Why Ryan Knew the 49ers Were a ‘Special Team’ After Initial Testing originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Logan Ryan has been part of several great NFL rosters, but he soon realized how special the 49ers team was during the 2023 season.
The former 49ers safety, who announced his retirement from the NFL in April, joined “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd and recalled the exact moment he learned the 49ers team he was trying out for was different.
“I joined on a Tuesday, a typical NFL off day,” Ryan explained. “You might have a handful of players there on an off day. I mean, some guys leave the building because you’re there six days a week. Maybe 10 guys are there on an off day, guys who need treatment, guys who are injured.
“I would say [the 49ers] There were probably 30 to 40 guys working out in the weight room. All the stars there working. I haven’t seen anything like this since a few years in New England were like this. [Tom] Brady there and everyone following suit. Then [Brock] Purdy was there rolling, Christian [McCaffrey] I was crouching there, [Nick] Bosa. Everyone was there and I was auditioning. I was coming off the cruise just trying to audition.”
Ryan, an 11-year veteran, said at the time that he was on a Bahamas cruise with his family when he received word that San Francisco was potentially interested in hiring him.
With injuries to All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga and special teams ace George Odum, the addition of Ryan gives San Francisco’s secondary a much-needed boost heading into the 2023 season.
And despite Ryan’s lack of familiarity with California or the West Coast, it didn’t take long for him to feel at home with the 49ers.
“I was at [the weight room] with them every Tuesday too,” Ryan said. “I remember telling my parents and my wife that I thought, ‘This team is going to be a special team.’ “
It was special, and despite failing to bring their sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay in a heartbreaking loss in Super Bowl LVIII, Ryan has the utmost confidence that the 49ers have the talent – and certainly the determination – to get back to the big stage.
