ATLANTA — On the day that Falcons great Matt Ryan announced his farewell to the NFL, he shared a thank you to the city that he called home for most of his career and a city that loved him: Atlanta.
"I am so lucky that my start and now my finish is here in Atlanta," Ryan said in a video shared from the Falcons X account.
The former Falcons quarterback announced Monday that he was retiring from his professional football career, which began in 2008, when he was drafted right out of Boston College to join the Falcons franchise. He spent nearly his entire career -- 14 years -- in Atlanta before a short stint as QB for the Indianapolis Colts.
During the video, interspersed with career highlights during his time with the team, Ryan narrates his letter and underscores all that he learned about "what it means to be a true professional."
"For the rest of my career, I always tried to be that example for other teammates," Ryan said while praising his fellow players, the coaching staff and the Falcons' leadership.
"I was lucky to be surrounded by so many great teammates and coaches," he said.
But, it was for the Atlanta Falcons fans, for whom Ryan shared the most thanks:
"Thank you to all the Falcons fans for your continued support. Through the highs and the lows, I always felt your energy and passion. I want you to know that every day, I felt the responsibility to give you the best version of myself," he wrote.
You can read the full letter below the tweet:
April 26, 2008. My lifelong dream came true.
Ever since I can remember all I ever wanted to do was to play professional sports. And on that Saturday in New York City, the Atlanta Falcons gave me that chance.
Thank you to Arthur Blank, Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff for making that dream of mine a reality.
My first season was special.
I learned quickly from veteran teammates, like Todd McClure, Keith Brooking, Brian Finneran, Lawyer Milloy, John Abraham and a whole bunch of others, what it took to be a true professional, and for the rest of my career, I always tried to be that example for other teammates.
Football is the ultimate team sport, and your teammates and coaches make enjoying the highs so much higher and navigating the lows all the more bearable.
I was lucky to be surrounded by so many great teammates and coaches.
I learned very quickly what greatness looked like, from Roddy White, Tony Gonzales and Michael Turner. A few years later enters Julio Jones, and for 10 years, I was lucky to be his teammate.
Seven years with Mike Smith as a head coach and six with Dan Quinn made me learn what leading men truly looked like and shaped my views on leadership significantly. I'm so thankful to have played for those guys for so long and appreciated my one year with Arthur Smith.
I truly believe that football, like life, is not simply about what you do, but rather, who you do it with, and I was a better player because of the people I was surrounded by.
So, today, 16 years after being drafted, my childhood dream has officially come to an end.
I'm honored to retire as a Falcon.
Thank you to all the Falcons fans for your continued support. Through the highs and the lows, I always felt your energy and passion. I want you to know that every day, I felt the responsibility to give you the best version of myself.
While we didn't accomplish everything we had hoped, I am proud of what we did, and know I gave everything I could to be the best I possibly could.
You have no control in this profession of where you start. I am so lucky that my start and now my finish is here in Atlanta.
-Matt Ryan