A young 5th grade boy, sweaty and tired, was pulled aside by his coaches to be told how he had  the potential to play when he was in college. On February 7, 2018, that 5th grader, now a senior, Alejandro Ramirez, signed to fulfill his old coaches’ promise. In 5th grade, Ramirez stepped onto the football field for the first time; from that point on, his love for the game never faded and he never looked back.

Growing up, Ramirez lived with his grandparents and his father, so when they attended his signing, he was ecstatic.

“They watched me grow every step of the way,” said Ramirez, “they were always the people I wanted to make proud.”

With his grandparents and father always pushing him, Ramirez fulfilled his dream of signing to play at the collegiate level. His love for football really developed in the 7th grade as Ramirez quickly caught the coaches’ attention on the Hellstern football team.

“They compared me to a Har-Ber player, Josh Frazier,” said Ramirez, “ He was someone I looked up to.”

Frazier is now a graduated defensive lineman with four years at the University of Alabama under his belt and has recently been invited to the NFL combine; where NFL teams get a chance to look at promising players. With big shoes to fill, Ramirez stayed persistent, not just for himself, but for his grandparents.

“My grandma is like my mom since she was my caretaker growing up,” said Ramirez, “Small little brown lady with white hair, and the typical grandma, always feeding me.”

Although Ramirez continues to grow and get older, his family is held dear in his heart.

“My grandma was at my house recently and she started talking about leaving for college,” said Ramirez, “when my cousin left she went into her room and we found her crying.”

No matter his age, Ramirez will always have a special relationship with his family, the people that have been there to support him through his life and athletic career.

“She told me to be confident and have fun,” said Ramirez, “they told me I was setting myself up for success.”