Star Folsom QB talks faith, football and plans after high school

WELL UNDERWAY ACROSS OUR REGION. AND FOR SOME STUDENT ATHLETES, IT’S THEIR FINAL SEASON BEFORE THEY MOVE ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL. ONE OF THOSE PLAYERS WHO IS SET FOR THE NEXT LEVEL ALREADY IS FOLSOM STAR QUARTERBACK RYDER LYONS. AND IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN FOLLOWING RYDER’S STORY, HE IS A FIVE STAR QUARTERBACK, CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE 2026 CLASS. I THINK THE BEST QB IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. HE IS KNOWN FOR HIS ROCKET ARM ACCURACY AND HIS ABILITY TO EXTEND PLAYS, AND HE IS ALREADY COMMITTED TO BYU. JOINING US LIVE IN STUDIO RIGHT NOW, FOLSOM HIGH SCHOOL’S QB ONE RYDER LYONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. OF COURSE. I THINK ONE OF THE MAYBE THE MOST SURPRISING THINGS PEOPLE MAY MAY THINK ABOUT YOU IS THAT YOU’RE VERY LAID BACK AND JOYFUL AND ALWAYS SMILING, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF. LITERALLY. YEAH, I JUST I LOVE LIFE. YOU KNOW, I LOVE I’M GRATEFUL. AND I’M JUST YEAH, I JUST I LOVE TO SMILE. I LOVE THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. SO. YEAH. YOU TRULY LOOK LIKE YOU’RE HAVING FUN OUT THERE. EVEN THOUGH YOU’VE GOT THESE HUGE GUYS JUST CHARGING FOR YOU. YOU JUST STAY SO CALM OUT THERE. YEAH, I THINK IT IT COMES WITH I ENJOY PLAYING FOOTBALL AND THAT’S MY PASSION. THAT’S WHAT I LOVE TO DO. SO WHEN I’M WHEN I’M OUT THERE DOING IT, IT’S IT’S EASY TO STAY JOYFUL. YOU COME FROM A FOOTBALL FAMILY. YOUR DAD ALREADY PLAYED AT BYU. HE WAS A DIFFERENT POSITION THAN YOU. YOUR BROTHER PLAYS AT USC TIGHT END, BUT YOUR QUARTERBACK. SO YOU’RE REALLY THE FIRST LION QUARTERBACK IN THE FAMILY RIGHT NOW. HOW DID YOU GO TOWARDS THE QB ROLE? YEAH, I JUST. PROBABLY LIKE SIX SIXTH GRADE. I JUST KIND OF FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. AND LIKE ONCE I THREW A FOOTBALL, I KIND OF KNEW LIKE, OH, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO IN LIFE. LIKE IT WAS LITERALLY LIKE THAT. LIKE, SO JUST JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PROCESS OF IT ALL. SO YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE ALREADY COMPARING YOU TO TOM BRADY, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SIERRA GAME. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? DOES THAT LIKE NO, PLEASE DON’T. NO I JUST SAW OUTSIDE NOISE. JUST A LOT OF DISTRACTIONS. JUST TRY TO STAY FOCUSED. WE HAVE A GAME TOMORROW. JUST FOCUS ON THAT. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? THAT GAME WITH MISSION VIEJO DOWN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA? WHAT ARE YOU FOCUSED ON FOR THAT? I MEAN, THEY’RE AN AMAZING TEAM. I THINK THEY’RE LIKE 13TH IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE VERY, VERY TALENTED. THE QUARTERBACK, ACTUALLY A FRIEND OF MINE, HE’S AMAZING. HE’S HE’S PHENOMENAL PLAYER. AND THEY HAVE A BUNCH OF GOOD PLAYERS. SO JUST US COMING IN EXECUTING, DOING OUR JOB JUST AS A WHOLE TEAM AS A WHOLE PROGRAM. SO IF YOU DON’T KNOW, THIS WRITER IS NOT JUST ABOUT FOOTBALL. I MEAN, HE’S VERY WELL KNOWN ON THE INTERNET AND YOUTUBE AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND YOU HAVE SUCH A HUGE PRESENCE. AND HE JUST SIGNED A DEAL WITH UNDER ARMOR. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? IT’S AMAZING. YOU KNOW, JUST GRATEFUL FOR THEM TO LET ME JOIN THE TEAM AND YEAH, I IT’S IT’S HONESTLY CRAZY, BUT JUST JUST TRYING TO KEEP MY HEAD IN THE PLACE, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST TRYING TO STAY GROUNDED. I’VE HEARD FROM KIDS THAT YOU GO TO SCHOOL WITH. YOU LIKE TO WALK AROUND BAREFOOT SOMETIMES THAT KEEP YOU GROUNDED. OF COURSE. SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES I DO THAT. I FORGET SOCKS SOMETIMES. YEAH. SO YOU’RE VERY PEACEFUL, JOYFUL PERSON. YOUR RELIGION IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU. DID THAT PLAY INTO WHY YOU PICKED BYU SINCE THEY OFFERED YOU WHEN YOU WERE, WHAT, JUNIOR HIGH? YEAH, I THINK IT PLAYED A BIG PART. MY FAITH, THE BACKGROUND OF THE SCHOOL AND THE FAITH. HOW THEY HOW I CAN GO THERE AND JUST BE MY BEST NOT FOOTBALL PLAYER, BUT ALSO JUST LIKE MENTALLY, WE SAY MY FAMILY LIKE THE THE BODY FOLLOWS THE SOUL. SO WHEREVER I’M MOST PEACEFUL, MOST LIKE IN MY RIGHT MIND, MY BODY WILL FOLLOW. I THINK YOU CAN REALLY SEE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN SOME OF YOUR MORE RECENT GAMES, WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU WERE. YEAH, THERE WERE LATE TACKLES. SOMEONE RIPPED YOUR HELMET OFF AND YOU WERE STILL SO PEACEFUL YOU DIDN’T QUITE TURN THE OTHER CHEEK, BUT YOU KIND OF JUST TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK AND YOU JUST STAYED IN YOUR ZONE. THAT’S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. I APPRECIATE IT. YEAH, THAT’S REALLY IMPRESSIVE. SO YOU’RE GOING TO DO A MISSION RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, RIGHT? HOW LONG WILL THAT BE? ONE OF THE SHORTER MISSIONS OR LONGER? HOW LONG THAT GOING TO BE DECIDED YET? NO, I MEAN, I’M JUST I’M GOING TO BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT’S RIGHT FOR ME. AND YEAH, I HAVEN’T. IT’S THE TIME. MOST MISSIONS ARE TWO YEARS. MOST PEOPLE KNOW THAT. BUT FOR ME, JUST TO TO GET BACK A LITTLE EARLIER SO I COULD PLAY MY ONLY MISSED ONE YEAR, THAT’S. WE’RE JUST WORKING ON THAT. YEAH. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NFL, RIGHT. OF COURSE. THAT’S THE GOAL. WHAT’S THE WHAT’S THE TEAM? IF YOU COULD PLAY FOR ANY NFL TEAM, THE 40 NINERS. NO QUESTIONS. WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER IN THE NFL? YEAH I REALLY LIKE JOSH ALLEN. I LOVE JOSH ALLEN. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. HE’S PROBABLY MY FAVORITE QB RIGHT NOW. HE’S ONE OF MINE TOO FOR SURE. YEAH. AND SO GROWING UP, WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE QB? I DON’T KNOW, I WOULD HONESTLY SAY LIKE. SURPRISED YOU DON’T LOOK UP TO TOM BRADY? YEAH I LOVE TOM BRADY. I THINK HE’S AN AMAZING QUARTERBACK. BUT I JUST DON’T I THINK WE PLAY A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I THINK I’M MORE SIMILAR TO JOSH ALLEN IN THAT WAY. LIKE WE BOTH ARE PHYSICAL LIKE TO EXTEND PLAYS. AND I THINK JUST FROM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I’VE SEEN ON TV, YOUR PERSONALITIES ARE VERY SIMILAR TO HE’S SUCH A SWEET GUY. HE SEEMS LIKE IT. WRITER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING YOU. GOOD LUCK IN MISSION VIEJO AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE REST OF YOUR FOOTBALL SEASON. THANK YOU SO