Who are Chad Ryland's parents? All you need to know about Patriots kicker's family

The New England Patriots selected Chad Ryland in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 112th overall pick. The placekicker spent four years with the Eastern Michigan Eagles before transferring to the Maryland Terrapins for his final season last year.

The Patriots made it clear that they wanted Ryland and traded up eight spots to take him. New England sent the 120th and 184th picks to the New York Jets.

Meet Chad Ryland's parents Todd and Debra

Chad Ryland initially had his sights set on a career in either soccer or baseball. However, his father Todd was a big influence on his decision to pick up football at Cedar Crest High School.

Todd and Chad often snuck into the school's athletic field even after it was closed to practice. Sometimes when they were told to leave, they briefly left but returned when nobody was around to continue practicing.

Meanwhile, Debra is an artist and art educator at Cedar Crest Middle School. Her Twitter bio also claims that she is a believer in god.

Interestingly, Debra is also a Philadelphia Eagles fan. However, she is bound to have a new connection with the New England Patriots, given her son's affiliation with the team.

Todd and Debra have always been supportive of Chad's decision to play football. Hence, it was no surprise when they were absolutely thrilled after realizing that their son will play in the NFL in the 2023-24 season.

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Chad Ryland playing for the Maryland Terrapins

Chad Ryland had an impressive record with the Terrapins in the 2022 campaign. In his lone season in Maryland, he made 19 of 23 field goal attempts (82.6%), including going 3-for-6 from 50 yards and beyond.

Also, with Nick Folk's Patriots contract expiring in the 2024 offseason, the team will be looking to replace the 38-year-old with Ryland.

Ryland was the fifth player added by the New England Patriots in this year’s draft. They previously selected cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive lineman Keion White, linebacker Marte Mapu, and center Jake Andrews.