Tim Tebow, Rex Ryan have shared link of overcoming dyslexia - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

William Perlman/The Star-LedgerTim Tebow and Rex Ryan have become creative learners to overcome their dyslexia.

CORTLAND, N.Y. -- They have written about it in their books, and share a quiet pride in perhaps being an example to others, but never realized the common link between them.

Tim Tebow and Rex Ryan, perhaps the Jets’ best-known personalities, have both overcome dyslexia, the learning disability that affects a person’s ability to read and process information.

To each, it has not been a roadblock to rare careers in the National Football League. The coach and his back-up quarterback have simply found creative ways to learn and to understand, and also to master the game of football, outside of the black and white print on a piece of paper.

“And that’s kind of how he plays, right?” Ryan said of Tebow. “He finds a way to win. When you look at it, it might not be a traditional way, but all he does, he finds ways to win. And he certainly did that against us in Denver (last season), you know what I mean?”

Tebow had a similar reaction when he, too, was told in an interview this week that Ryan is also dyslexic, pointing to Ryan’s innovative defensive mind.

Their experiences are different. Both Tebow’s older brother and father are dyslexic, and he was diagnosed when he was in elementary school. Ryan’s dyslexia went undetected until he was in his 40s. But both men have made adjustments all their lives -- Tebow in homeschooling and at the University of Florida, and Ryan at each level of school through his master’s degree -- as well as in their current jobs with the Jets.

When Tebow was traded from Denver to Florham Park this spring, his new quarterbacks coach, Matt Cavanaugh, asked the question he poses to all his players: How do you learn?

Tebow’s answer was instant. He is a kinesthetic learner, which means he learns by doing.

“So much in football is touching, feeling, walking through, writing it on boards, drawing Xs and Os,” Tebow explained. “And all those are the best for me.”

Tebow considers this his third new offense in three seasons in the NFL, counting Josh McDaniels’ system as a rookie, then Mike McCoy’s revamped offense for him in 2011, and now Tony Sparano’s scheme with the Jets.

“It has to do with finding out how you learn, and you really get it done quickly,” Tebow said. “I’m not somebody that opens a playbook and just turns and reads and reads. That doesn’t do it for me. So I just made flashcards, I take each one, and then boom, when I’m traveling, I just flip through it. That really helped me. Writing it down, flipping through and quizzing myself, that was a great way for me to do it.”

Tebow will sometimes go out to the field on his own to walk through a technique or concept he’s trying to master. On Monday, when the Jets had installed new red-zone plays, he pulled receiver Raymond Webber out to a turf field with him in the evening to run them back.

Ryan guesses Tebow’s problem-solving ability and competitiveness relate to overcoming a potential roadblock, because that has been Ryan’s experience. Tebow’s experience is that working through his dyslexia taught him how to “look through the right lens” when it comes to learning -- or any situation in life.

The two had not yet spoken about their shared link, but said maybe they would, if it came up. They are proud of not letting their learning disabilities dash their confidence or interfere with their goals, but it’s also not something they make into a big deal.

“I don’t think it makes me respect him more, because I respect coach Ryan a lot,” Tebow said. “What it does is just show that learning disabilities, especially dyslexia, have nothing to do with how smart or intelligent someone is. Because there are not many minds in the NFL that are as bright or as sharp or as flexible as coach Ryan’s.”

He added: “That’s one of the coolest things to hear coach Ryan’s story. It’s something to share with kids, that, ‘Hey, it is not a big deal.’ You can overcome it. You just figure out how you learn, and what’s right for you.”

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com.