Saints‘ star Cesar Ruiz never had it easy! But he knew the purpose of his life was to make his parents proud of him. Making it from Camden, New Jersey to the NFL, football helped him to cope with the loss of his dad, Cesar Edwin Ruiz. And, his mother, Latoya Shambry, has since then always been by his side.

From earning a scholarship to IMG Academy to thriving as a center at Michigan, it helped him make his path to the NFL with the Saints in the 2020 NFL Draft. And, with this, he continues to honor his father’s legacy.

Who are Latoya Shambry and Cesar Edwin Ruiz?

As Cesar has covered multiple milestones in his life, he never fails to honor his parents for it. His mom, Latoya Shambry, encouraged him to play football when he was just 10. She wanted him to get past the grief of losing his dad, Cesar Edwin Ruiz when he was very young.

Reflecting on the moment, she recalled in an interview she gave back in April 2020, “I felt he was being kind of angry. But then he started, like, just being to himself.” She knew football would help him to blow off some steam. She further adds, “The first few times I took him to practice, I don’t think he wanted to stay. He came up with an excuse, he said, ‘I got asthma.’ I said, ‘Get your butt back around there and run those laps.’” And, for this, Cesar credits her as the “most influential person in [his] entire life.”

Latoya lovingly calls her son “Andy,” as his middle name is Andre. After her husband’s death, she took it upon herself to support her kids, by working two jobs. When Cesar had to attend IMG Academy in Florida before he moved to Michigan, she sacrificed her own feelings for his better future. She recalled, “It hurt. That hurt real bad. But when the opportunity came, I had to look at all aspects. I said, not a lot of kids get this opportunity to go to this school.”

Even though Cesar lost his dad at a very young age, his memories are embedded in his mind quite vividly. His dad Cesar Edwin died when he was just eight years old. The accident was quite tragic, as it occurred when he was helping a stranded driver change a flat tire on a Camden, New Jersey highway. But, despite his absence, Cesar always ensures to honor his dad, mostly through his NFL successes.

How did Cesar Ruiz’s father propel him to actualize his NFL dreams?

Recalling his memories of his dad, Cesar has a vibrant image of him, “Funny, goofy, always happy. Always happy.” He has dedicated his entire NFL journey to his dad. He added in the interview dated April 2020, “I’m still playing for my dad. I still play through my dad. My dad still lives through me.”

Now, as he is on the fields, Cesar knows his dad is smiling at him, “the same way I’m smiling at him, just telling me how proud he is of me.” As he carries his legacy with him, Cesar adds that it covers everything, from his personality to his good deeds. He knows that both his mom and dad are extremely proud of him. He remarked, “I know my mom is proud of me. So I’m proud of myself. I know my father would be extremely proud of me.” And, even if things get tough at times, his love for football and his parents keeps him going.