FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Logan Ryan made the rounds at Gillette Stadium before the game on Saturday, slapping high fives with Titans fans and Patriots fans in pregame.
The Titans cornerback has fond memories of his playing days in the stadium, where he played four seasons, and won two Super Bowl rings.
When the night was over, Ryan made Titans fans happy.
His return left a painful memory for Patriots fans, however – Ryan's nine-yard interception return for a touchdown with nine seconds left was the capping score in Tennessee's 20-13 playoff win over the Patriots.
"It's a great feeling," Ryan said. "It doesn't happen often – T.B. throwing pick-6s. But I just made right for the first one and earned some credibility from my teammates. No one will doubt my hands any more hopefully."
Earlier in the game, Ryan let a potential pick-6 escape his grasp.
"One thing I didn't do is I didn't get down on myself, and I kept the faith," Ryan said. "I felt like the ball was going to come to me because it came to me once. I had two opportunities today and I caught one and it helped seal the game. I'm very thankful I could do my part to help us win this game."
Ryan said he'll treasure the football from Saturday night's pick. It was his fifth interception of the season, counting the regular season.
"Every ball that I get, every interception, I give away to somebody," Ryan said. "I think (intercepting) Tom Brady, I'll keep it for my mantel. He has been a role model for me, and a lot of his work ethic I studied and tried to bring to Tennessee. That's the goat in my eyes, so I am happy I got one off of him."
