He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he learned the game of American football.

[1] Before the Oberlin team would play a game, however, Ryder decided to transfer to Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

He was also offered a job as the head coach of the Ohio State University football team.

Ryder then landed a job at the Columbus newspaper, the Ohio State Journal, and became a successful sportswriter.

Ryder replaced Charles Webb Murphy as The Cincinnati Enquirer's sportswriter, and was a fixture at that newspaper for more than 30 years.

In 1919, Ryder helped give the nickname to the University of Cincinnati sports teams, the Bearcats.

Cincinnati's football team had five years earlier fielded a star fullback named Leonard K. "Teddy" Baehr.

[2] As The Cincinnati Enquirer sportswriter, Ryder was a voter for the Most Valuable Player award for baseball's National League.