Denver Native (Carol)
12-04-2009, 09:41 PM
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=334&storyID=9635
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With his 15th birthday right around the corner, Ryan McBean made a life-altering move -- literally.
Accompanied by his older brother, McBean packed up his belongings and departed his homeland of Kingston, Jamaica. His destination? America. His mission? Two-fold: reunite with his family and make a name for himself in his new surroundings.
McBean remembers his flight into the states as if it was yesterday.
"I was speechless," McBean said of his impressions upon first landing at La Guardia Airport. "I got off the plane and was thinking this is a new beginning. Jamaica wasn't really all that. The 15 years that I lived there, it wasn't really something that I enjoyed. I came to the states and it was a breath of fresh air. I was like, 'OK, finally a place where I could do something or be something.'"
After accomplishing his first goal -- reuniting with his mother, Donnett, and his three other siblings living in the states -- McBean sought his second goal: a fresh start.
After living in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the first three months of his new start in America, McBean and his family moved to Fort Worth, Texas.
Following a year in junior high, McBean enrolled in Trinity High School in Euless, Texas. Soon, he came to the conclusion that he needed an after school activity to keep himself busy. So he thought he would try his hand at a team sport.
During his childhood, McBean was an avid soccer fan. Football, on the other hand, was another story.
"I knew about American football, I just didn't know how to play it," McBean said. "I didn't know too much about it. "
Nonetheless, McBean was willing to submerge himself in unchartered territory. He joined the football team during his freshman year of high school, and it certainly was a new experience.
"I didn't even know how to put the pads on at first," McBean recalled. "I was putting everything on in the wrong place."
At first, McBean's high school coaches tried him at every position from offensive guard, to tight end, to linebacker. You name it, McBean played it.
But eventually, as McBean began to learn the ins and outs of the game, he found his niche. Entering his junior year, McBean earned a spot on the Trinity varsity team, where his coaches slotted him into a new role as a defensive end.
The position change fit McBean like a glove. He wasn't just getting comfortable with the sport, he was excelling at it. By the time his senior year rolled around, McBean was recognized as a first-team all-district selection and named the district's Defensive MVP.
Soon, more than just local reporters and high school foes were taking notice of his production on the field.
Although his skills were raw at the time, plenty of premier Division-I schools attracted McBean's attention. His first college call came from Notre Dame, but his ACT and SAT scores proved to be a roadblock.
Thus, McBean went the junior college route, going to Hinds Community College in Hinds, Miss. Although it wasn't the D-I path he had hoped to venture down, McBean shined on the field during his three semesters at the junior college. He started all 20 games he played in two years at Hinds and was a first-team all-conference selection as a sophomore after posting 58 tackles and seven sacks that year.
Not too many schools knew he would be available to play D-I after his third semester, but the few that did -- Marshall, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State -- were all in heavy pursuit of his services.
McBean elected to join OSU, becoming a standout defensive lineman for the Cowboys during his two season in Stillwater, starting 23 games for the squad and totaling 62 tackles, 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
The 6-foot-5, 297-pounder went on to be selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Looking back on that occasion, McBean admits he had the wrong mindset upon entering the league.
"When I got drafted, I was kind of mad because I thought I was going to be able to be drafted in a higher round," he said. "I think that hurt me, for not taking (being drafted) as being blessed."
All in all, McBean's career on the pro circuit got off to a slow start in Pittsburgh. He spent the first 13 games of the 2007 season on the Steelers' practice squad before being signed to the team's active for the final five games of the year. Prior to the 2008 season, McBean was eager to make a larger impact with the Steelers, but he broke his foot in the offseason and was waived by the team following training camp in late August.
Despite those setbacks, McBean was still focused on flipping his fortunes and showcasing his skill set in the NFL. He knew full well that other players, such as his then-teammate James Harrison, had gone from forgotten names to superstar status. He believed he could follow that same path to success.
"I look up to guys like that because they made the impossible possible," McBean said. "They were castaway guys that decided, 'You know what, I want to do something with my career, I've just got to step up.'"
Signed to Denver's practice squad on Sep. 1, 2008, McBean has certainly made the most of his opportunities this season. After making his first career start in the Broncos' season-opener against Cincinnati, he has gone on to start nine games for the club, notching 15 tackles while contributing to a defense that ranks fifth in the league at 295 yards allowed per game.
The second-year pro credits the hardships he endured in Pittsburgh as building blocks to learning what it takes to make it in the pros.
"Being there helped me be the player that I am today and the player that I want to be in the future," he said. "Hanging out with those guys and seeing how they went about their business just helped me when I came here."
After learning from a host of veterans in Pittsburgh -- and now accompanied by the likes of Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey within Denver's locker room -- McBean said he takes the game more seriously now than he ever has before.
And his coaches, who see him on a day-to-day basis, can certainly attest to that statement.
"He is very professional," defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely said. "He comes to work and that is all I can say … He gives you great effort."
Although those remarks are flattering by themselves, perhaps most encouraging is the fact that McBean's coaches believe the sky is the limit for him.
"He is very raw," defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said. "He has a long way to go to get to where he'll actually be one day. Some guys are closer to the final product than others when they are young players because they don't have much upside. Ryan has a lot of upside and hopefully he just keeps getting better each and every day and week."
McBean said he feels the same way, and believes he can improve his craft as he continues to grow as a player. After all, he admits he is still learning the game.
"There have been games where I've said, 'Man, I could have made this play if I did this or if I did that,'" he said. "I've just got to stay humble and stay consistent with the things that I do on the field and off the field. With that, everything else will fall in place."
One thing is for sure: McBean never plans on taking football for granted. After getting a late start into the game, he realizes full well that every day he wants to be a winner.
"You don't understand," McBean said, calmly sitting at his locker. "I came from so far, so I tell myself every morning, 'If I don't know where I am coming from, where will I go?' I try to live by that motto."
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With his 15th birthday right around the corner, Ryan McBean made a life-altering move -- literally.
Accompanied by his older brother, McBean packed up his belongings and departed his homeland of Kingston, Jamaica. His destination? America. His mission? Two-fold: reunite with his family and make a name for himself in his new surroundings.
McBean remembers his flight into the states as if it was yesterday.
"I was speechless," McBean said of his impressions upon first landing at La Guardia Airport. "I got off the plane and was thinking this is a new beginning. Jamaica wasn't really all that. The 15 years that I lived there, it wasn't really something that I enjoyed. I came to the states and it was a breath of fresh air. I was like, 'OK, finally a place where I could do something or be something.'"
After accomplishing his first goal -- reuniting with his mother, Donnett, and his three other siblings living in the states -- McBean sought his second goal: a fresh start.
After living in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the first three months of his new start in America, McBean and his family moved to Fort Worth, Texas.
Following a year in junior high, McBean enrolled in Trinity High School in Euless, Texas. Soon, he came to the conclusion that he needed an after school activity to keep himself busy. So he thought he would try his hand at a team sport.
During his childhood, McBean was an avid soccer fan. Football, on the other hand, was another story.
"I knew about American football, I just didn't know how to play it," McBean said. "I didn't know too much about it. "
Nonetheless, McBean was willing to submerge himself in unchartered territory. He joined the football team during his freshman year of high school, and it certainly was a new experience.
"I didn't even know how to put the pads on at first," McBean recalled. "I was putting everything on in the wrong place."
At first, McBean's high school coaches tried him at every position from offensive guard, to tight end, to linebacker. You name it, McBean played it.
But eventually, as McBean began to learn the ins and outs of the game, he found his niche. Entering his junior year, McBean earned a spot on the Trinity varsity team, where his coaches slotted him into a new role as a defensive end.
The position change fit McBean like a glove. He wasn't just getting comfortable with the sport, he was excelling at it. By the time his senior year rolled around, McBean was recognized as a first-team all-district selection and named the district's Defensive MVP.
Soon, more than just local reporters and high school foes were taking notice of his production on the field.
Although his skills were raw at the time, plenty of premier Division-I schools attracted McBean's attention. His first college call came from Notre Dame, but his ACT and SAT scores proved to be a roadblock.
Thus, McBean went the junior college route, going to Hinds Community College in Hinds, Miss. Although it wasn't the D-I path he had hoped to venture down, McBean shined on the field during his three semesters at the junior college. He started all 20 games he played in two years at Hinds and was a first-team all-conference selection as a sophomore after posting 58 tackles and seven sacks that year.
Not too many schools knew he would be available to play D-I after his third semester, but the few that did -- Marshall, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State -- were all in heavy pursuit of his services.
McBean elected to join OSU, becoming a standout defensive lineman for the Cowboys during his two season in Stillwater, starting 23 games for the squad and totaling 62 tackles, 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
The 6-foot-5, 297-pounder went on to be selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Looking back on that occasion, McBean admits he had the wrong mindset upon entering the league.
"When I got drafted, I was kind of mad because I thought I was going to be able to be drafted in a higher round," he said. "I think that hurt me, for not taking (being drafted) as being blessed."
All in all, McBean's career on the pro circuit got off to a slow start in Pittsburgh. He spent the first 13 games of the 2007 season on the Steelers' practice squad before being signed to the team's active for the final five games of the year. Prior to the 2008 season, McBean was eager to make a larger impact with the Steelers, but he broke his foot in the offseason and was waived by the team following training camp in late August.
Despite those setbacks, McBean was still focused on flipping his fortunes and showcasing his skill set in the NFL. He knew full well that other players, such as his then-teammate James Harrison, had gone from forgotten names to superstar status. He believed he could follow that same path to success.
"I look up to guys like that because they made the impossible possible," McBean said. "They were castaway guys that decided, 'You know what, I want to do something with my career, I've just got to step up.'"
Signed to Denver's practice squad on Sep. 1, 2008, McBean has certainly made the most of his opportunities this season. After making his first career start in the Broncos' season-opener against Cincinnati, he has gone on to start nine games for the club, notching 15 tackles while contributing to a defense that ranks fifth in the league at 295 yards allowed per game.
The second-year pro credits the hardships he endured in Pittsburgh as building blocks to learning what it takes to make it in the pros.
"Being there helped me be the player that I am today and the player that I want to be in the future," he said. "Hanging out with those guys and seeing how they went about their business just helped me when I came here."
After learning from a host of veterans in Pittsburgh -- and now accompanied by the likes of Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey within Denver's locker room -- McBean said he takes the game more seriously now than he ever has before.
And his coaches, who see him on a day-to-day basis, can certainly attest to that statement.
"He is very professional," defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely said. "He comes to work and that is all I can say … He gives you great effort."
Although those remarks are flattering by themselves, perhaps most encouraging is the fact that McBean's coaches believe the sky is the limit for him.
"He is very raw," defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said. "He has a long way to go to get to where he'll actually be one day. Some guys are closer to the final product than others when they are young players because they don't have much upside. Ryan has a lot of upside and hopefully he just keeps getting better each and every day and week."
McBean said he feels the same way, and believes he can improve his craft as he continues to grow as a player. After all, he admits he is still learning the game.
"There have been games where I've said, 'Man, I could have made this play if I did this or if I did that,'" he said. "I've just got to stay humble and stay consistent with the things that I do on the field and off the field. With that, everything else will fall in place."
One thing is for sure: McBean never plans on taking football for granted. After getting a late start into the game, he realizes full well that every day he wants to be a winner.
"You don't understand," McBean said, calmly sitting at his locker. "I came from so far, so I tell myself every morning, 'If I don't know where I am coming from, where will I go?' I try to live by that motto."