RENTON, Wash. — Marshawn Lynch might be "Beast Mode," but he's no ninja.
That title in the Seattle Seahawks locker room belongs to the punter.
No, Jon Ryan is not like other punters. From throwing a touchdown pass in the NFC championship game, to his appearance on the TV show American Ninja Warrior, to his engagement to popular comedian Sarah Colonna, Ryan has received more attention in the past seven months than most punters receive in their careers.
"I think I get recognized more. It's a very (highly) watched television program," Ryan said.
Now entering his eighth season with the Seahawks, Ryan is one of Seattle's more engaging personalities. But his exposure was taken to another level when he took part in the TV show during the offseason, showing that punters do more than just kick the football on fourth down.
Taping for the show took place in mid-March but the episode did not air on NBC until late May. With Kearse and Seattle fullback Derrick Coleman watching in person, Ryan made it through the first two obstacles on the course before falling off a spinning platform.
Ryan said he knew he needed to hold back a little bit, not wanting to risk injury to his primary occupation. One of the challenges on the day of the event was being in the first group to go and not being able to watch how others tried to make it through the course.
Now that he's gone through the process, Ryan said the opportunity only made him want try again.
