Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Ryan Green

Lawrence Technological University hasn’t fielded a football team since the 1940s, but the school is getting back on the gridiron.

And Anchorage’s Ryan Green wants to be part of it.

The all-state linebacker signed with the NAIA school in Southfield, Michigan, and is eager to be part of something brand new.

“I loved the fact that this inaugural class could set the tempo for years to come,” he told me.

Green, of East High fame, is brains and brawn. A state champion on the football field and an honor student in search of a higher education.

“I plan on majoring in Mechanical Engineering,” he said. “Being one of the top engineering schools, Lawrence Technological University will open a lot of doors for me in the future.”

Lawrence Tech fielded football teams when the school first opened in 1932 until the start of World War II when most students left school to fight in combat. The school tried to bring football back in the 1940s, but ultimately it disappeared in 1947.

Green said his decision to play football at an engineering school was easy.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder is a tough player with a chip on his shoulder.

“I want to prove many things in college,” he said. “That Alaskan athletes can compete with the Lower 48 and to prove that you don’t necessarily have to be tall to be an outside linebacker.”

Green was part of East’s 2016 championship season and credited East coaches for preparing him for the next level.

“The coaches were involved and I made it my interest to become a better football player and athlete,” he said.