm uh I'm looking forward to it I really am it's going to give me a chance to kick in front of some GMS coaches that not everyone gets that chance to right right it's your opportunity and and you've earned it man seriously congrats definitely congratulations I mean that's awesome so now you said after I think you're you're leaving here in a couple days to go down to Florida right correct so what's that routine going to be like when you get down there no I'm I'm going to work out um do a lot of my pre-draft down in Fort Lauderdale Florida and then I'm going to bounce around this few other locations too like Bradington Dallas San Diego um just to get a few sessions in with a couple coaches and guys um but I'm I'm going to be kicking down there probably four or five times a week lifting three maybe four and then running probably two um but every day it's going to be something with maybe Sunday being a completely okay down day just to kind of get everything back out under me or back underneath me um but it's going to be full speed it already the season went quick this is going to fly by even faster with pre-draft because each month leading up to the draft sort of has a pillar event with January being the Reese's Senior Bowl so I'll be playing in that February being the combine March being pro day where all the scouts come to the University of Maryland get a chance to work out for them and then April's the draft so each month sort of has a big event that I got to really try and ball out at and yeah do my best yeah show up be yourself do your thing you know and have fun yeah that's the main thing you know what I mean enjoy it cuz not a lot of people get this opportunity so I wanted to ask you how do you practice or prepare like kicking in kicking in cold environments if you look back on my whole career I have kicked in the cold um Michigan I was in Michigan for four years and Pennsylvania all other years of my life so this will be my first time sort of doing some serious training somewhere warm which I'm excited too but that week before the Senior Bowl I'm going to come back up to Ohio kick in the cold there because I have a coach that's out of there that worked with me all four years um and I'm GNA kick in some pretty shitty weather there go that way no matter what I get in mobile I'm fully prepared for which is huge I pride myself in being a cold weather kicker I'm not an SEC Guy where they get to kick in 70° in Sunny year round I'm a Mac Big 10 kicker that throw in the 15 20 mph winds the 30 to 40 degree temperatures every Saturday like let's roll that's where I make my money a I love it so what would you say you uh most passionate about I'm most passionate about obviously kicking footballs but to just life like my faith in life and how I live life um terms of how I interact with people and the impact I make on their lives I want to make a positive impact on everybody I encounter and I want them I don't want anything that comes out of me to not be genuine not be the real me like I won't I won't put on a front um for anybody and I I'd mention you like I'm Unapologetic about my face like when people ask about it like I'm going to tell you about it I know you're not supposed to talk about money religion like politics all that like like no like I don't give a like I'm going to talk about I'm going to talk about this like if you don't want to walk away right you don't have to listen no exactly change a channel you can talk about everything else but can't talk about that for some reason well I can no I I really love that seriously thank you so now what would you say because a lot of times your passion and what motivates you is different what do you think I like the golf you like the golf I'm not very good at it but I like the golf oh man geez I'm we might have to go sometime I'm not a good golfer but uh I like I like golfing with buddies and that's perfect we'll be perfect for each other great yeah have a couple drinks you know and just uh oh yeah you know uh better ball I always play better ball yep I like it we'll be in good shape though yeah we' be set yeah so you know what motivates you your religion family things like that yeah at the end of the day um I mentioned this earlier but I'm I was truly given a gift by God with my ability to kick handle pressure and just everything that that entails and I want to use my gift to the fullest ability to obviously perform but also use that platform to hopefully spread the word and just like go about things the right way yeah I always want to do things the right way um and never just everything be genuine like I just want to live my life to the fullest yeah you don't want to half ass anything especially at the level you're going future plans like you said NFL combine you got so much going on I guess how are you going to take in this moment how how are you going to enjoy it you know obviously are your parents they're they're going to be with you you yeah they'll come they'll come to the Senior Bowl they might pop out to Indianapolis um but training wise I'm going to be on my own with coaches down in Florida Dallas wherever but I'm really just trying to soak it all in like even at the bowl game like I I took a good moment before I started weing up to just look around and then same thing at the end of the game like just actually stand there wiggle my toes be where my feet are and like holy cow like I'm in Charlotte North Carolina in the Panther Stadium playing a bowl game and I I did that a lot of times this year just cuz I'm only going to get to play in the big house once I'm only going to play at Beaver Stadium once right like I'm you only get to do some of these things one time and I don't want to pass it up or miss it helps Center you I imagine helps keep you focused like you said does yeah on your really does no that's awesome so how can our listeners connect with you and follow along on what you're doing yeah no I mean you can follow me on Instagram at c. R38 Twitter ccore Ryland 38 although those numbers should be changing here soon hopefully okay with an addition to uh signing with an NFL Club but yeah social media I usually I answer I try and answer every DM I get um everything that's a positive DM obviously the negative ones all we throw those out I've gotten some good I've gotten some good ones in my career oh forget the haters oh yeah no I always read them too that's what's like probably motivates you knowing knowing you now as much I do it probably does I like to read them I'll send them in the group chat chat with my buddies and be like yeah someone just called me a Froot Loop but oh well like and guys get a kick out guys get a kick out of them I do too it comes with the position I'm in I like it like I like that I don't know it's not gamesmanship because it's just some random dude behind a computer shooting you text right um but like everything that's a thank you like hey you whatever can you help me with this kicking like I'm a kicker from wherever like what do you think of this I'm like I will always always respond back any young athletes out there that want some help or some feedback sounds like Chad would be the guy I know when I message you about coming on the podcast and we've known each other a little bit here and there but I was impressed because I'm like here's a guy you know you're kicking in a bowl game you're going to the combine and you're taking the time to respond to me you know a guy that you knew a little bit uh through blue caral photography and taking Sports pictures and like I said to church a little bit but I really appreciate that I appreciate having me on you know I thought it was cool so before we close out is there anything else that you'd like the listeners to know I think one thing that's cool about my story I sort of like people to know is like you don't have to be bred from age five doing sports to really try and make it it's all what you put in and put in consistently um I only started kicking my junior year and now here I am preparing for the NFL draft so it's just because you haven't done something for your whole life doesn't mean you can't start now and be really really really good at it there you go put your mind to it get after it I said to my wife before you came on I'm like I'm a big Philadelphia Eagles fan so for me it's always been like like David akres you know that was our guy that was our kicker and I'm like this Chad Ryland I said I don't know what's going to happen I can't see the future but I said I think he's going to go places and he's going to be really really good for an NFL team out there so you know I just wish you the best of luck keep doing what you're doing be yourself and uh you know represent Lebanon County and and and your family you know what I mean that's what it's all about no I appreciate you having me on too this was fun yeah I like having the headphones on the this iswe you have to look we'll have to get some more pictures and for all the listeners out there U American grown podcast just search it on Instagram Facebook and you'll be able to see Chad the Bible the uh Eastern Michigan yeah four fouryear uh starter letter winner not everybody gets one of those so I thought it was pretty cool I don't wear it a whole lot so I figured that's occasion to wear perect yeah yeah I saw it right away I like oh what's he got on and then of course the re Senior Bowl as well Senior Bowl be coming up got a bowl ring here soon too so I'll get get ringed up you're like Tom Brady all that's the goal that's the goal fill all my fingers I love it awesome so Chad Ryland on the American grown podcast in the colortech creative solution Studios thank you for joining me awesome appreciate you having me awesome Chad thank you man seriously love it to see photos of today's guests and more content just search American grown podcast on Facebook and Instagram if you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave a review if you'd like to be a featured guest on the podcast please direct message or email Austin at americrown pod gmail.com [Music]