Former NFL QB Ryan Lindley talks experience working with McNulty
Since John McNulty took over as the Scarlet Knights new offensive coordinator back in January, there has been a lot of questions as to what type of offensive scheme he would he bring with him this time around. Former NFL quarterback Ryan Lindley played under McNulty when he was the QB coach for the Arizona Cardinals in 2012.
That was Lindley’s rookie season and he was listed as the starting quarterback for four games and played in six games total during that season.
“I haven’t talked to John (McNulty) in a while,” Lindley told The Knight Report. “Last time I talked to him was when he came out and first started coaching with the San Diego Chargers. He was a guy who just knew a ton about football. He is great with transitions, whether it’s from high school to college or college to the professional level. I had him just my rookie year and he helped me out a ton with that transition, I was really fortunate to have him as my coach.”
Lindley also went on to talk about some things that McNulty expects of his quarterbacks to focus on.
“One of the biggest things he wanted us to focus on was accuracy. He wanted guys to obviously get precision and I think that's where guys like coach John and I kind of got along," said Lindley. "You need a guy who can make smart decisions and not turn the ball over every time. At the end when you’re playing quarterback if you can move the chains and keep getting completions you will usually be in a pretty good setup.”
The Scarlet Knights ran a multiple offense last season under former offensive coordinator Jerry Kill. So what can Rutgers fans expect to see out of the offense next season?
“I’d imagine that he’s going to be versatile with his offense, at the end of the day he’s a really sharp guy,” said Lindley. “Obviously as everyone realizes you have to do what fits your players and then he will try to start to mold that into what he wants to do recruiting wise. I know Rutgers obviously showed they can run the ball real well and he’s sharp, so he knows that when playing big time football you need to establish a good running game. Obviously he was back there at Rutgers during the Ray Rice era and coach (Greg) Schiano really had it rolling. I think that’s going to be the key for him, to establish a tough offense and try to go from there to build on it.”
The former NFL quarterback went on to offer some advice to the current Rutgers quarterbacks about what to expect from Coach McNulty.
“At the end of the day he’s going to coach you,” Lindley stated. “I’m kind of an old school guy and my dad raised me on constructive criticism. So just cause you’re getting yelled at or getting coached hard it doesn’t mean it's anything personal, it’s actually the opposite cause your coach just wants you to be a good player.
"I’d definitely just advise those guys playing quarterback to be ready and be humble. With John, when he installs his offense, you just have to be okay with being humbled, and just know that you are going to start from the beginning at each level you get too in college and NFL.”
Now retired from the NFL, Lindley is a consultant helping to prepare future NFL quarterbacks get ready for the draft. It’s possible he might have an idea of coaching in the near future.
“I grew up in San Diego and ended up going to San Diego State, so I still live out here,” said Lindley. “I stopped playing professional football about two years ago now. Now I actually consult with an agency and work with some of their quarterbacks as they prepare for the NFL Draft. I will probably get into coaching soon. I think this is sort of my transition, I figure after about three years I’m ready to get into that full-time coaching mode. I don’t know what capacity or even what level just yet.”