Matt Ryan is a former professional quarterback. Ryan was Boston College's starting quarterback from 2005 to 2007, leading them to three bowl victories and a 25–7 record in 32 starts.

He threw for 200 or more yards 15 times and is third all-time in school history in passing yards and in pass completions. He earned MVP of the game honors at the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl. He last played for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. Ryan was drafted by the Falcons with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. After signing a $150 million five-year extension with the Falcons in 2018, Ryan became the first $30 million per year quarterback and the highest-paid player in NFL history until being surpassed months later by Aaron Rodgers.

In 2019, Ryan made a cameo appearance on the series premiere of ABC's Schooled, and his high school athletic career is also explored in the series. In June 2020, Ryan donated $500,000 to a GoFundMe that he started to help advance the lives of people in the black community of Atlanta.