Getting selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft was a huge moment for Cesar Ruiz, the Michigan Wolverines center picked 24th overall. It was the culmination of a lifetime of work on the practice field, in the weight room, in classrooms, and at home, and he was grateful to be able to share that moment with his family.
But not all of Ruiz’s family was there to see it. He lost his father as a child, the victim of a hit-and-run accident when his father pulled over to help another driver in distress. That senseless death drove Ruiz to work hard and insure that his father’s legacy would live on through him and his name.
Now on the biggest stage of his young life, Ruiz took a moment to celebrate and remember those that he’d lost. It’s easy to see why he was so deeply affected by this moment under the NFL draft’s spotlight.
Still, Ruiz was eager to seize the joy in the occasion, offering commissioner Roger Goodell a “virtual hug” through their teleconference. It’s sort of admirable to see such a large person, capable of great violence on the football field, so willing to embrace his emotions and involve everyone he could in such a bright moment in his life.
