ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Rex Ryan turned himself in for booking Wednesday in Nashville after he allegedly ran over the feet of two pedestrians while driving his pickup truck the night before, according to the Nashville Police Department.
Ryan, 63, is charged with six misdemeanor warrants connected with allegedly striking the pedestrians just before midnight Tuesday on the corner of 4th Avenue and Broadway Street, a bustling downtown thoroughfare featuring the famous entertainment district known as the Honky Tonk Highway.
A police report said Ryan is accused of turning at the intersection while pedestrians had a walk sign and allegedly running over the feet of two of them while also coming into contact with one of their legs. Ryan reportedly continued driving and jumped out of his truck when confronted by the alleged victims at a red light. An argument ensued and Ryan got back in his car and left the scene, but not before photos were taken of his license plate.
Ryan faces six charges, according to the police: two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failure to give information/render aid, and two counts of failure to obey a traffic control signal. His bond was set at $6,000.
Following a 10-year career as an NFL head coach with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, Ryan joined ESPN as an analyst in 2017. He appears on “Sunday NFL Countdown,” while also contributing SportsCenter and ESPN Radio.
“We are aware and are in touch with Rex,” ESPN Communications said in a statement.
Popular with his players because of his outsized personality, Ryan rose to prominence during 10 seasons as an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens, including a four-year stint as defensive coordinator. In 2006, he was named Assistant Coach of the Year by Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association.
The Jets hired him as head coach in 2009 and he led them to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in his first two seasons. Ryan’s reputation for being brash, loud and foul-mouthed grew when the Jets were featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” in 2010.
He never had another winning season, however, and was fired by the Jets in 2014 and by the Bills in 2016 along with his twin brother, assistant head coach Rob Ryan. The highlight of the last few years of Ryan’s coaching career came when his Bills defeated the Jets in a regular-season finale, depriving his former team of a playoff berth.
Ryan’s father, Buddy Ryan, was defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears when they won the Super Bowl after the 1985 season and led the Philadelphia Eagles to three consecutive playoff berths as head coach.
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