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ABC15's Craig Fouhy shares memory of late Arizona Cardinals coach Buddy Ryan

Posted at 5:03 PM, Jun 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-28 20:03:41-04

My time with former Arizona Cardinals coach Buddy Ryan dates back to the mid-1980s when I was the head football coach at a Division III college in Chicago.

Buddy was the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, and I got the chance to meet him at a coaching convention. Me talking the no-huddle spread offense, Buddy talking his "46" defense. And yes, his session was better attended than mine.

But he was extremely gracious, and he told me he'd never want to defend my spread offense. Let me tell you: That's something that sticks with you.

Buddy passed away on Tuesday. He will be dearly missed, mainly because he left an indelible mark on coaching -- and people.