When Jets coach Rex Ryan stepped on a scale a few days before the 2009 AFC Championship Game, he was shocked -- and frightened -- by the number: 348 pounds.

Ryan underwent lap-band surgery and, more than two years later, he happily announced Thursday that he has dropped 106 pounds. At 242, Ryan actually weighs less than Tim Tebow, his backup quarterback.

"I think we look real similar, except he's left-handed and I'm right-handed," Ryan joked during a media blitz to promote lap-band surgery.

The always-upbeat Ryan, 49, was in a particularly good mood. His waistline is shrinking -- from 48 inches to 38 -- but not his enthusiasm. Training camp is less than a week away, and he's looking forward to erasing the memory of a disappointing 8-8 2011 season.

"I think I've looked forward to this season probably more than any season I've had in my life," he told a handful of beat writers. "I have something to prove. Shoot, I'm excited about it."

Ryan came under heavy scrutiny after last season, when he admitted he "lost the pulse" of his team; the Jets collapsed in December amid locker-room unrest. It was Ryan's first go-round with adversity after reaching the AFC title game in his first two seasons.

To read the rest, check it out here at ESPN New York.