LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. -- Buddy Ryan was remembered not just as a defensive master who won two Super Bowls and spawned a legacy carried on by players and twin sons now coaching in the NFL.
He also motivated players with a gruff but caring approach that helped them succeed on the field and in life. Ryan had his players' backs no matter how tough and demanding he seemed, a loyalty noted and reciprocated by many of his pupils who traveled far to pay their respects Friday.
"The thing I loved about Buddy is that everybody got the same treatment," Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary said during a 20-minute eulogy at St.