Rex Ryan Went Skydiving with U.S. Army Parachute Team Because He Likes 'Living'

Rex Ryan jumped out of a plane Friday, because earthbound craziness doesn't really cut it anymore once you've lived 52 years of life on this planet in the traditional Ryan style.

The Buffalo Bills' new head coach signed on to jump with the U.S. Army's Golden Knights Parachute team—a competitive aerial squad that often does the parachute landings before major American sporting events.

Ryan started suiting up for the jump over northern New York early in the morning, and he had to have been deeply disappointed he couldn't do the dive in just his "Don't Hate Me Because I'm a Little Cooler" shirt.

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

He met with the Golden Knights for a debriefing before the jump.

Ryan also ran into New York Jets wideout Eric Decker, who had flown with the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds squadron earlier in the day, according to ESPN's Mike Rodak.

And then he was off, flying up into the clouds to metaphorically punch the Wright Brothers in their faces and claim the sky for the Ryan twins.

Ryan landed safely. Like a kid at a water park, he immediately wanted to go again.

Explaining why he wanted to throw his body out of an airplane at age 52, Ryan said he enjoys "living."

That's what it's about, guys: living. L-I-V-I-N. 

The older you get, the more your loved ones are going to tell you not to hurl your body out the back of a speeding metal tube flying at 13,000 feet. But you've just got to push through that and do it anyway.

As Plato once said, and I'm sure Rex agrees with the idea, "Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless and do it for the Vine."

Dan is on Twitter. Rex gets older, his soul stays the same age.