Former Falcon lineman Paul Ryczek is a long time Peachtree runner.
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Paul Ryczek was drafted out of Virginia by the Atlanta Falcons in 1974, when the Peachtree Road Race was in its infancy. Nevertheless, something about it intrigued him, and he ran his first race in 1977.
"The crowd in the NFL was all kind of big lugs, so I thought, I'll be something different, I'll be a runner". Ryczek was a center, who played behind Jeff VanNote, so there weren't many snaps to be had. But he and wife Carol knew they'd found a home, and they raised a family in Roswell.
Now, he walks the 6.2 mile Peachtree route. Cycling is an exercise regimen that he enjoys as well, and a recent ride through the Rockie mountains with about 1500 others made him appreicate the Atlanta Track Club and those who make the Peachtree the well oiled machine it's become.
"Riders were wondering when they reached a certain point, if they were going to be met by the proper people with the right resources. It was just a little chaos".
He's looking forward to Monday, and another well organized event with about 60 thousand others.