Joe Ryan (Canadian football)

Ryan was born on 11 April 1902 in Starbuck, Manitoba. He attended a law program at the University of Manitoba before dropping out after the first year.[1]

Ryan began his career at a lumber company in Chicago during the start of the 1920s. After moving to Winnipeg, he worked for Manitoba Pool Elevators from 1928 to 1930.[1] Ryan shifted to rugby football in 1931 when he became manager of the Winnipeg Winnipegs.[2] While with Winnipeg, the 'Pegs won the 1935 Grey Cup as manager.[3] When the 'Pegs were renamed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ryan won additional Grey Cups in 1939 and 1941.[4]

Ryan went on to co-form the Montreal Hornets and the Montreal Alouettes in the mid 1940s. With the Alouettes, Ryan was a manager and a secretary until 1949.[5] He also won the 1949 Grey Cup as the manager for the Alouettes.[6] After a break from football, Ryan joined the Canadian Football League in 1960 to become the general manager of the Edmonton Eskimos.[7] With the Eskimos, Ryan served as general manager from 1960 to 1965 and executive assistant in 1966. He ended his football career in 1967 and moved to Victoria, British Columbia.[8] Outside of football, Ryan became a sportswriter for the Winnipeg Free Press in 1938[9] and worked at an Ottawa tax office in 1942.[10]

Ryan was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1968.[5] In 1975, he was inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[4] After his death, Ryan was posthumously named to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.[11] A few years later, he became a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hall of Fame in 1984.[12]

On 2 June 1979, Ryan died from cancer in Victoria, British Columbia.[13]

Ryan was married and had four children.[13] One of his children Tim, is a renowned sportscaster for NBC, CBS, Fox and the New York Islanders.