New York Jets coach Rex Ryan is kicking off the 2011 season this Sunday, and he's feeling the pressure.
Not because of the natural pressure that comes with a successful team looking to make it back to — and beyond — the AFC title game. Not because he'll be facing his brother, who is a coach on Dallas' sideline.
But because it's in New York (New Jersey, technically) on Sept. 11, and it's the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, he told Rant Sports.
"It’s different," Ryan told reporters recently. "Like a responsibility. Every week it’s my responsibility to make sure our team’s prepared, but I don’t know. It just feels different to me. The significance of it. I think it's stronger than any game I’ve ever felt. I feel more pressure on this game for whatever reason than any game I've ever coached."