Merced’s Ramirez to play football at Pacific University in Oregon

Manuel Ramirez thought Merced High School’s loss to Elk Grove in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs might be the end of his football career.

The senior had opportunities to play football in college, but the idea of moving across the country wasn’t appealing.

That’s when Pacific University came into the picture. A recruiter from the private university in Forest Grove, Ore., came to Merced and talked to Ramirez about playing at Pacific.

Ramirez visited the campus in early March and liked what he saw. On Wednesday morning, Ramirez signed his national letter of intent.

“I get the opportunity to go to a great school and continue my education, and I get to continue playing football, which is always a plus,” Ramirez said. “I’m really excited. Education is a high priority in my family, and that was my parents’ main focus when we visited the school. They wanted to know if I can still play football and get a top-notch education. We were able to talk to the professors and see what it’s like to be in the classroom.”

Merced coach Rob Scheidt called Ramirez the rock in the middle of his offensive line. The 6-foot, 255-pound center helped anchor an offensive line that paved the way for the Bears to win a third consecutive Central California Conference championship.

“Everyone looked at the guys we had on the outside – and they were great players – but a lot of the times Manny outgraded those guys because of his attention to detail,” Scheidt said. “He’s an awesome kid who worked hard and did everything right in the classroom and worked hard for us on and off the field.”

Ramirez has a 3.4 GPA and plans to major in exercise science at Pacific. He’s following in the footsteps of former Merced High star Jaquari People, who will graduate this spring from Pacific.

When Ramirez visited Pacific, he roomed with former Golden Valley tight end Michael Souza.

“He’s a big reason I decided to go,” Ramirez said. “He told me it’s not too different from home. He told me the team is made up of a bunch of great guys.”

Another big reason Ramirez is headed to Pacific is because it guarantees he’ll graduate in four years. Because Pacific is a Division III program, there is no money attached to athletics, but because of Ramirez’s work done in the classroom at Merced, he’ll receive financial aid based on his academics.

“To have a place promise you that is pretty awesome,” Scheidt said. “He’s also at a place where some good football is being played. They develop character, and he’s going to get a strong education. They’re going to prepare him for when college and football are over, and that’s really exciting.”

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Merced’s Ramirez to play football at Pacific University in Oregon."