Ronnie Cruz
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Valentin Cruz is an American football
fullback
who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
at Northern State University
.
Cruz has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
.
in Ukiah, California
, where he was an all-conference and all-region honoree. He had 152 carries
for 863 yards and 10 scores as a freshman in 14 games played. He finished his sophomore season with 264 attempts for 1,779 rushing yards with 14 touchdown
s.
He played two years at Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota
seeing action in 22 games, rushing 440 times for 2,368 yards with 25 touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 375 yards with two scores. He led the school with 200 carries for 892 rushing yards as a junior along with six catches for 59 yards. Cruz was named to the first-team All-Region and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
teams as a senior. He played in 11 games, recording 1,476 rushing yards on 240 carries with 18 touchdowns and 33 receptions for 316 yards with one score. He ranked eighth in scoring and 10th in rushing his senior year.
in 2005
was mostly a backup role at halfback
to Priest Holmes
and Larry Johnson, and backup to fullback
Tony Richardson. Prior to the 2006 season
, Richardson signed with the Minnesota Vikings
, giving the starting
fullback role to Cruz. In week five, Cruz suffered a knee injury that benched him for the entire 2006 season. The Chiefs released Cruz at the beginning of the 2007 season
.
. He was later released by the Cowboys with an injury settlement.
in 2009 and signed with the team on August 17.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Northern State University
Northern State University
Northern State University is a four-year public university located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, United States. NSU is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents and offers 38 majors and 42 minors, as well as six associate, eight pre-professional and nine graduate degrees.-History:Founded on the...
.
Cruz has also been a member of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
Early years
Ronnie Valentin Cruz was named football MVP and student-athlete of the year at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport, California. He ranked second in rushing in the state of California. Ronnie Cruz was once considered a tuba prodigy.College career
Ronnie Cruz began his collegiate career at Mendocino Community CollegeMendocino College
Mendocino College is a two-year tax-supported community college located in Ukiah, California. Mendocino College was founded in 1973. The main campus is located on of hilltop land north of downtown Ukiah in the Ukiah valley. Currently there are about 5,155 students, 55 full-time faculty, and 200...
in Ukiah, California
Ukiah, California
The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
, where he was an all-conference and all-region honoree. He had 152 carries
Carry (American football)
In American football, a carry is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry," meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Any offensive player who performs a carry is known as a ballcarrier, regardless of position....
for 863 yards and 10 scores as a freshman in 14 games played. He finished his sophomore season with 264 attempts for 1,779 rushing yards with 14 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s.
He played two years at Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Aberdeen is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, about 125 mi northeast of Pierre. Settled in 1880, it was incorporated in 1882. The city population was 26,091 at the 2010 census. The American News is the local newspaper...
seeing action in 22 games, rushing 440 times for 2,368 yards with 25 touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 375 yards with two scores. He led the school with 200 carries for 892 rushing yards as a junior along with six catches for 59 yards. Cruz was named to the first-team All-Region and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. Nine of its members are in Minnesota, with two members in South Dakota and one member each in the states of Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota. It participates in the NCAA's...
teams as a senior. He played in 11 games, recording 1,476 rushing yards on 240 carries with 18 touchdowns and 33 receptions for 316 yards with one score. He ranked eighth in scoring and 10th in rushing his senior year.
Kansas City Chiefs
His role with the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in 2005
2005 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2005 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 10–6 record, but no playoff berth. The Chiefs became the sixth 10–6 team to fail to qualify for the playoffs since the NFL introduced the wild card....
was mostly a backup role at halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
to Priest Holmes
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Texas.Holmes earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV...
and Larry Johnson, and backup to fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Tony Richardson. Prior to the 2006 season
2006 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2006 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the team looking to improve on their 10–6 record in 2005 under new head coach Herman Edwards.The team battled many obstacles during the 2006 season, including the loss of starting quarterback Trent Green in the first game, the readjustment of a...
, Richardson signed with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, giving the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
fullback role to Cruz. In week five, Cruz suffered a knee injury that benched him for the entire 2006 season. The Chiefs released Cruz at the beginning of the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
.
Dallas Cowboys
On January 18, 2008, Cruz signed with the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. He was later released by the Cowboys with an injury settlement.
Florida Tuskers
Cruz was drafted by the Florida Tuskers on the UFL Premiere Season DraftUFL Premiere Season Draft
The UFL "Premiere" Season Draft was the inaugural draft of the United Football League. The results of the draft were announced via press release on June 19, 2009....
in 2009 and signed with the team on August 17.