Dedication leads Ramirez to college football opportunity

GONZALES — One of the biggest storylines in last season’s Gonzales Apaches football team was senior running back Alyas Ramirez’s road to 4,439 career yards.

That number was broken and Ramirez’s name will be etched in Gonzales history as the school’s leading rusher.

Fast forward to April and now Ramirez has a different road that he’s on. The road to college education.

Alyas Ramirez last week signed his letter of intent to attend Southwestern University in Georgetown to play college football. Apaches athletic director and head football coach noted that Ramirez “knew he wanted to play college football and he knew it before I got here and as a freshman, as a sophomore he knew that was his goal.”

“Alyas has always done things to open up doors and I’m talking about camps he’s went to, combines and done things to get his name out there,” Crane said.

Ramirez noted that Southwestern University will give him opportunities both on the field and off for success, something very important to the running back and his family.

“The academics are really high there,” Ramirez said, “and my parents liked the academic standpoint there so that helped a lot. It’s an upcoming program, it’s a new program, so it’s good to be a part of that.”

Although Angelo State had some interest as well, Ramirez opted for Southwestern, citing location as a key factor.

“It was closer to family and it just felt like the right program for me.”

Ramirez has always done things that not only benefits him but also the team he is on. During his stint here in Gonzales, Ramirez played running back, wildcat quarterback, running back again, sometimes out wide at receiver, back to quarterback and then again at running back. His dedication to the positions as well as to the team has led him to having this opportunity to go to college.

Not only that, Ramirez has had to work in the classroom as well, which Crane cites as a huge factor in getting to Southwestern.

“I think it shows them that there is a possibility,” Crane notes. “Since I’ve been here, Zack Clack signed, now I had very minimal to do with that, I did know that head coach from my time at Angelo, and then Darrance [James] had that opportunity and now Alyas is having that opportunity. That opportunity is out there. If you’re willing to work and do the things that you have to do and the thing about it is the reason part of the reason that southwest is an opportunity for Alyas is what he did academically, there’s no doubt because if he didn’t take care of his business, ACT, SAT, test wise, core GPA, class rank, if he didn’t take care of that Southwest would not even be an opportunity for him. Alyas had to do a lot of things not only athletically but academically to have this opportunity in front of him. It’s a cool deal that our kids and our student body saw the whole thing. This is a legitimate opportunity [for other students].”

Ramirez advises others who are striving for the same thing to come into the program with the “mindset that you want to be better than everybody.”

“Just work hard every day in and out the classroom,” he said. “Work hard. Every day. Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it. Stay on your grades, that’s the most important thing at the end of it.”

For other kids in the athletic program, Alyas Ramirez as well as other recent signees have shown them the path to college. Work hard, stay on your grades and some day Crane will be talking to the student body about your dedication as you sign a letter.