New Orleans Saints Center/Guard Cesar Ruiz
Video Call with New Orleans Media
Friday, October 2, 2020

Just how did last week go, just being on the field for kind of an extended period of time? It's been a while since you had to do that?
"Yeah, it felt good to finally get back out there, get a good amount of reps in, actual live game reps. So it felt good, you know, to be out there again, just playing. I was excited."

The actual process of getting there like, were you tired after the game?
"No, I wouldn't even say I was tired. You know how when you're a kid, and you're just having fun and you're just wanting to go and play with your friends? You do not really get tired. Your adrenaline is rushing and you're just so excited to be in the moment that, I wasn't really tired."

I mean, you got in for like, five, six snaps the week before, did that help? Just even though it wasn't a ton of reps, it was still some?
"Yeah, definitely. Even one live game rep, even if I would have gotten in for one play, would have helped. Feeling those out and seeing what an actual live NFL game is like, even if it's only one rep, definitely helps."

How special is it for you just to be going back to you know, Michigan, right down the road from Ann Arbor and going to Detroit?
"It's cool. Unfortunately, you know the circumstances we're living in. Not really going to have anybody, not being able to see the people I know, that I've connected with down there. But, I know I have a great support system over there in that area. So it feels good to go back to that state of Michigan."

When you finally got in there, just how much did you feel that the chemistry was working between you and everybody else, especially since you hadn't practiced a whole lot and it was really your first game getting a ton of reps?
"Yeah, in practice, a lot of us get in. I was able to get reps with a lot of guys, rotating just to get the feel of things. So really it wasn't (a huge adjustement), I thought the chemistry was just there. It was me, just me and everybody else communicating, just doing what we're doing. I mean, I had to come fill in a spot. And the chemistry was there."

How difficult has it been this season with Coronavirus and no preseason, everything like that, for rookies like you and Adam Trautman to kind of, really get involved and get into the offense?
"I think really, the only thing was that, we didn't really get to actually play some football until August. I know in regular, in normal circumstances it would be some time right after the Draft, like a couple weeks after that. I think that was really the only thing when it comes down to learning the offense. It wasn't really that difficult. We had the virtual meetings, we were able to come in and do actual live reps from here. So I would say the most difficult part was not being able to actually play football for so long."

When you're dealing with that injury like, late in the camp, what was your mindset going through that? Just like knowing that like, it happened right before the season started and now you had to kind of continue waiting after that?
"Yeah. ffor me, when it first happened, I was like, alrigh, I didn't get down on myself and always kept high spirits. At the end of the day, it was what it was. It happened, it's just how it happened. Now I've got to work my way to get back. I took everything serious in terms of my rehab and just everything really. I took a head first approach to it. So, I didn't let it really get me down. I was still my happy self, in my high spirits, being a great teammate doing everything I could do."