Jacob Ruff Makes Plans for Football after Signing with Mary-Hardin Baylor

                                                 Michele, Jacob, and Joe Ruff during signing to play at Mary-Hardin Baylor.

Mary-Hardin Baylor received a letter of intent from another Hawk Football Athlete when Jacob Ruff made his intentions known last week.

                Let’s Go Jacob Ruff!!

Jacob Ruff was an integral player for these last 4 years on both sides of the ball, as Ruff played rough, to earn his time in helping CL win more games in his 4 year stint than any other Hawk 4 year player.

“Jacob was part of 30 games that we won while he was with us and we will miss him,” Head Coach Charlie Drum said.

He averaged right at 10 yards per carry and that meant every time he touched the ball we made a first down,” Offensive Coordinator Troy Moses commented. “We watched him grow from a freshman to a young man.”

“Jacob was a big part of our team and he was that guy that would always come to help,” Defensive Coordinator Coach Brian Hooper said.

Some high praise coming from the Coaching staff for a young man who earned respect with his intensity and hard work.

Ruff was one of those main cogs throughout his 4 years at The Lake and that was certainly apparent this season, as Canyon Lake, was undefeated when he went down after taking the rock 79 yards for a touchdown against Burnet.

Ruff had 904 yards by that 7th game of his season and had recorded 13 touchdowns in helping lead CL to an unblemished record.

Scoring another touchdown while playing defense, with 32 tackles, 3 sacks, a caused fumble, and a fumble recovery shows how valuable player this young man was for The Lake. Jacob had 3 pass break-ups and 4 tackles for loss for some more defensive skins on his wall. That is a lot of resume enhancers for a player that played in 7 games last season.

“I’m very proud,” Michele Ruff (Mom) said. “He has put in the work and he was always grinding and stayed hungry while staying humble…he has worked for this but I will be awful tired on Tuesday’s next year because the Junior Varsity plays on Mondays.”

             Proud of my Son!!

“I remember his very first practice and it was 104 degrees outside and he was crying and he wanted to quit,” Mom Ruff recalled. “I was talking with him on the sideline when  Joe (Dad Ruff) said, ‘Absolutely Not’ and made him go back out on the field.”

“Whether it was piano or football, I was not going to let him quit,” Joe said. “I am extremely proud and he has grown to be a wonderful son.”

“He has compassion and works hard,” Dad continued. “He has matured the last couple of years and has made good decisions and he will do fantastic when he goes to Mary-Hardin Baylor….I could not be more proud.”

“I was being a big baby,” Jacob recalled that first football practice. On starting with such a bad taste in his mouth, on that first practice, when did you decide this game might be fun? “Soon, I realized that I loved the game because I got to hit people.”

On which side of the ball he likes the most? (Offense or Defense) “I have more of a defensive mindset…I could read where the play would be going and I wanted to be the smartest on the field and to have that will and knowing what was going to happen before it happened, that happened just by watching their body language and that would let me know their (offense) tendencies.”

            Let’s Go Jacob Ruff!!

On going to a College that has won several National Championships, “I wanted to go to the top school and I can buy into that.”

Decisions young people make during this time of their life, is a key in getting through and finding an easier path. Jacob Ruff has the foundation (family) that will help in those upcoming decisions and wherever those thoughts take you.

It will be good to know that a Jacob can think back on that first football practice and realize that many decisions are not fun but hard work and perseverance will soon help and falling in love with that sport (in this case) can be the result.

“We did all the hard work up to this time,” Michele Ruff said with conviction. “Now it is his time!”

The Hawk Nation will be proud of your next step up that ladder of life and thanks for leaving good examples for future Canyon Lake Athletes.

Go Hawks and Mary-Hardin Baylor!!!