In Guadalupe, there’s a school: Mary Buren Elementary. At Mary Buren, there is Mr. Cuello’s third grade class, and in Mr. Cuello’s third grade class there’s an up-and-coming football star who plays for the Guadalupe Bulldogs: 9-year-old Luis Ramos.
Ramos has been playing football for the last two years. So how did he get interested? Did his parents want him to play? Did friends talk to him about it?
Nah. He said he got his inspiration from watching Tony Romo and the Cowboys play on TV: “I saw how fun it was, the NFL.”
Recently, Ramos has been playing tight end, but don’t think that’s all there is to the guy. He’s played center and kicker, too, and hopes to play quarterback someday. The Bulldogs faced some tough games this year, and they lost their last game. What happened?
“We made some mistakes blocking,” he said. “But we learned from them.”
Speaking of learning, what’s his least favorite part of practice?
“Tackling drills, you get hit a lot.”
How about his most favorite?
“Scrimmages. You get to play.”
What’s been his most exciting game so far this year?
“The first game of the year, we won 20-0. We got prizes after.”
Oh–really, like what?
“We ate at A&W in Atascadero after the game.”
Got a favorite there?
“Root beer float.” The kid’s got taste.
When asked what his favorite part of the game is, Ramos answered (not unlike the rest of us): “Playing.”
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2008.