Ryan was a prominent
end and
fullback and
punter for
Dan McGugin's
Vanderbilt Commodores football team of the
Vanderbilt University from
1920 to
1921 and
1923 to
1924. He was also a guard on the
basketball team, selected All-Southern by some writers in 1922.
1921 In a 34–0 victory over
Middle Tennessee State Normal,
The Commodore, Vanderbilt's
yearbook, reported the lone plus of the
passing game, stating "Practically the only thing of note was the aerial efficiency—
Kuhn to Ryan and Kuhn to
McCullough." The Commodores upset the
Texas Longhorns 20–0. On a third down, at some point near the middle of the second quarter, Texas' Ivan Robertson, with the Commodores' Tom Ryan and
Tex Bradford running after him, threw a pass not near a single Longhorn; which was
intercepted by Vanderbilt's captain
Pink Wade. Wade returned the interception for 65 yards and the first touchdown of the game. In the effective
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship game, Vanderbilt tied the favored
Georgia Bulldogs in the final quarter using a trick onside punt kicked by Ryan. Ryan lined up to punt.
Rupert Smith sneaked in behind Ryan, and rushed to recover the 25-yard
onside kick. Smith jumped up to get the ball off the bounce among a hoard of Bulldogs, after they had let it bounce, including the outstretched arms of the Bulldogs' Hartley, and raced for a 15-yard touchdown. Vanderbilt therefore tied for a conference title. Ryan was on
Walter Camp's list of all players worthy of mention.
1922 Ryan did not return for the 1922 season, preferring to stay an adjunct of the
oil industry in
Tampico, Mexico.
1923 The school's last football conference title to date came in 1923. In the 3–0 loss to national champion
Michigan, Ryan had a fine game, out-
punting the famed
Harry Kipke.
1924 Vanderbilt beat
Georgia Tech in Atlanta for the first time since
1906 on a
Hek Wakefield drop kick. The punting battle between
Doug Wycoff and Ryan was one of the few noted features of the game. The first touchdown drive of the 16–0 win over
Minnesota ended when Ryan broke through a hole created by
Bob Rives, finishing a 63-yard march. Ryan was selected
All-Southern by his teammates. ==References==