Seth Ryan, Rex Ryan's son, denied eligibiltiy by NJSIAA

Seth Ryan, a star defensive back on Summit's 11-1 football team in 2011, has been ruled ineligible by the NJSIAA.

The NJSIAA likened Ryan's situation to redshirting, where a player is intentionally held back a grade to mature physically or emotionally.

Numerous challenges to the ruling, which came down in June, have proven unsuccessful and the final appeal through an appellate court was denied two weeks ago, according to Summit (N.J.) head coach John Liberato.

When Ryan's father, Rex, was a coach with the Baltimore Ravens, Ryan attended school in Maryland. After his seventh- and eighth-grade seasons, Ryan's family considered holding him back for academic purposes, as then he was young for his grade.

The NJSIAA ruling on Ryan's appeal cited a desire to provide Ryan a chance to, "Mature physically and in other respects in order to reduce the disparity that existed between Ryan and his peers."

When Ryan remained with the Ravens each time, the family decided to delay holding him back, and he enrolled at Mount Hebron for high school.

Rex Ryan applied for and got the Jets coaching job the following season. After Seth's freshman year in which he played baseball and football, the family moved to Summit, where Ryan registered as a freshman.

Liberato said the timing made sense for the family, allowing Ryan to enter Summit as a freshman rather than as a sophomore transfer.

"They held him back here and he started high school. They thought it was the perfect timing. It really was the perfect timing," Liberato said.

The Ryan family was unaware of the NJSIAA's rule that any student has eligibility for eight consecutive semesters, regardless of where that student began high school.

"The rule is eight semesters, no matter where you start in the world," Liberato said. "If you were in Italy, started freshman year, then repeated freshman year [in New Jersey], that's the rule."

Similar situations have arisen in cases where players have transferred in from other states, particularly those in which players are allowed to participate in varsity sports before ninth grade, such as Pennsylvania or New York.

A high-profile example occurred in 2005, when a top girls basketball team was forced to forfeit nearly all of its wins for playing a senior who participated in varsity sports as an eighth grader playing across state lines in New York.

Following the conclusion of Ryan's junior season in which he made more than 26 tackles and two interceptions, Summit began the process of filing an appeal, which included a member of Summit's administration making a presentation at the NJSIAA headquarters, and later, a petition to the state's commissioner of education.

Liberato hoped that the appeal would be successful and an exception would be made to allow Ryan to play this season.

"There have been a lot of cases where kids have gotten fifth years for various reasons," he said. "When [Seth's father Rex] is one of 32 guys to have this job in the NFL, that's an extenuating circumstance."

One line in the NJSIAA ruling particularly bothered Liberato: "Ryan was a starter on an excellent football team; if he plays on a team for a fifth year, he would be taking playing time away from another student who only has four years of eligibility."

Liberato believes those details should not have factored into the decision.

"You're saying, if he wasn't on a real good football team, or wasn't a starter, you'd consider this? That's not really what the rule was about," he said.

Still, Liberato understands - and agrees with -  the rule, just not this particular ruling.

"I agree with the rule. I honestly do," he said. "But every situation has its own circumstances. Here is a family coming from Maryland, not knowing the rule. It doesn't make sense that they'd move here for athletic advantage."

Despite not being able to take the field with the rest of Summit's players, Ryan has remained an excellent teammate according to Liberato. He attended summer workouts, has not missed a practice, and wears a jersey with jeans on the sideline at every game. State rules prohibit him from being in full uniform.

His work ethic and dedication have impressed Liberato.

"He's there every day, supporting his classmates and his team. I think it speaks volumes of his character and his commitment," he said. "I'm disappointed for Seth because I feel he deserved to be on the field with his teammates."

Even without him, Summit sits at an impressive 8-0 and is the favorite to capture the North II, Section 3 title.

Despite some residents still not having power, the team expects to play Hillside this weekend, with Ryan watching and cheering from the sideline.