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Ramsay signs as free agent with Chargers

He is now a free agent with the San Diego Chargers, but Zeth Ramsay began his football career as a Western Eagle County Recreation District Junior Devils.
Special to the Enterprise |

GYPSUM — Zeth Ramsay and his close family spent three agonizing days watching every single minute of last week’s National Football League Draft and at the end of it all, they were all feeling pretty deflated when not one of the 32 teams called his name.

That feeling lasted for about five minutes, when Ramsay got a call from the offensive line coach from the San Diego Chargers, who offered the Eagle Valley High School and Colorado Mesa University alumnus a free-agent contract.

According to his mom, Deb Ramsay, he will start work as a Chargers recruit, but he has finals to finish first.



“Then he has mini-camps to attend until the end of June,” she said.

Changed alliances

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Growing up in the Eagle Valley, Zeth’s favorite team was always the Denver Broncos. That obviously changed this week. What’s more, his signing is a first for the Eagle Valley football program.

“I never had a kid at 6 feet, 6 inches and 307 pounds,” said former longtime Devils coach John Ramunno of Ramsay’s current frame. Of course he was a bit smaller when he played for the Devils, but he always had the heart and the work ethic of a pro.

“Zeth had a great attitude and he really hit the weight room and grew. He really filled out,” said Ramunno.

But Ramunno always figured that Ramsay was destined to grow. When he was in high school and the Eagle Valley football team traveled to a football camp at Colorado Mesa University run by his brother Joe Ramunno, the college coach took one look at Ramsay and offered to give him three sets of cleats that were to big for anyone else on the team.

He got pretty fast too. On Pro Day, he recorded a 5.07 40-yard dash. John Ramunno said he last spoke with Ramsay last spring, when the then-junior said he was already getting scouted by the pros. He had been advised to find an agent and in the meantime, he kept doing what he had always done — work hard at getting better.

“Coach Martin at Mesa said that kid works out harder than anyone on the team,” said Ramunno. “When I saw his mom at City Market after the news about him being signed as a free agent, she was just beaming.”

Deb Ramsay also stressed she is feeling a profound sense of gratitude. “Zeth has worked hard, but we are so grateful for all the coaches he had from the time he was in third grade through high school and college. We have so may thank yous to say.”

Ramsay may have reported as a 6 foot 6 inches, 180-pound freshman out of Eagle Valley when he arrived at CMU, but Ramunno said he always had an amazing arm strength and reach. Then working out with the college’s strength and conditioning staff helped prepare him for his dream shot at the NFL.

“That was the first thing that hit me,” Zeth said in a published interview with the Grand Junction Sentinel. “Ever since the third grade, it’s every little kid’s dream to play (in the NFL). Dang, I’ve actually got a shot.”


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