The City of Bessemer dedicated a street to Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on Thursday, taking the former Alabama All-American back to where he grew up at 2305 Fairfax Ave.
After unveiling a sign that reads, “Fairfax Avenue dedicated in honor of DeMeco Ryans,” the NFL coach quipped: “I guess I finally found the road to success.”
A high school star at Bessemer’s Jess Lanier, Ryans followed his Crimson Tide career with 10 seasons as an NFL middle linebacker before pursuing coaching.
“I’m incredibly honored and humbled to have a street named after me,” Ryans said at the dedication ceremony. “This recognition means more than words can express. Thank you to everyone here who made this possible. This street may carry my name, but it represents the journey, the support, the shared work of so many, starting here with my parents. For them, being able to purchase a home here, allowing us to grow up here, thank you for all the hard work and sacrifice that you guys have done for me.
“I vividly remember running up and down these streets playing in the middle of the road, playing football, playing basketball. You had to watch out on this street because cars go pretty fast. It was definitely a lot of fond memories growing up here. And to all my wonderful neighbors who showed up today, thank you. We had wonderful neighbors. You knew you couldn’t get in any trouble because they’d tell your parents on you.
“This just shows what it takes. It takes a village to raise children, and I had a village here on Fairfax, and it was a lot of great moments, a lot of great people, a lot of great friendships – just a lot of support. And I’ll always remember Bessemer for this support. I’ll always remember all of you for the love you guys have shown me. And now to have this sign here is such a huge honor.”
RELATED:DEMECO RYANS GOT THE COACHING ITCH BACK HOME IN BESSEMER
Ryans was an All-State linebacker at Jess Lanier High School in 2001. Opened in 2010, Bessemer City replaced Jess Lanier as the community’s high school while retaining the Purple Tigers legacy.
Ryans went from Jess Lanier to Alabama, where he was a unanimous All-American, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and the winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy for the 2005 season as a senior. He capped his college career as the Defensive MVP of the 2006 Cotton Bowl in Alabama’s 13-10 victory over Texas Tech.
A second-round selection of the Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft, Ryans won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection for Houston.
Ryans returned to the Texans as their head coach after spending two years as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator. Ryans won the Pro Football Writers of America’s 2023 NFL Coach of the Year Award in his first season with Houston.
The Texans have a 20-14 regular-season record and have won a playoff game in each season since Ryans became Houston’s coach. The Texans won 11 total games in the three seasons before Ryans arrived.
“You have been such an inspiration to us in this city and such an inspiration to all of these young men that you see behind you,” Bessemer Mayor Kenneth E. Gulley said on Thursday. “We have followed your career from Little League to Jess Lanier High School to the University of Alabama to the Houston Texans to the Philadelphia Eagles, and we’ve also followed it from San Francisco and now to the Houston Texans. And we are so, so proud of you.
“And one thing that I am most proud of is that you are so proud of Bessemer, Alabama.”
Ryans will be the speaker for the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce’s 34th annual An Evening of Honor at 5 p.m. CDT Thursday at Bessemer Civic Center.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OURNFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.