 Welcome. It's a very special day for us. It's amazing. I was looking at these notes. I have a few notes here because collecting back on the significance of today and you know the draft approaching on Thursday and we just had our final pre-draft meeting and our life was easier in 2008 because we kind of knew who our first two picks were gonna be and we knew the third pick was gonna be Matt Ryan. So obviously to have Matt have the story career that he's had with Atlanta Falcons and NFL and just unbelievable and to have him retire today is in Atlanta Falcons along with Sarah and the three boys are here today. So the twins are here and we had a little competition before. Each one thinks they're the smartest, the best athlete, best football player, best golfer, best whatever. Cal doesn't have an opinion yet but he's very happy to be here. So just as a reminder it's when I was going back and reading these notes and getting ready for today it amazed me really in the 14 years that we were graced with Matt as our franchise quarterback and leader really what he's accomplished. I'm gonna take a minute and just read some of this because it deserves it and if I don't I'm gonna feel badly about missing it. So during that period of time he set our franchise records for passing yards 59,735 yards. I don't know where the last 65 yards where we would have got to 60,000 on it. Completions, touchdowns, career passing rating, career completion percentage, career 300-yard game, 73 of them, the floor time pro bowler, record the most passing yards and completions to the first 14 seasons in NFL history. Stop and think about that. The most passing yards and completions in the history of the national football league in his first 14 years in the NFL. And obviously 2016 Matt offensive play of the year MVP took the Atlanta Falcons to its second opportunity to play in the Super Bowl but beyond all of that Super Bowl and incredible career as a falcon in the community he and Sarah both have been so active in so many ways supporting children's needs community needs folks that are underserved and underrepresented in a variety of ways he was nominated the Walter Peyton man of the year in 2016. So you know this is an exceptional football player but probably more exceptional as a human being as a husband as a father as a great friend he's been he's been beloved friend to me for that period of time to my whole family. They view Matt as kind of one of our own and he is one of our own and you're certainly one of the Atlanta's own so it's a great honor for me to be here today to represent our franchise and having Matt end his career as an Atlanta falcon so without further ado and Matt obviously be broadcasting seeing us on TV and hopefully following us with some wins as we embark on this coming season so Matt thank you for everything that always being there for the franchise for your teammates for the community for the fans for our sponsors there's nobody connected to this organization that Matt Ryan has not touched in the most positive way and he could not have had they better partner during that period of time and during his lifetime than his beautiful wife Sarah who when they go back to their college days in Boston so I still remember Matt and I were just reflecting I still remember the first time I met Matt was we made a trip to Boston College and he was he was hosting seven or eight of us for dinner and here he was a young man still in college hosted this whole group of folks from the Atlanta Falcons and did a remarkable job but hold hold in court answering questions commanding the table being present in every way and that really was exactly the way he led this franchise and played football for us for that for that period of time so the great friend a great human being and I'm proud to have Matt retire as an Atlanta Falcons so Matt thank you so much and come say a few words so Arthur kind of mentioned that dinner and said I was hosting I did not pick up the tab that evening so I wasn't really hosting but it really is amazing to me to be standing here 16 years after you know having that dinner up in Massachusetts and it's really been a blank but I want to start by thanking mr. blank for the opportunity of a lifetime I wanted nothing else you know as a kid other than to play professional sports and in April of 2008 you gave me that opportunity and I know draft picks are never you know an easy decision there's lots of options there's lots of ways you can go you know but for me it was a responsibility every day to make sure you guys were right and I tried to do that the best that I could for the 14 seasons here so thank you for the confidence then thank you for the confidence you know through those 14 years and thank you for the friendship you know that continues on I'll certainly always be pulling for Atlanta and the Falcons when you think about you know it being the end there's so many people that that helped you get to this point and three of them are sitting right here I can't believe you guys came out today so Todd Jenkins and Finn appreciate you guys coming but you guys were there from the start when I got here and I'm so thankful to to you guys and really to all the teammates that that made such an impact on my career and on my life you know there really is no team sport like football you're completely dependent on you know so many other people and I was so lucky to play with so many great ones to everybody in the organization you know I started thinking about like mr. blank mentioned that the number of people that you know I got to meet and he mentioned that you know that I impacted but it works both ways and so I was so fortunate for my 14 seasons here to be impacted by incredible coaches you know I think a head coaches starting with Mike Smith got to see him this morning which was incredible and you know I think of the impact that he had on my career right and I don't think you could ask for a better guy to start with you know as a young you know rookie and he's no nonsense no BS you know head coach and kind of laid out you know what it looked like to be a professional and how to lead men I learned a ton from him you know and then had the opportunity to play for Dan Quinn who you know in my opinion is is is one of the best when it comes to being able to connect you know with guys and understand you know what it takes to motivate people and I'm thankful to you know have spent my time with him and then the one season with Arthur Smith too was was incredible so you know to all those coaches to all my position coaches at the quarterback spot to all of the strength coaches the other position coaches that you know I had great relationships with and learned so much from it I just want to say thank you you know and then I think about trainers you know I saw Danny and Jake walking around the facility earlier today and I think back you know to all the time that that you spent in that training room trying to get going day in and day out just for practice or just to give yourself a chance to be able to play on a Sunday I'm so thankful there for them Marty Lizone who's here such a long time in my career he made an impact you know on me and and those guys were selfless in terms of you know giving up extra hours of night of the night or you know getting here at the crack of dawn to try and get your body ready to go so I'm so thankful to all of them the equipment guys you know they're like they're like extended family because you know you spend so much time in that locker room and they're there and just supporting you in every way and Brian Boydner and Jimmy Hay and just so many other guys you know that that were in there that went out of their way to make our lives easier and make my life easier I'm so thankful to have had those relationships and to have spent the time that I did with them you know the media the PR staff you know there's playing the quarterback position I feel like you you end up getting closer with these guys than maybe some of the other spots because you know there's so much that you're asked to do but during my time here you know it was the best in the business and I'm thankful for for all that you guys did for me to make my life easier during that time you know then community relations and the entire sports staff you know I don't I don't really know how to say thank you enough because these people were taken so much off of our plate to allow us to go out there and play field in my dad's crazy phone calls for tickets on a you know on a Friday or Saturday that I didn't even know about and so you know so many people in this building who did such an amazing job of supporting not only myself but you know all of the teammates that I had and I'm thankful for that and I really appreciate it also a big thank you to the folks in Indianapolis you know where I spent one year Mr. Ursay and you know Chris Ballard and that entire organization it was you know I don't think how either of us wanted it to go you know I think you know we were hoping for for a different result but I'm thankful for that opportunity you don't take it lightly in this league to to have the chance to go out there and play so thank you to everyone in Indianapolis and then you know on the personal side you know I want to thank my parents you know as a father of three and looking back to you know the sacrifices that my parents made for me and and giving me you know every opportunity to chase the dream that I wanted to chase you know I can't thank them enough and you know tell them that I love them and I appreciate everything that they did for me you know they're a huge part of the reason that I'm standing here today retiring from you know a 15-year career in the NFL I wouldn't have been able to do it without them and then my siblings you know my sister and my two brothers their ride or die you know and they felt it weekend and week out the wins and the losses the ups and the downs and they rode through every part of that with me and so a big thank you to them and then you know to my sons who are all sitting here Marshall Johnny and Cal you know my my one wish was that I could have you know played longer so that you guys would have been able to share in that spirit experience more than you did but I'm so thankful that you did get to experience some of the way that you did and more so than that I'm excited to see what you guys are going to become you know because at one point I was a six-year-old or a one-year-old with dreams of wanting to do this and I look at you guys and I know that everything in this life is in front of you and I'm excited to see the men that you're going to become because I really think you guys are going to be special and then you know finally before I'll open it up to some questions I want I want to thank Sarah I would not have had the career that I had without you and I pride it myself on coming into the building every day with the same mindset and being consistent for my teammates but I know I wasn't that for you when I came home and you are the one person on the planet who saw how it was really every day for me and I would not have been able to to ride the highs or to endure the lows without your support and I know that that meant a lot of sacrificing on your end and I just want to tell you thank you for allowing me to be able to chase this dream that I wanted to at the cost of time spent together and now I got some more time to to spend it together and hopefully that'll be good but I'm so thankful and I love you so much and I really believe that you know my time as a player was as successful as it was because of you and I love you for that so thank you so much finally to the fans of Atlanta I want to say thank you you know I think for the 14 years that that I was the quarterback here I felt the passion and the energy all the time and it wasn't all smooth sailing you know there were ups and downs and I'm sure lots of frustration and lots of you know enjoyable times as well but I never took it lightly you know I kind of understood the the position and the responsibility you know that that that I had and I tried to do it as best as I could every day to come out and and to be the best version of myself and and try and be the best quarterback I could be for this organization for this city and so I want to say thank you for for the continued support it was a hell of a ride and you know I'm excited to to see what's next you know this next chapter of life but you know and and kind of see where that takes us but today you know it's it's exciting for me because you know you never have control in this profession of where you're going to start and I could not have been luckier you know that that it was a start here in Atlanta and it went for 14 years and now I can bookend it and and retire as a falcon today so thank you for that opportunity I appreciate it and with that I'll open it up to any questions that you guys might have the letters last time you get to go first the last press conference I do that that you go first that's right there's no notes you're on a computer what is this I don't even know this yeah yeah well I just yeah I just signed the one day contract prior to coming down here I feel like it was a team this was one of the team-friendly deals that that I took the hometown discount no they were always team friendly yeah no so I think I'm not expert on that but I think that paperwork goes in tomorrow and just take us back to the beginning you know Bill Musgraves yeah first pass that's it right there that's it that was also Mike Jenkins on the sideline yeah bench route just you know those memorable moments at the beginning yeah I'll let you know hey this might be we might be alone right here for yourself I mean I was flying by the seat of my pants like I had no idea what I was doing and you know I think back to it though you know so Bill Musgraves I'm so thankful for Bill and in the first three years that I had with him I mean he helped me so much in terms of time management I have this kind of you know acronym that that I've lived by since then it's TSVR and Bill was the one who taught me a time spent value received and I think it was an incredibly valuable lesson you know at an early age was you know let's let's invest our time and stuff that's actually gonna impact us playing well and impact us winning football games and honestly it's something that I carried through and really tried to excuse me really tried to you know do for my 14 years here in the year in Indy so you know that that was awesome but you know think back on that first touchdown pass to jank I remember on Friday I would meet with Mike Malarkey and go through the first 15 plays and I was sitting in his office that Friday and I was like Mike you know I'd really love I'd really love to get a completion early on you know just something easy right and so I think we were like zero I think we called it like zero strong 62 Comet sink was was the formation the play call whatever and so the front side of it is like curl flat it's like the first the first concept you learn you know when you're in you know fifths whatever grade now you know and all we're gonna do is key kind of the hook defender and he's like they play X amount of you know this cover six so quarter quarter half you're gonna be front side they play like 95% of the time the only other thing they play is this one thing where they roll the roll the safety down weak and it's gonna be the single high coverage if so you know just just throw this game post if you miss it in the dirt it's no big deal we'll move it to the next one so I'm up there I get under center and I'm like all right it's third play the game I think we ran the ball twice to Michael Turner and I get under and I'm like all right please give me cover six so I can throw this flat route as fast as I can you know get it get it out of my hands as quick as possible and sure enough I'm sure Jank probably saw it the same way the safety start rotating pre snap and I'm like holy shit I gotta throw this skinny post I gotta let it rip and I hit my back foot and Jank ran a great route he was you know so good at those timing routes whether it was the semis whether it was a skinny post but if you're talking about guy who ran routes on time on the right steps was exactly where he needed to be when he was supposed to be there that was Michael Jenkins and so I don't remember celebrating I've seen the clips of it you know obviously afterwards I was losing my mind but you know that that was a really cool start and then that Chicago game was crazy I you know I think back to how much the league has changed you know you think you think about like all the defenses that you know you accumulate seeing through through the 15 years of playing and you know I think we were like expecting you know that that picket fence defense on the sideline we you know somebody just defending the boundary and they came out and played cover two and I'm like oh my god this is gonna be open like this is this is crazy and sure enough Jank is exactly where we needed him to be you know when he was supposed to be there but that season was so much fun and it's such a blur and I wish you know with the players that are sitting here you know I wish I was a more experienced player at that time for them because I really think I could have helped them you know I was still cutting my teeth and trying to figure things out that football team was good you know was was was really good there was a lot of talent all over that team and you know I was trying to do the best that I could but I eventually turned into a better player than I was that rookie year and you know that's the thing you look back on you wish you know you could have been more experienced for guys like Todd or Brian so many others. Matt, how proud of you are you of your durability over the years and also how proud is it for you now that it's all over not just to be a revered falcon but to be one of the most revered players to ever play in the city of Atlanta. I'll start with the the durability I think you know I think it's always interesting the things that happen in your life along the way that kind of shape who you are and I think you know as you're raising kids you start to see like there's you don't know what moments are going to be impactful or the things that you're going to hold on to but I think it's little things you know that that kind of add up and I remember you know growing up I had an uncle who played at Boston College and his name was John Lockery and he broke his thumb when he was at BC and the guy that came in and replaced him was Doug Flutie and I remember like being like man if you get your chance you know like there's good players all over the place you've got to be able to get back out on the field every week and do it and produce no matter how you're feeling sometimes you're not going to feel great and so it was a little thing like that that that kind of you know I heard the story when I was like six or seven and it just kind of never left and and then I took that to heart you know of I'm gonna do everything I can in terms of training in terms of you know taking care of my body in terms of doing the rehab that I need to do and then sometimes just gutting it out you know sometimes it's you can do all that stuff and it's still gonna hurt and and so I'm proud of that I look back at it now and I'm kind of like how did you do like what were what were you doing you know like but but I loved it and and I loved every minute of that and partly I think as athletes what makes you feel so alive too is is knowing that you can grind through things and you can go out there and you can get it done so I am proud of that you know I feel like you know the organization paid me a great contract and it was my responsibility to be able to show up and earn it you know every week and I took that seriously and then as far as you know looking back and you know how other people see you and you know I'm just proud to be a part of it you know there's there's some unbelievable athletes who have come through Atlanta you know whether you're talking about Dominique or Chipper or you name the pitcher for the Braves right like there's just some unbelievable guys that that have come through this city and been able to play at a high level for a long time and just to even be mentioned you know with with those guys to me you know I think back of those Braves guys they like ruined my childhood growing up as a Phillies fan so then I got to meet them and I'm like really like so you know to be a part of that conversation is special to me thank you yeah I think I think there's I don't I'm not sure you're ever like truly you know give in to the fact that you're no longer a player right like I don't know if that part ever kind of leaves you yeah but the year in Indy was tough and so on my family you know Sarah was pregnant with Cal and it for me you know it was the time in life and the time for us as a family that you know what my guys were starting school things there there were other things outside of just myself that that were important to me and so I think that was probably the the driving force for me saying alright let's explore you know what other avenues are out there and I got to do it you know selfishly I got to do it for a long time and like I mentioned you know Sarah took so much off of that but at some point you know marriage is a team and you know you've you've got to play your role and so I think that's what kind of gives me peace you know with with all of it is I think you know moving away and kind of finding other things to do is better for where we're at right now a couple questions one Matt Ryan the television analyst yes and yes but I mean so I feel like I would be harder on myself you know as an analyst and you know I was so thankful to be able to do that this past season too I really enjoyed you know working for CBS and calling games with with the crew that I got to call them with you know as far as the other stuff I think my body of work is strong you know and I think I did a lot of things the right way but ultimately it's not really my call and so it doesn't really make a difference but I'll say this I'm really proud of the things that that I accomplished we accomplished as a group and if you would have told me at 15 you know that that this was the way it was going to shake out I would have signed up for it every time how frustrating or does it pain you to not win that Super Bowl obviously when you so you all were so close yeah yes you know it hurts I think that's you know it's one of the things I think that is always a part of you right you know that that falling short of what you ultimately set out to do is is tough but that's life you know there's so many things in your life that are gonna go that way and you know you've got to pick up and move on I remember seeing a Winston Churchill quote and it's you know successes and final and failures not fatal what counts is the courage to continue on and I think back to to that is you know of course we would have loved to have won that and of course it still hurts but you've got to have the courage to continue on and one of the things I was most proud of you know in my career is is that 2017 football team of having to answer the question that I still get asked you know every day for the course of that season and grinding our way back into the playoffs winning a playoff game out in LA and then ultimately you know falling a little short in Philadelphia that was that was a hard season on that group and you know it was a resilient and tough bunch if you go back 16 years today draft is you know days away you've done all the work yeah do you have expectations of what you I take me back now and go back yeah do you have an expectation or what you wanted out of the team that drafted you and how did the Falcons kind of serve power fit fit what you were expecting well I wish they would give me the heads up that the work was already done and they knew it was going to happen at three because I didn't know you know so that would have been nice a couple days prior but you know at that point I mean it's such a whirlwind right a whirlwind and and so I remember I was in New York at the time the draft was was in New York so I was up there a couple days early and kind of doing that run around and I think honestly you know being so busy with all that stuff was probably exactly what was good for me at the time right not over not just sitting around thinking about the what ifs and what's going to happen and where am I going to end up I think I was at peace you know at that point and I was young and dumb which is you know there's there's a lot of beauty to that as well of just you know wherever I end up I'm going to get you know to work as fast as possible and I'm fortunate you know for me it was here all right I wonder if for the last couple years you know you're in Indy one of those years but not being here how much did you watch the Falcons what was it like for you watching the Falcons particularly the last year watching them from the broadcast yeah it was Indy was strange I remember I didn't you know when you're playing you don't you don't see it as much so I didn't see them play all that much but I remember being I forget where we were in the preseason and they were playing the night before and and they were on and I remember sitting in the like the team meal room and being like wow this is that part that was weird you know it was strange but commentating you know I think was I thought it was a really cool experience I think it's difficult you know because there's obviously you know personal relationships that that are there but I really enjoyed it and I'll say this you know to Arthur's credit it was the best booth to commentate from in the NFL I will I will say that Mercedes Benz Stadium was phenomenal the food the layout at halftime was was exceptional but honestly the van the vantage point that the view lines it's an incredible place to call a game and so that that was special it was it was really weird calling in New Orleans Falcons game you know in the dome of like alright I'm gonna be I'm gonna be fair here as much as it might pain me to be fair I'm gonna be fair but you know that that part I really you know enjoyed it but I've always viewed the commentating portion of it as you know I was hard on myself and so you know I think as a player you look at things and you can say I view it the same way as I would tell myself you have to make that play or you know you shouldn't have made whatever it is right you know I kind of view it from from that standpoint so I actually you know viewed the commentating it as as a lot of fun yeah I think you know the lot I think everybody says it but being in the locker room right and you know not just like joking around or whatever in the locker room but there's a feeling you get when you when you put in this hard work collectively and you see that other people are sacrificing for you that there's like this mutual respect and like that portion of it I'll miss you know of knowing that I've exhausted myself and I've seen you do the same thing and I can trust you that that trust level is something that is hard to find we weren't that tight in the booth you know you know we weren't out there you know doing training camp practices or whatever but it's just different and so I missed that portion of it oddly enough and I thought this was strange but like last season you know I missed the physicality of it a little bit which is crazy I feel like people are like does it feel how does it feel to not get hit and like I feel much better on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday but like I don't know if you guys ever felt the same way there's there's something like I miss that part of it of like getting it and getting up and and like pushing through I'll miss that you know portion of it so those those are probably the the two biggest things Kyle's old enough 15-20 years from now and as my dad Matt Ryan played me in the league as a falcon you know as as a guy that was you know committed to the city for a long time and these guys have access on their phone at any time right so it's a lot easier for them to see highlights of the career than it was for you know me growing up but yeah it'll be I don't know how to answer it to be honest with you but I did it you know I hope he thinks I did it the right way and you know that's what I always tried to do you know was show up day in and day out and approach it the right way work the right way compete the right way and and try and be you know a good ambassador for the organization that was putting so much trust to me I know this I don't want to coach I'm certain of that yeah no I feel like I you know you put so much into it as a player for for 15 years and you know there's this immediate you know kind of withdrawal from it but I know what those you know roles look like and how invested and how hard those guys have to work and the level of expertise and work that it takes to get there and so no I haven't had any of those conversations I've really been enjoying kind of did the broadcast side of it and I've had a lot of fun with that did you get any other offer after you left in the net that didn't work out did anybody approach you about playing on did you get any serious offer of anything you considered or was that the end of it yeah I had multiple conversations but nothing nothing that you know obviously nothing that I wanted to do these guys know I probably wouldn't be the best probably wouldn't be the best guy to not be in charge could I play now yeah no I don't I mean I haven't been training but I'll tell a funny story it so I was I wasn't training last year and I was coaching my kids the boys flag football team so at the last practice all these kids wanted to see if they could catch like 60-yard passes I was like oh man I don't know it was the first time I had thrown like legitimately my arm was absolutely killing me the next day and so to answer your question no I don't think I can show up and play today haven't had the opportunity to interview you three times a week for 14 straight seasons we can go around the room everybody I could take back a few things maybe everybody could yeah that'd be all right all right you're the best you know all right thank you guys so much appreciate everybody coming today thank you very much thank you thank you all right your turn