FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- First-year New York Jets coach Rex Ryan held an entertaining conference call with members of the New England media Wednesday, which started when he made fun of himself for crying at a team meeting.

Ryan explained how he brought a box of Kleenex with him to his news conference with Jets reporters.

"I said I had a new sponsor," Ryan said.

Ryan's tears have been a topic of discussion in New York.

"It's funny how things get out and stuff like that, but I'm man enough, I'm myself," he said. "If I'm not a typical coach, then so be it. I know one thing -- I'm myself and there is no bigger competitor than I am."

Ryan said the tears were "straight from the heart" and "anybody that's ever been around me knows that's the way I am."

"You can ask the people in Baltimore or the team, it's just that it's never got out before," he said. "I'm like that. I'm an emotional guy. I'm a passionate person. My main message is that I came here to be a champion. I believe in myself and I believe in his football team and I just wanted to make sure they knew that's who I am."

The conference call had a few other light moments, one of which came after Ryan was asked how the Jets' defense is different without injured defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (6-foot-4, 360 pounds).

"It's a little smaller," he answered.

When there was no laughter on the other end of the line, Ryan told reporters they should lighten up.

Ryan was also asked about Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth down against the Colts on Sunday night, and he said he couldn't question it.

"But if I would have made that decision and it wouldn't have worked, I'd be hanging from the Empire State building," he said.