Rex Ryan knows how to motivate an NFL team. It might not seem like it right now given how poorly the Jets have played in the last year or so. But according to LaDainian Tomlinson, who played for the Jets in 2010 and 2011, Ryan knows how to get a team fired up for a big game. And he attempted to prove it on the NFL Network's NFL Total Access recently when he told a hilarious story about the time that Ryan told the Jets he was going to punch Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in the face minutes before a game.
"We were playing the Patriots one time," Tomlinson said, "and as I mentioned, Rex is a master motivator. It was going to be a big game, a heated rivalry game, and Rex got in front of us, he said, 'I'm going to set the tempo today, guys. I'm going to set the tempo when I meet Bill Belichick in the center of the field. I'm gonna start it off and punch him in the face.' I loved it. He was motivating his guys and he wanted to jump it off."
Of course, Ryan didn't want to jump it off that badly. Because when he took the field that day, he didn't actually punch Belichick in the face. But we imagine that a pre-game speech like that would both motivate players and calm their nerves a bit. And we hope he gives the team the same exact speech before the Jets and Patriots play tomorrow night. Otherwise, the Jets could be in for a long night—and we could be in for a real snoozer.
RELATED: Badass or Jackass: The Rex Ryan Era New York Jets
[via NFL]
