Seahawks flag is flyin’ for Jon Ryan
Regina goes wild for Super Bowl
REGINA — Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan was raised in Regina — and so was a flag in his honour.
On a frigid Monday morning, the Ryan family gathered at the city hall courtyard as a replica of the Seahawks’ 12th Man flag was hoisted.
The gesture commemorated Ryan becoming the first Saskatchewanian to participate in a Super Bowl, to be contested by the Seahawks and Denver Broncos on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
Prior to every Seahawks home game, a 12th Man flag is raised to honour the team’s fervent fans. The Seahawks couriered a flag to city hall for Monday’s ceremony.
“The Seahawks include the people with the 12th Man,’’ Regina city councillor Mike O’Donnell said. “They’re not just paying customers. They’re part of the experience.
“It’s similar to the way the Ryan family includes everybody in their lives.’’
The family was represented at Monday’s flag-raising by Jon’s mother Barb, his brother Steve and sister Erica Honoway, along with Steve’s wife Haley and son Knox, and Erica’s four children: daughters Quinn and Layne, and sons Lincoln and Bennett.
Jon’s other sister, Jill Scheer, was in Ottawa on Monday. Jill’s husband, Andrew Scheer, is a Conservative MP and the Speaker of the House of Commons.
The Scheers will be in the stands Sunday at MetLife Stadium alongside Erica and her husband Ryan Honoway, and Steve and Haley, Haley’s father and two of Jon’s longtime friends.
“This is as cool as you can ever imagine,’’ Erica said. “It’s like a dream come true.
“The first thing I think when I wake up every morning is, ‘Oh my goodness! Jon’s going to the Super Bowl!’’’
And so is most of the Ryan family, which creates some logistical issues.
“We had a family meeting, ordered a couple of pizzas, and did it all,’’ Erica said. “It was pretty crazy. Hopefully there’s not a New York in Missouri, because that might be where we’re going. Maybe that’s why we’re going through Calgary.’’
The family leaves for New York on Thursday morning. Their 10th-row seats have a face value of $1,500 each.
Despite the price, there is a high demand for tickets, as the Ryans have discovered since the Seahawks won the NFC championship on Jan. 19.
“You wouldn’t believe how many people have asked for tickets — and one person asked for 10,’’ Erica said with a chuckle. “He was a friend of a friend of a friend of a contractor who built something in Jon’s house.’’
Despite the deluge of messages, the Ryans are delighted to hear from everyone. That includes the media.
The other day, Barb checked her messages and fielded three interview requests from radio stations and one from Canada AM. The family has made a point of accommodating everyone.
“Steve was on a Seattle radio station and we all listened on the Internet,’’ Erica said. “It was awesome.
“It’s unreal. It’s so different than we expected. I knew that Jon was going to get a lot of attention, but I didn’t think it would be us, too. Steve said, ‘Let’s enjoy our 15 minutes of fame.’”
Monday’s flag- raising didn’t even last 15 minutes, thanks to the bitter cold.
Mayor Michael Fougere said a few words, as did Steve, before the flag was raised and the shivering attendees scurried into the city hall foyer.
“Everyone is behind Jon and we’re really proud of his accomplishments,’’ Fougere said while encircled by reporters.
After Fougere addressed the media, Steve Ryan was asked about the acknowledgment the family has received from the city — and throughout the city.
“Nothing in Regina surprises me,’’ said Steve, who like his older brother is an alumnus of the University of Regina Rams and Sheldon-Williams Spartans football programs.
“This is a great community and it’s why we call it home.’’