Former NFL head coach and host Rex Ryan has been in the midst of trouble lately. Ryan was arrested on Nov. 11 for an alleged hit-and-run case on a busy Nashville street the week before. Despite the arrest, ESPN has reportedly decided to welcome back its analyst during Sunday’s pregame show.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“‘As of now, Rex will appear as scheduled, including on Sunday NFL Countdown,’ ESPN said on Saturday night,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported. “It’s not believed that Ryan will be addressing the matter on the air.”
According to several reports, Ryan was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run incident involving two pedestrians just before midnight on Nov. 5, with him running his truck over the pedestrians’ feet.
According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Ryan, a former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills coach, was turning right from 4th Avenue when the pedestrians were crossing Broadway from 4th Avenue. The pedestrians also had the walk signs. Ryan then ran over their feet, making contact with one of the individuals’ legs, who was female.
“The pedestrians said the vehicle kept going, but stopped for the red light at Broadway and Representative John Lewis Way, where they waved down the driver. They said he stepped out of the truck to argue with them, got back in, and drove away,” the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department further stated.
But Ryan’s actions were caught on camera by the victims, Michael Holland, an attorney, and his wife. The couple took a photo of Ryan’s car’s license plate before he headed off after the argument. Ryan also told his name to the victims, which made it easier for them to identify him to the police after a “quick Google search,” TMZ reported.
This made the work for the police more efficient, as they were able to identify Ryan themselves when the victims went to them to issue a warrant. While the footage of the incident has not been reviewed yet, Ryan reportedly turned himself in to the authorities.
The 63-year-old is now facing six misdemeanor arrest warrants: two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failure to give information/render aid, and two counts of failure to obey a traffic control signal. Amid the arrest, ESPN said that they were “aware” of the incident and “in touch with Rex.”
Meanwhile, Ryan’s Nashville attorneys David and Ben Raybin released a statement as well.
“Coach Ryan immediately surrendered to authorities upon learning of the misdemeanor charges and was released without being required to post bond,” they said. “From the outset, Coach Ryan has been fully cooperative with law enforcement, and he intends to remain fully cooperative as this matter moves forward. Because this case is in its early stages, we currently have limited information regarding the allegations. We will conduct a thorough investigation and address the facts through the appropriate legal process.”
Ryan’s bond was set at $6,000. Amid the ongoing case, the victims have also opened up about the scary incident.
Victims of the Rex Ryan Hit-and-Run Incident Have Further Revealed Details
While Ryan prepares for what would probably be a hectic ESPN NFL Countdown show, Michael Holland reached the California Post for an exclusive interview, talking about the incident that caused him and his wife minor injuries, and the more serious repercussions that could have “almost killed” his wife.
“If we had been six inches further out, I’d be in a hospital right now and so would my wife,” said Holland
Holland claimed that the two were walking with a green walk signal on, but Ryan “didn’t care” and ran over them with his “over-6,000-pound vehicle.” Ryan allegedly ran over their feet and apparently injured Holland’s wife’s legs in the incident, with Holland claiming that they lost some of their toenails, while his wife’s leg was “scraped up.”
Holland further said that Ryan’s license plate has “HIT QBS” written on it, being a New York plate, of which he took a photo before calling the police, as he thought Ryan “was really going to hurt somebody.”
At last, Holland described the whole scenario as “shocking” and “really scary.” But for now, Ryan will reportedly be back on Sunday’s ESPN show while the police and the law further investigate the matter.