Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app.
If a picture is a thousand words, then this pic of Lindenhurst’s Jeremy Ruckert dressed up as a New York Jet says it all.
Ever since he was a kid, Jeremy dreamed of playing in the NFL. This weekend, Jeremy’s dream will most likely come true.
Ruckert, who years ago was a star for the Lindenhurst Bulldogs, is one of the top tight ends in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The three-day draft runs April 28-30. This year it is in Las Vegas.
The former Buckeye caught 54 passes for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in 45 career games for Ohio State. He’s expected to be selected in the first three rounds.
“When he was a freshman at 13, he was able to do things that many seniors were able to do.” Ruckert’s former Lindenhurst coach Nick Lombardo told GLI. “We wanted to bring him up as an eight-grader.”
Ruckert quickly impressed his Lindenhurst coaches, Lombardo remembers. “His first game on varsity we were short two or three wide receivers, he comes in and scores two touchdowns and we win 14-0.”
As a Bulldog, Ruckert led Lindenhurst to it’s first-ever Long Island Class 1 title and was selected as the 2017-18 New York State Gatorade Player of the year.
At the college level, Ruckert was a three-time scholar athlete and two-time academic All-Big Ten selection.
But the Buckeyes don’t involve their tight ends as often as other teams do. They are primarily used as blockers or the safety valves for a quarterback. That, Lombardo says, has hurt Ruckert’s scouting report.
“He hasn’t had the ability to shine with his catch-making ability…I think at the next level he’ll have that ability to show what he’s capable of.”
He certainly has the play-making ability. Watch this amazing one-handed grab for a touchdown by Ruckert.
An NFL.com scouting comparison puts Ruckert in the same category as Cowboys’ starting tight end, Dalton Schultz.
Regardless of what happens this coming weekend, we should be seeing Ruckert playing on Sundays in the very near future. A dream come true for him. A legacy secure on Long Island, says coach Lombardo.
“It’s great for the Lindenhurst community. He’s a rock star.”
Top: Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert signals a first down after catching a pass against Penn State during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 33-24. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
