Ryan comes out against bounties
Rex Ryan plans to take time to sit in on the offense's meetings next season. (Dec. 24, 2011) Credit: Christopher Pasatieri
Jets coach Rex Ryan said he has never used a bounty system during his days as an assistant or head coach. Reacting to the disclosure by the NFL that Saints players and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams pooled money to pay players for knocking opponents out of games, Ryan said he does not use bounties.
"This is something that is being handled by the NFL office," Ryan said in a statement issued through the team. "I've never condoned it and I've never coached it."
The league has determined after a months-long investigation that as many as 27 defensive players and Williams ran a system that paid players for injuring opponents. The NFL does not allow such pools.
Williams once coached under Buddy Ryan, Rex's father. Buddy Ryan was accused by Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson of placing bounties on quarterback Troy Aikman and kicker Luis Zendejas in a Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas. The NFL could not corroborate those charges and did not discipline Ryan.
