49ers hire former Pro Bowl LB DeMeco Ryans as defensive assistant

After a year out of the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers have hired former two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans as a defensive quality control coach.

Ryans worked with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan from 2006 to 2009 when the two were members of the Houston Texans, where the former linebacker won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006.

This is Ryans' first coaching job after being released from the Philadelphia Eagles in February 2016. The 32-year-old spent 10 years as a player, recording at least 110 tackles in six seasons and earning a reputation as a respectable, intelligent team leader.