Jets coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday that his dad, former NFL coach Buddy Ryan, is battling cancer.
“It’s going to take more than this to get rid of him,” Rex Ryan told the New York Daily News. “That’s what he always says.”
Rex Ryan did not say what type of cancer his dad has, other than to say it is not melanoma, which Buddy Ryan has had twice before.
“He’s 80 years old, but he’s doing great. He’s tougher than s---,” Rex Ryan said. “He’s had other things in his life. He overcame encephalitis. He’s overcome cancer twice. He’s tough.”
Buddy Ryan coached in the NFL for three decades as head coach of the Eagles and Cardinals, defensive coordinator of the Bears, Vikings and Oilers, and linebackers coach of the Jets.