While the New York Jets were trimming down their roster and making cuts, their head coach was nowhere to be found.
Rex Ryan attended the Clemson-Georgia college football game Saturday in Clemson, S.C. while final roster cuts were being made at the Jets team facility. While a lot of people have criticized the coach for not being with his team as it trimmed down its roster to 53 players, Ryan stands by his decision to watch his son play football instead of being with his team.
Ryan said the Jets had done most of the work on cutting down the roster on Friday, and stood by his decision to see his son Seth's game. Seth is a walk-on wide receiver at Clemson, and Ryan believes he made the right decision by going to the game despite the fact that Seth is a freshman and stayed on the bench.
"Almost all of our moves were made, Friday evening, when I was here," Ryan said per NBC Sports. "I talked to several of the players that we were going to release. I don't think it was official until - we actually never made our moves until later that evening and that's why the report came out when it did the next day. It came out Saturday. But certainly I spoke with most of our guys that were released just like I've done every year. I was very aware of our situation."
A picture of Ryan sporting Clemson Tigers gear on his way to the game can be seen below via Twitter:
#LT @G_Dalzell32 pic.twitter.com/GtQncktZUe
— Will Roebuck (@Will_Roebuck) August 31, 2013
Ryan has received a lot of backlash but told the media that it was important to him to be with his family and witness his son's first college football game in person, especially considering the fact that he won't be able to see his son play when the NFL is in full-swing starting this weekend.
"This was an opportunity to go see my son play his first college game. I think 'played' is probably not very accurate. I saw him stand there," Ryan joked, according to ESPN. "But it was a great deal. Obviously, it's not like I'm going to be able to go to another game."
Ryan won't be thinking about Clemson football on Sunday when the Jets clash with former-Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium in the Week 1 regular-season opener. The Jets are looking to bounce-back from a subpar 6-10 season last year.
There has been a general consensus that Ryan may not have as much say with team brass anymore and that general manager John Idzik holds the power with the Jets, and Ryan missing cut-down day added fuel to those rumors.
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