Here are some good articles about Ryan: http://www.kansas.com/news/article1145253.html
He didn’t run the mile until his sophomore year in high school. Read somewhere that he never ran over 4:20 in competition. Apparently didn’t know how to run slow.
I remember he was at the Florida Relays around 1971. I was competing in the hurdles.
He was a bit standoffish, probably didn’t want to be bothered with people constantly greeting him. I don’t blame him a bit.