OTTAWA LAKE, Mich. — National Signing Day took place across the country for thousands of high school athletes on Wednesday. For Whiteford's Ryin Ruddy, the moment capped off a momentous week.
On Feb. 2, the senior was inducted into the Whiteford Athletic Hall of Fame. Then on Tuesday, the Michigan High School Athletic Association honored him with a Class C Scholar-Athlete award.
All leading up to his commitment to play football for Hillsdale College.
"I was very grateful for the opportunity because it's a huge honor to win," Ruddy said. "Thankful for the people who have put me in these places to get those types of awards."
The academic honor is the latest in a long list of curriculum achievements. Ruddy has also earned academic All-State in football and track, as well as Tri-County Conference recognition.
He has also been named a National Football Foundation scholar-athlete after serving on the school's student council and National Honor Society.
The MHSSA annually awards students a $2,000 scholarship who meet the criteria of at least a 3.5 GPA and lettered in a varsity sport, among other requirements.
An excerpt from the press release shared a portion of Ruddy's essay submitted:
Sportsmanship is about exercising self-control. This includes curbing emotions, controlling one’s tongue, and keeping negative body language in check. Sportsmanship is obviously about saying ‘good game,’ but it is also about respecting yourself, regimenting your life, and having the self-discipline to put yourself into a position to succeed in everything you do. Even when a loss is inevitable, great sportsmanship is about being genuinely happy when someone else succeeds, looking a competitor in the eye and congratulating them on a job well done.”
Ruddy is one of 32 athletes in Michigan who will be recognized on March 16 during the boys basketball state tournament.
On the football field, the All-State defensive back capped his career tying the school record for most games played with 50. He also sits third all-time with 377 tackles.
Following a state championship during his junior campaign in which his older brother Shea played quarterback, Ruddy followed suit by helping lead the Bobcats to another finals appearance at Ford Field this past fall.
A captain and four-sport star at Whiteford, Ruddy decided to join his older brother at Hillsdale College on Dec. 15. Here's what he had to say after officially signing with the Chargers on Wednesday.
"I'm really excited to go there. Both my brothers go there so it's pretty familiar territory for me because I've been up there a lot over the last two years," Ruddy said. "It'll just be fun to go play with my brother again."
Ruddy helped bring home a state championship in track in 2023 as part of the 1600-meter relay team.