By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
For someone who enjoys playing football, what could be better than having a chance to play in college?
That opportunity came for Ricardo Miner on Wednesday when the standout defensive lineman for the St. Joseph Academy Bloodhounds signed a scholarship agreement to continue his football career at Trinity University in San Antonio.
He chose Trinity over several other offers. Family, classmates, teammates, coaches and school administrators were present to share in the moment at an on-campus signing ceremony.
“Playing college football is what every high school athlete wants to do,” said Miner, a 6-foot-1/2, 275-pounder who led the 9-3 Bloodhounds last season with 120 tackles (48 solo, 72 assisted) in 12 games. “Not a lot of people are willing to put in the work to do it and even fewer (of all those out there) are actually able to do it, so it’s really a blessing to get to experience this.”
Miner transferred to SJA for his senior year and wasted no time in becoming a strong presence as a starter on the defensive line for the Bloodhounds. Besides a team-best 120 tackles, he also recorded three sacks, one safety and one recovered fumble out of two caused.
His postseason honors included first-team recognition as TAPPS all-state, TAPPS all-district, The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro and All-956. He also was named to the TAPPS academic all-state team.
SJA coach Tino Villarreal described Miner as “an imposing force on the defensive line,” and “someone who could control the line of scrimmage while creating double- and triple-teams.”
“Ricardo’s outstanding play allowed us to open up the defense and do what we did (during the 2016 season),” Villarreal said. “I really believe that without Ricardo on our team, I don’t know if we would have won as many games as we did.
“I’m very happy that out of his multiple offers, he made the right choice,” Villarreal added. “With the type of academic rigor and prestige that Trinity has, I know that played a big role in him deciding to go there. Trinity mirrors a lot the values and philosophy we have here at St. Joseph Academy.
“To me, at the end of the day as a coach, besides winning games, (choosing a school like Trinity) is the most important thing. It makes me very proud to know that our student-athletes are pursing a top-notch education as well (as playing sports in college).”
Miner, who is considering a pre-med major in college, said coming to SJA for his senior year has meant a lot.
“It’s been an experience that I wish I had experienced sooner,” he said. “It’s really like no other program that I can think of in the Valley. St. Joseph is a close-knit community and everyone knows everyone here. I feel like I’m part of a family.”
When asked how Wednesday ranked as one of the most enjoyable days in his life, Miner said, “It’s definitely right up there (as one of the best).”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess