Longtime NFL coach and defensive football mastermind Buddy Ryan died Tuesday morning, according to published reports. He was 82.
Mr. Ryan, who created the 46 defense that carried the 1985 Chicago Bears to an emphatic win in Super Bowl XX, had a reputation as a "blitz-crazed defensive line coach" for the New York Jets, NFL.com reported, "lifted the team to its only Super Bowl victory in franchise history back in 1969, on the heels of such gems as the 'Cheeseburger Blitz' and 'Taco Bell Blitz.'"
Ryan was also one of the creators of the Minnesota Vikings' "Purple People Eaters" defenses in the 1970s.