Count Rex Ryan among the millions of Americans who have caught World Cup fever.
The New York Jets recently wrapped up their minicamp, giving their head coach a chance to hop on a plane to Brazil and check out the action at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
A rather svelte-looking Ryan did little to hide his allegiances, donning a patriotic red, white and blue U.S. Soccer t-shirt as he watched Belgium take on Russia in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
“Am I a soccer buff? No, not at all,” Ryan told Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com on Sunday. “But yeah, I’m a sports fan.”
A couple fans spotted Ryan in the stands, including one who posted an Instagram photo with the caption, “Rex Ryan working on his selfie game. #RUSvBEL.”
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Apparently Rex wasn’t the only Jet in Rio, as the head coach says he brought two assistant coaches and defensive tackle Dennis Thurman along for the ride as well.
“I’ve been to the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont, the Preakness, the World Series, the Stanley Cup,” Ryan said. “Then I’ve coached in a Super Bowl and been to a bunch of ’em. This is something I like to do.”
For all his patriotic attire, Rex most likely wasn’t able to see his native U.S. live in action, as they battled to a dramatic 2-2 tie deep in the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Brazil.
Still, taking in a World Cup game on Brazil’s main stage isn’t a bad way to spend a little down time, especially since Ryan has been known to enjoy anything related to feet.
