Soul QB Vena Relies on Jersey Roots
Published on July 27, 2011 under Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
PHILADELPHIA (July 27, 2011) - Philadelphia Soul quarterback Ryan Vena has seen many changes in scenery on the way to Philadelphia, but one backdrop that has remained the same is his family.
Ryan was born in Red Bank, NJ and is the second of four children. When he was three years old, his family moved right outside of Denver, CO where he became a huge Denver Broncos fan and began to idolize Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. He was so much of a fan of his that he wears No. 7 partly because of him.
Ryan's love of football came from his father's love of the game. His father constantly put him in Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett jerseys and sat him in front of the television to watch Monday Night Football every week. His grandfather was also an important part in Ryan actually playing the game of football.
When it was time for Ryan to suit up himself, he began as a tight end, and then later made the move to tailback. Despite having success, Ryan made the move to quarterback when he was in eighth grade and led his team to the league championship.
"As I got older, I saw that I could throw the ball pretty good [.] and I felt like quarterbacks get a little more glory and it's a glamorous position," Ryan said. "You're going to get a lot of the accolades."
Ryan rode that momentum into a successful high school career where saw some attention from colleges, but a broken ankle early into his senior season turned some recruiters away.
At the end of the process, Ryan chose to attend Colgate for the 1996 season, who at the time was coming off an 0-11 season in 1995 and was riding a 12-game losing streak overall. Ryan said that he chose Colgate not just for his football career, but also because he wanted to go to what he saw as a top-notch academic institution.
"I knew that I couldn't play football forever and I wanted an education so my dad and I and my family thought that Colgate would be the best route," said Ryan.
When he got to Colgate, he was forced to wear No. 5 because No. 7 was preoccupied. The number change didn't affect Ryan as he went on to become not only one of the best quarterbacks in Colgate history, but in the history of the Patriot League.
Ryan's college career got off to an inauspicious beginning, however, right here in Philadelphia. Colgate was on its way to losing a school record 16th consecutive game against the University of Pennsylvania when he came in relief of the starting quarterback.
Ryan didn't play well and was quickly benched. He thought his playing days at Colgate were over until the following week, where during a meeting he was told that he was going to start the next game against Brown. Ryan took full advantage of the opportunity and helped Colgate win its first game in nearly two seasons, 44-27. The victory over Brown was the first of six consecutive wins for the Raiders. The team finished the year 6-5.
"It was great for a lot of those older guys who hadn't won a lot of games," Ryan said.
Ryan won a lot more games his last three seasons and picked up a lot of hardware before it was all said and done at Colgate. He finished his career as the Patriot League's all-time leading passer with 9,435 yards. He was the first player in Conference history to record more than 7,000 yards passing and more than 2,000 yards rushing.
Those numbers helped Ryan win Patriot League Player of the Year three times and helped the Raiders to two Patriot League titles.
Despite a decorated college career, Ryan saw little attention from NFL scouts. Ryan believed that it was mainly because of his 6-1 frame, which is short by NFL standards and the fact that he played in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division 1-AA).
Ryan did get a chance to play professional football when his former Colgate teammate Corey Hall put in a good word for him to play in af2, the former developmental league to the AFL.
He bounced in between both the af2 and the AFL until 2007, when he finally found a home with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. In his first season with the Pioneers, Ryan passed for 4,241 yards and 92 touchdowns earning him League Offensive Player of the Year honors as he led his team to the ArenaCup. Two years later, Ryan again led the Pioneers to an ArenaCup appearance. In total, Ryan passed for 23,817 yards and 440 touchdowns and rushed for 972 yards and 88 scores over six seasons in af2.
"We just had a bunch of great guys," Ryan said of the Pioneers. "There are probably five, six, seven guys who are still playing in this League now."
Ryan finally found a solid AFL home as a starter last season for the Iowa Barnstormers. Though he put up good numbers, the Barnstormers finished the season only 7-9.
He still impressed enough to get a call from the Philadelphia Soul initially as the backup. Not too long into the season, he was thrusted into the starting role.
Although there have been some bright spots for Ryan and the Soul this season, they have been outweighed by the lowlights. The Soul's struggles this season will result in the team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
"Yeah it's been tough," Ryan said. "Our record doesn't indicate how hard we work and how good of a team we really are to be honest with you."
Despite the struggles, Ryan still relies on the people who got him involved in the game when he was a child, his family. Ryan talks to his grandfather every week, who critiques his performances after watching them over the internet along with his mother. His father attends every home game and still gives Ryan the support he has given him since grade school.
Arena Football League Stories from July 27, 2011
- Mike Hohensee Resigns as Head Coach of the Soul - Philadelphia Soul
- Friday Night Shock Game to Air Live on KSKN - Spokane Shock
- Shock Add Depth and Experience to Line - Spokane Shock
- Barnstormer's Fenaroli Signs with Falcons - Iowa Barnstormers
- Predators Vs. Sharks to be Aired Live on NFL.com - AFL
- Soul QB Vena Relies on Jersey Roots - Philadelphia Soul
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