Jets Coach Rex Ryan strikes back at WVU in defense of QB Geno Smith

New York Jets rookie Geno Smith took a punch – a verbal one, at least – and his coach counterpunched.

Jets Coach Rex Ryan took a swipe at West Virginia University in the wake of Mountaineers players saying the football team lacked leadership with Smith at quarterback.

Ryan was asked Monday about Smith’s ability to face adversity, and if that’s a concern in light of the report quoting West Virginia players.

“No,” he said, “but it tells me I’m glad my kid never went there. Tell you that much. I don’t get that.”

Ryan continued: “Geno was a tremendous player for West Virginia. I don’t know, you have to ask them. I certainly don’t get that. Tell you that much. I don’t get that.”

The report in question, which ran on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website, quoted junior running back Dustin Garrison saying: “Last year we didn’t have, you know, a lot of leadership.”

Junior running back Andrew Buie said: “I feel like last year we fell apart. At certain moments where we needed to be a team, we weren’t a team.”

Echoed junior offensive lineman Quinton Spain: “There wasn’t no team. I could say there was a team early, but once we started losing we saw the I’s come up, so it just hurt the team worse.”

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