Ryan Diem leans against the fence along the visitor's sideline at Scheumann Stadium April 19. He holds a bag of Bigs Sea Salt & Black Pepper sunflower seeds in one hand and an empty Dasani water bottle for the shells in the other, spitting occasionally.
Diem's name may sound familiar to Indianapolis Colts fans. He won a Super Bowl with the team and anchored the right tackle position for the majority of 12 seasons.
One of Ball State's first-year coaches, offensive line coach Kyle DeVan, started alongside Diem on the right side of the line in Super Bowl XLIV for the Colts when they played New Orleans Saints. Diem came to Muncie for a spring practice to support his friend and check out the offensive line DeVan's been building throughout the spring.
"To have a guy like Ryan Diem, a guy who mentored me in the NFL, come out here and watch us practice and watch the thing we did as a group implemented in the college game under my watch — it's special to me," DeVan said. "It's guys like him that make the game special."
DeVan put his offensive line through different drills as practice began. He gave them tips as well as props, saying "good" and "atta way" as the players worked against the tackling dummies and each other.
But when Diem showed up, DeVan broke away from the practice to give his friend a hug.
"Off the field, our friendship kind of grew over time," said Diem, who currently lives in Indianapolis with his family. "As we got to know [each other] better, we got to hanging out a little bit, and we've stayed in touch over the past five or six years. It's been cool to watch his career progress through the coaching ranks, and it's great to see him out here at Ball State."
Diem raved about his former teammate's knowledge of the game. He said DeVan has a knack for reading coverages and as long as the guys can keep up with him, the offensive line will have a good year.
After all, Diem and DeVan were part of some pretty good offensive lines in Indianapolis. In 2009, the Colts finished 14-2, and Peyton Manning was only sacked 10 times while throwing for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Led by Joseph Addai, the team also racked up 1,294 rushing yards. Indianapolis was ranked ninth in total yards at season's end.
Thank @ryandiem for coming out and watching practice today! Great to have @colts legends on campus pic.twitter.com/0lkOwI9bkt
— Kyle DeVan (@CoachDeVan) April 19, 2016
"As a veteran on the Colts' offensive line, we always tried to bring the young guys along quickly," Diem said. "Because we knew they were going to have to contribute early, and [DeVan] did. ... He was a really good player and really intelligent player."
The visit to Scheumann Stadium wasn't Diem's first. He played on the line for Northern Illinois at the college ranks. He also made a visit to Muncie when the Colts played a scrimmage at Ball State.
He said it was "fun to be back," albeit in enemy territory.
After practice, Diem talked to the offensive linemen about accountability — the key to the Colts' line during his playing days.
"What he emphasized is you've got to know what you're doing, and you have to understand what the guy to your right, to your left, in front of you and behind you are doing," redshirt junior lineman Pat Maloney said. "It was a really cool experience."
It's been more than seven years since Diem and DeVan lined up next to each other in the Super Bowl for the Colts. But on April 19, the former teammates and friends got a chance to share the same football field once again.
"You can see the excitement and hear it in his voice," Diem said. "It's always fun to be around football. It's a part of me, and that will never go away."
Read More
‘The program is still alive:’ Wapahani baseball defeats Alexandria on Raiders’ special night
By Zach Carter / 4 hours agoAfter having multiple ceremonies before the game, Wapahani baseball defeated Alexandria 4-2. Raiders' starting pitcher Kayson Perdue threw a complete game with six strikeouts.
Self-immolation outside Manhattan courthouse where Trump trial is adjourned
By Staff Reports / 10 hours agoA person, who was later identified as Max Azzarello, self-immolated outside of the Manhattan courthouse where former president Donald Trump is on trial. Azzarello was extinguished and rushed away by emergency services. He is in critical condition at Weill Cornell Medicine - Burn Center, according to a press conference held by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The closure of the historic Mark III Tap Room impacts Muncie’s LGBTQ+ community.
By Meghan Holt / 15 hours agoPatrons of the oldest gay bar in Indiana reflect on how it affected their lives.
