LOS ANGELES -- Rob Ryan might be as relaxed as he has ever been.
The longtime defensive coach walks out on the balcony of USC's John McKay Center, his alabaster white hair flowing in the slight breeze that frames an idyllic summer afternoon in Los Angeles, and as always, he is not lacking for words.
"I'm totally different than most people," he said with a chuckle. "And I don't care."
Even Ryan's robust laugh -- a kind of deep guffaw that fills any room inside or out -- carries with it a tone that projects his breadth of experience: nine NFL teams, five power conference programs, two Super Bowl rings and hundreds of stories.