Being a team leader means setting an example for the rest of the guys through the good and bad, and Ryan Duran has done just that, serving as a role model for the rest of his team during a tough first start to the season.
“Ryan leads by example,” said Offensive Coordinator Joe Robledo, back coaching at Santa Maria this year after a hiatus. “It’s his hard play on the field and his ability to make something happen.”
But it’s not just Duran’s presence on the field that sets him apart—it’s what he asks of himself and his teammates in the classroom, as well.
“He’s making sure these guys are doing what they need to do in class,” Robledo said. “They don’t have good grades, they don’t have football.”
In fact, Duran is doing so well academically, there’s the possibility he’ll be graduating early.
Having a team with a high proportion of underclassmen this year has made for some challenging games, especially when facing squads made up primarily of seniors, but all that has done is make Duran a more focused player, and Robledo said he’s becoming a better player for it.
“Regardless of our record, the most important thing is that Ryan and the team are understanding they’re learning more about the game of football than they have before,” Robledo said.
And Duran has learned a lot. The 5-foot-10 17-year-old has played a variety of positions throughout his career, including fullback, running back, and wide receiver on offense, and linebacker and strong safety on defense.
With a 40-yard dash time of 4.6 seconds, it’s easy to see why he’s such a versatile player. Robledo put it succinctly: “Ryan plays at one speed: full speed.”
Duran’s favorite part of the game is easy to sum up, too.
“I love having the ball in my hands and doing whatever I can to help out the team,” Duran said. He paused thoughtfully, then added with a grin, “Get me the ball.”
Coach Robledo agrees with that last part.
“He’s been our multi-purpose player,” he said. “We want to put the ball in his hands so he can do what he does best: play ball.”
And putting the ball in Duran’s hands is exactly what he plans to do more of this season. The coach started him as quarterback the last two games and plans on keeping him there.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2008.