Ball State linebackers Ben Ingle and Zack Ryan are a little different, at least that’s what Ball State football defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Kevin Kelly said.
Different is an understatement.
“We’re really pretty weird,” Ryan said. “It’s funny when you see us together, because we’ll just say whatever we want. We’ve reached that point in our friendship.”
Ingle, a redshirt junior, and Ryan, a redshirt sophomore, began starting at the same time. Both players made their first starts against Illinois State in the 2013 season opener. Ryan said they were nervous right before the game started, but they talked to each other and settled down.
Ingle helped him grow and become comfortable adjusting to the faster pace of college football, but it didn’t come without quirks.
“He’s probably the weirdest guy I’ve ever met in my life,” Ingle said, laughing. “He’s really off, really random, really weird. You never know what to expect from him.”
Last season, Ingle led Ball State’s defense with 116 tackles, Ryan was third with 92. The two patrolled the middle of the field, dropping back into coverage to disrupt opponents passing games and engulfing running backs coming out of the backfield.
After over a season of starting almost every game next to each other, the pair has developed confidence that the other will execute during plays.
“You have to feel comfortable with each other,” Ryan said. “If you’re out there with a guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing, you feel like you have to do their job for them. I never have to worry about Ben not doing his job.”
That comfort didn’t always exist. When Ryan came to Ball State, he said his initial feeling was, “How am I going to work with this person?” but chemistry formed once he and Ingle started getting to know each other.
After graduating from high school, athletes can struggle to adapt to having new teammates after playing with old friends for several years.
Ryan said that was the case when he first started practicing with Ball State, but Ingle helped him form new bonds with other players
The pair worked out together and starting hanging out off the field as well. They room together at hotels, and although Ryan lives off campus and Ingle is on campus, they manage to see each other and hang out every day, prompting what Ingle said were “crazy weird” situations.
“Linebackers are always a little different,” Kelly said. “Anytime you play inside and you’re getting knocked around like that on every play, you’re going to be a little different. But that’s why I love coaching those two.”
During the game, Ingle said he and Ryan are two of the goofiest players on the team, but they know when to settle down and become serious. They talk in between plays about what happened during the play and communicate to put each other in the best possible position.
“There’s a huge amount of trust that’s developed between us,” Ryan said. “If Ben has to use his right shoulder to bounce the ball out, I’ll over the top, ready.”
But once they're standing on the sidelines or the game is over, it’s time to have fun again.
“On the field, we’re a little crazy, but you can’t be all serious when you’re playing football, you have to have fun,” Ryan said. “We’re not normal people, not even close.”
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