JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Putnam County senior student was selected as one of eight students nationwide to be a finalist for this year’s NFL Latino Youth Honors Award.
Crescent City High School senior Paola Cruz-Ramos is among the finalists for the program created by the NFL, in partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), which celebrates students who excel both on and off the field.
“I was very excited when they told me I won, I was nominated by them, I went to the game, I was so excited and then they told me I actually was a finalist,” Cruz-Ramos said.
No stranger to sports, the 17-year-old grew up playing soccer with her siblings.
“They were already so good at it, I felt like I was kind of in their shadow,” said Cruz-Ramos.
While she may have felt that way, Cruz-Ramos had a determination to stand out. So, she took that passion from the pitch to the gridiron, leading her to push herself and ultimately find herself.
“Flag football was the only thing that was really mine that they hadn’t done before and I was actually good at,” she said.
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During Super Bowl week, Cruz-Ramos attended NFL events with her fellow Latino finalists, went to the NFL honors ceremony and the big game. She also received a $5,000 scholarship.
But Cruz-Ramos doesn’t just exceed expectations on the field, she excels in the classroom and proudly carries her Mexican heritage into all that she does.
With a 4.0 GPA, Cruz-Ramos said the discipline of being an athlete has transferred into the classroom.
“Since I’ve been doing sports for so long, I’ve gotten used to doing schoolwork and sports,” she said. “You know, you can’t play without good grades, it’s just time management and discipline.”
It paid off, between being a phenomenal player and posting impressive stats like, 58 flag pulls and 17 interceptions on defense this season. On offense she had 49 catches, 691 receiving yards, four TDs along with 44 carries, 648 yards rushing, all this while maintaining a 4.0 GPA got her recognition from the NFL.
As she reflects on all that has happened, Cruz-Ramos said she couldn’t have achieved any of it without the support of her parents.
“Que espero que estén orgullosos de mi... I just want them to be proud of me,” Cruz-Ramos said.
Cruz-Ramos has committed to playing flag football at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, after her high school graduation.
